# Stupid stuck popup! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 28, 2002, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-stuck-popup/134178 "2002-10-28T00:18:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-stuck-popup/134178/1 "2002-10-28T00:18:42Z")
Sometimes when you try to remove a popup by right-clicking it’s button on the start-bar the popup menu and the popup it’self gets stuck. how do I get rid of it without closing **all** the IE windows (by ctrl-alt-delete-ing)? ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-stuck-popup/134178/2 "2002-10-28T00:32:28Z")
I didn’t realize there still existed anyone who used IE. So, I don’t know, but here’s one thing you can try. Alt-tab over to the window, and then press Alt-F4 to close it. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-stuck-popup/134178/3 "2002-10-28T00:38:52Z")
Didn’t work. And, what _does_ everyone use? Every computer I’ve ever been on except the ones at University had IE as the internet browser, and I have been on a lot of computers. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-stuck-popup/134178/4 "2002-10-28T01:10:04Z")
Statistics are at around 95% IE, 4% Netscape, 1% everything else. Something like that, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Poloin99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Poloin99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poloin99)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-stuck-popup/134178/5 "2002-10-28T01:20:21Z")
I am wondering what Achernar uses as well as what universe he is from? 😉 What version of windows are you using? CAT works. If using XP hit it and go to the applications tab. Next find the pop up and hit end task. Similar processes apply to other version of windows. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-stuck-popup/134178/6 "2002-10-28T01:40:55Z")
I’ve just risked a ctrl-alt-delete, and it turns out the popup has a .exe extension! It was definately a popup, does this mean people can now run executables without us knowing, or does the .exe belong to the IE ‘window’ that the popup tried to open in ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-stuck-popup/134178/7 "2002-10-28T02:20:50Z")
Go [here.](http://www.emsproject.com/FS/Support.htm) Best ad killer app I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-stuck-popup/134178/8 "2002-10-28T02:28:32Z")
Try clicking on the item in the start bar (to select it) and then Alt+F4. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-stuck-popup/134178/9 "2002-10-28T04:25:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Poloin99 \* > **I am wondering what Achernar uses as well as what universe he is from? 😉** Touché. I’m on IE right now, but when I’m on a computer that I’m allowed to install programs on, I’ll use anything but. I’m not saying it’s bad, but nobody I’m friends with uses it. 😉 Actually, even though I wasn’t asking for statistics, it’s cool to know. As for what universe I’m from… **Lobsang** , does this happen often, or is it one specific popup from one specific site? Although I’m not familiar enough with it to speak with any authority, I’d say that if you have executables running unrequested, you’re a good candidate for a virus victim. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-stuck-popup/134178/10 "2002-10-28T04:32:12Z")
It happens sometimes, it happened about 10 seconds before I posted the OP. And I am on a work computer so it is work that is a good candidate for a virus. In fact we get sent viruses all the time. Luckily - the virus software or firewall or something replaces the actuall virus with an alert.txt file. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-stuck-popup/134178/11 "2002-10-28T04:37:38Z")
Whoa, you got a popup from the Straight Dope? Was it the only window open, or could another site have launched it? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-stuck-popup/134178/12 "2002-10-28T06:18:14Z")
It was likely to be another site. I had a few open. But I have a feeling it is not coming from a site at all. I am probably being paranoid, but it seems like different websites are up whenever this popup appears. I usually learn which sites produce which popups, but not this time. There was a post in the pit about someone who had learned to get popups through windows NT’s ‘guts’. I have a feeling it’s that, or am I being a computer-hypochondriac.