# What are THESE pop-ups? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 27, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488 "2003-11-27T01:07:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrentLumkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@BrentLumkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrentLumkin)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/1 "2003-11-27T01:07:09Z")
I have a pop-up blocker running, have used AdAware, and Spy Bot yet I keep getting these certain pop-ups. I’ll try to explain them exactly. They don’t come up when I’m at any certain webpage, they just pop up out of nowhere here and there. One just pops up, and the other one sorta “sneaks” up on the screen by going from the bottom right of my screen and just opens up that way. I don’t know how else to explain it. How in the world can I stop thsese blasted things? ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/2 "2003-11-27T02:06:41Z")
Adware or Spyware, most likey. Download AdAware or Spybot, or both. [www.lavasoftusa.com](http://www.lavasoftusa.com) [security.kolla.de](http://security.kolla.de) ---
**Author:** ![BrentLumkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@BrentLumkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrentLumkin)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/3 "2003-11-27T02:10:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Berkut \* > \*\*Adware or Spyware, most likey. > > Download AdAware or Spybot, or both. > > [www.lavasoftusa.com](http://www.lavasoftusa.com) > [security.kolla.de](http://security.kolla.de) \*\* Thanks a lot, but see my first sentence in my post. ---
**Author:** ![chillihead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@chillihead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chillihead)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/4 "2003-11-27T02:25:02Z")
What OS are you using? what browser are you using? What are they advertising? Are they actually web pages or are they grey message boxes that just have an OK button? Is your Anti Virus software up to date? CH ---
**Author:** ![BrentLumkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@BrentLumkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrentLumkin)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/5 "2003-11-27T02:27:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by chillihead \* > \*\*What OS are you using? > what browser are you using? > What are they advertising? > Are they actually web pages or are they grey message boxes that just have an OK button? > > Is your Anti Virus software up to date? > > CH \*\* 1. Windows XP 2. Microsoft Explorer 6.0 3. Various things, like viagra and some sort of match dating service web page. 4. No, they have pictures and look like a normal pop up. I’m not talking about those little Microsoft Messenger popups. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/6 "2003-11-27T02:28:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BrentLumkin \* > \*\*Thanks a lot, but see my first sentence in my post. \*\* DOH! Sorry about that, didn’t see it. I have run across a few machines at work with this problem lately. I think the spyware scanners are lagging behind the spyware producers. Do you notice any unusual processes running in your task manager? ---
**Author:** ![BrentLumkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@BrentLumkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrentLumkin)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/7 "2003-11-27T02:32:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Berkut \* > \*\*Do you notice any unusual processes running in your task manager? \*\* Nope, not at all. ---
**Author:** ![chillihead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@chillihead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chillihead)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/8 "2003-11-27T02:42:35Z")
Are you using a firewall (even XP’s limited one)? ---
**Author:** ![BrentLumkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@BrentLumkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrentLumkin)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/9 "2003-11-27T02:45:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by chillihead \* > \*\*Are you using a firewall (even XP’s limited one)? \*\* I’m pretty sure. ---
**Author:** ![chillihead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@chillihead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chillihead)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/10 "2003-11-27T03:00:24Z")
If the sites you visit don’t require it, try disabling Java. Tools¦Internet Options¦Advanced. About half way down Microsoft VM JIT compiler and/or Java(Sun). Also try to find an Anti-Trojan programme. Some Tojans manage to get past the AV progs. CH ---
**Author:** ![d12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/71c47a/32.png) [@d12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/d12)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/11 "2003-11-27T03:12:25Z")
Try going into add-remove programs. Just see if theres anything in there that really looks out of place. ---
**Author:** ![Insecta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3da27b/32.png) [@Insecta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Insecta)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/12 "2003-11-27T06:53:02Z")
Go to Start|Run then enter “msconfig” and hit Enter. Here, under ‘Startup’ you should be able to deterimine what starts up with the computer. Perhaps this troublesome program is in there. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/13 "2003-11-27T11:30:21Z")
Your first consideration should be any software you’ve installed recently. Particularly any freeware or Internet Exporer ‘helper’ add-ons. Many of these come with intrusive “features” that basically mean adverts and marketing information gathering (aka ‘spying’). This applies equally to software that have no apparent interneting functions. The safest rule to follow about freeware, helper add-on etc is to consider who’s giving it away. If it’s a hobbyist programmer then it’s likely to have no strings attached, but with variable quality. If it’s a company then you can be sure that there’s bound to be one catch or another. You don’t get something for nothing. Either they wish to convince you to purchase an upgrade, or they want to advertise to you, or gather other info off you. Nothing wrong with either in themselves, you just got to make yourself aware of what you’re getting into when you install their software. There are companies out there that are less than upfront about what their software will do on your computer. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/14 "2003-11-27T12:29:45Z")
Try for an answer here [http://forums.spywareinfo.com/](http://forums.spywareinfo.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/15 "2003-11-27T13:16:03Z")
Could be a Flash animation, in which case your SOL. Some websites use these, and since they’re not technically new browser windows they aren’t caught by any pop-up stopper that works by detecting windows. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/16 "2003-11-27T16:51:06Z")
Apparently browser plugins (“Browser Help Objects”) are not detected by Adaware and probably not by Spybot, either. Here’s a freeware program [BHO Demon](http://www.definitivesolutions.com/bhodemon.htm) that claims to detect and remove them on demand. Disclaimer: I have not tested it. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/17 "2003-11-27T16:58:38Z")
[A recent thread on the subject.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=223568) **Mangetout** has a detailed procedure list that could be useful. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-pop-ups/215488/18 "2003-11-27T17:30:13Z")
Do you have any P2P software running? These only happen to me when I do. Then I run SpyBot and AdAware to remove them, and often their removal messes up the P2P software.