# Recommend a free pop-up scanner? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 11, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-free-pop-up-scanner/200893 "2003-09-11T02:14:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-free-pop-up-scanner/200893/1 "2003-09-11T02:14:10Z")
Okay…I downloaded Spyhunter to my mom’s computer to try to get rid of all of the drive-by pop-ups and the like. Of course, it scanned her computer, told me that there were about 125 different items that needed to be removed, and then tried to charge me $30 to get rid of them. I’m in the way of thinking that there HAS to be a way to remove the registries, pop-ups (especially the one that says “Stop Pop-ups Now” repeatedly), and the like. Without having to pay for it. Any suggestions? I tried [www.downloads.com](http://www.downloads.com), but I can’t get the site to work. ---
**Author:** ![lilbtagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@lilbtagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilbtagna)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-free-pop-up-scanner/200893/2 "2003-09-11T02:37:50Z")
[Adaware](http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/) is what I recommend. The free version works wonderfully. ---
**Author:** ![Black\_Train\_Song](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Black\_Train\_Song](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Train_Song)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-free-pop-up-scanner/200893/3 "2003-09-11T02:45:54Z")
[Spybot search and destroy](http://www.safer-networking.org/) This removes spyware. Is that what you’re looking for? Also there’s [Ad-aware](http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/) Hope that helps. They’re both free. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-free-pop-up-scanner/200893/4 "2003-09-11T06:02:40Z")
I got Freesurfer mk II at [www.download.com](http://www.download.com) the Cnet site. It was free and has been effective. As for your messenger pop ups, see [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=202322](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=202322) ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-free-pop-up-scanner/200893/5 "2003-09-11T10:34:49Z")
I wouldn’t use the google toolbar pop up blocker, I’ve got it and it doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Phage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a4c791/32.png) [@Phage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phage)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-free-pop-up-scanner/200893/6 "2003-09-11T10:50:17Z")
Adaware and Opera ([www.opera.com](http://www.opera.com)) make a great team. Opera is very easy to configure to remove unwanted popups, to the point of it being an option in a subset of the file menu. Check out the website for other features; I can’t surf without it. ---
**Author:** ![lilbtagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@lilbtagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilbtagna)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-free-pop-up-scanner/200893/7 "2003-09-11T12:33:09Z")
**AngelicGemma** , you might have some adware on your computer already if the Google Toolbar isn’t blocking stuff. It can only block the pop-ups that occur when you open a site, but it can’t do anything about programs on your computer that create ads. You might try downloading Adaware or Spybot also, which **Rooves** provided links for. ---
**Author:** ![alimarx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@alimarx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alimarx)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-free-pop-up-scanner/200893/8 "2003-09-11T17:21:20Z")
The free version of [Pop-Up Stopper](http://www.panicware.com) works well for me. That and disabling Windows Messager Service. ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-free-pop-up-scanner/200893/9 "2003-09-11T20:04:32Z")
Stop using Internet Explorer and switch to [www.mozilla.org](http://www.mozilla.org) Firebird or Mozzilla. Both have built in pop-up blocking, and don’t let other adware sneak onto your system as easily. Also, Ad-Aware is a good thing to get to clean out spyware. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-free-pop-up-scanner/200893/10 "2003-09-12T14:26:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lilbtagna \* > \*\ ***AngelicGemma** , you might have some adware on your computer already if the Google Toolbar isn’t blocking stuff. It can only block the pop-ups that occur when you open a site, but it can’t do anything about programs on your computer that create ads. You might try downloading Adaware or Spybot also, which **Rooves** provided links for. \*\* Thanks for the info. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-free-pop-up-scanner/200893/11 "2003-09-12T14:53:05Z")
What kind of computer is this Superdude? A PC or Mac. If it’s a PC, try [download.com](http://download.com) tons of free stuff there. Search for like say, ‘popup’