# pop-up question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 6, 2002, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-question/141019 "2002-12-06T21:03:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-question/141019/1 "2002-12-06T21:03:52Z")
For the past week or so every time I go to a site with pop-ups I get the Illegal Operation message and I get kicked offline. I tried repairing Internet Explorer but it still happens. I haven’t installed any new programs lately or tinkered with IE/AOL in any way. So, any ideas? Solutions? ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-question/141019/2 "2002-12-06T21:32:34Z")
If it’s just a matter of blocking pop-ups, you can try installing the Proxomitron ([http://www.proxomitron.org/](http://www.proxomitron.org/) ) or a similar pop-up browser. I’d recommend trying to fix your browser anyway though - have you tried completely uninstalling and re-installing IE from scratch? Alternatly, you could consider switching to an alternate browser like Mozilla which allows you to disable pop-ups. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-question/141019/3 "2002-12-06T22:17:40Z")
I have the same problem somewhat, and I’m still looking for an answer. Ever since I switched to IE6, whenever I close a window (pop-up or another browser window), it displays an error report and reboots IE. I didn’t have this problem with 5. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-question/141019/4 "2002-12-06T22:49:52Z")
I will uninstall and reinstall IE tonight and see if that helps… Ive never heard of Mozilla. What are the negative aspects? As in, is it free? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Melraidin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Melraidin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melraidin)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-question/141019/5 "2002-12-06T23:51:58Z")
Yep, Mozilla’s free. If I remember correctly, it’s basically open source Netscape. People everywhere work on the code for Mozilla, then later it gets finalized and released as Netscape. Anyway, I’ve been running it for awhile and have never had a problem. Very slight differences in how HTML is rendered between Mozilla and IE, but who knows which is right? Also, Mozilla’s got plenty of other features you’ll learn to love. ---
**Author:** ![Thomas2500](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@Thomas2500](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thomas2500)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-question/141019/6 "2002-12-06T23:59:13Z")
The Opera browser makes it really easy to block pop-ups as well- you just click a box in the options area. It has a freeware and a shareware version. It’s worth checking out. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-question/141019/7 "2002-12-07T00:05:59Z")
Okay, I just reinstalled IE and hunted for a site with pop-ups. Still busted. The error message says Invalid Page Fault RPCRT4.dll Could it be AOLs fault instead? ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-question/141019/8 "2002-12-07T00:31:03Z")
Try this [Google search](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=Invalid+Page+Fault+RPCRT4.dll+). Could it be one of these issues? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-question/141019/9 "2002-12-07T02:23:10Z")
I have heard the Opera browser is excellent, but the free version has these flashing ads that render it unusable. I am using Mozilla, but there are some sites it simply fails to display. Note SD, however. And you can disable popups. Maybe that’s the problem.