# Why still popups? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-still-popups/256372 "2004-07-22T17:13:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-still-popups/256372/1 "2004-07-22T17:13:16Z")
I have a new Dell Dimension 4600. Came with MIE, of course. I installed the yahoo toolbar, then ended up installing the google bar as well. Both have “popup blockers” included. From day one, I can’t hardly surf because of the blizzard of popups. Both blockers are on, but you know where you go and see how many popups they’ve blocked? they both say ZERO. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-still-popups/256372/2 "2004-07-22T17:25:08Z")
If you’re running Windows XP or one of the other flavors of NT, chances are these are Windows Messenger popups. Normal popup blockers will not affect these. To rid yourself of these pests, you will need to [disable the Windows Messenger Service](http://www.itc.virginia.edu/desktop/docs/messagepopup/). There is an example of what these popups look like. If yours look like this, then follow the step on the page to disable it. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-still-popups/256372/3 "2004-07-22T17:26:20Z")
Well. Could be a lot of things - I can’t speak for the reliability of either pop-up blocker personally. However : Adware - unwanted pop-ups may be originating from something buried on your machine, not your browser. AOL Instant Messenger has, for instance, a buried program called Viewpoint Media Player. Beyond that, the best pop-up remedy I know is Mozilla. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-still-popups/256372/4 "2004-07-22T17:26:21Z")
I am not an expert, but I once had a big problem with popups whenever I had a p2p program running on my computer. If you’re running one of those, it could be the culprit. You might also try running Spy-Bot and Ad-Aware (both available for free online) as they can help eliminate this kind of problem. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-still-popups/256372/5 "2004-07-22T18:41:05Z")
“Popuppopper” is a free download that kills everything I’ve run into. It allows you to permanently block ALL popups from any site, which is helpful when you tend to cruise the same sites a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-still-popups/256372/6 "2004-07-22T19:11:43Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > If you’re running Windows XP or one of the other flavors of NT, chances are these are Windows Messenger popups. Normal popup blockers will not affect these. To rid yourself of these pests, you will need to [disable the Windows Messenger Service](http://www.itc.virginia.edu/desktop/docs/messagepopup/). There is an example of what these popups look like. If yours look like this, then follow the step on the page to disable it. And if this is the case then you should also activate the WinXP firewall or install ZoneAlarm or something similar. You won’t Windows Messenger popups if the firewall is blocking all of the Windows networking stuff from the internet. Receiving Windows Messenger popups is a good sign that your firewall is not active under WinXP. And I second the motion: Use Mozilla or Firefox instead of IE. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-still-popups/256372/7 "2004-07-22T19:25:14Z")
> [@Mort Furd](#): > > And if this is the case then you should also activate the WinXP firewall or install ZoneAlarm or something similar. Agreed. Though, in my opinion (and experience) XP’s built-in firewall sucks rocks, even if it _is_ better than nothing. I heartily recommend ZoneAlarm. I use it myself on my XP Pro box. ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-still-popups/256372/8 "2004-07-22T19:36:31Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Agreed. Though, in my opinion (and experience) XP’s built-in firewall sucks rocks, even if it _is_ better than nothing. I heartily recommend ZoneAlarm. I use it myself on my XP Pro box. Yah. Rocks and great big green donkey d… It is just good enough for you to get online and download something better. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-still-popups/256372/9 "2004-07-22T21:05:59Z")
If all the windows are grey and have an “Ok” button in the middle, it’s the Windows Messenger service running. You can turn it off under Services in the Control Panel -\> Admin Tools, but it’s better to just [turn on](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=283673) the [ICF](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320855). If they’re coming from the site you’re visiting, then uninstall one of the toolbars, 'cause they’re conflicting with each other. (Never heard of that happening, but it might happen) If they’re coming up on sites that shouldn’t have popups ([google.com](http://google.com), um… ok, I’ve used [Firefox](http://getfirefox.com) and [Mozilla](http://www.mozilla.org/) so long I forget which pages have popups anymore. But anyhow…) then you’ve got adware/spyware on your machine. See the sticky at the top of the forum about computer questions, or go to [http://www.microsoft.com/spyware/](http://www.microsoft.com/spyware/) and check out the links. (It’ll recommend AdAware, Spybot, PestPatrol, etc). ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-still-popups/256372/10 "2004-07-23T00:24:32Z")
Use Mozilla or Firefox. It made everything easier. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-still-popups/256372/11 "2004-07-23T07:53:24Z")
Hmm. Installed PopupPopper and Spyware Blaster; still getting popups almost every link. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-still-popups/256372/12 "2004-07-23T07:58:59Z")
Stop using the **only** browser on the market that hasn’t come up with an inherent way of blocking the things. The solution is so desperately simple, free and repeated in this thread that if you fail to use it, you’re getting what you asked for. ---
**Author:** ![Ludicrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@Ludicrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludicrous)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-still-popups/256372/13 "2004-07-23T08:18:27Z")
I will say it again. Download firefox (free) or opera (not free). It will dramatically change and enhance your websurfing experience. Even the US governemnt does not recommend IE and prefers people to use a more “safe” browser. ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-still-popups/256372/14 "2004-07-23T08:27:06Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Hmm. Installed PopupPopper and Spyware Blaster; still getting popups almost every link. But they won’t help you if you’ve got spyware on your computer. Adaware and spybot are your friends. You might also try the [Cleaner](http://www.moosoft.com). It works wonders on stubborn trojans and spyware. You can download a 30 day trial version, which should last long enough to fix your problem. Once you’ve gotten rid of the crap, you can use one of the alternative browsers mentioned in this thread. The only valid use I can think of for IE is going to the MS page to download updates for your system. Other than that, you are better off with something that blocks popups by itself and that doesn’t invite spyware into your PC. Yes, IE can be locked down to be secure against spyware and crap. Nobody does it, though. Why should they? There are better alternatives out there. ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-still-popups/256372/15 "2004-07-23T09:54:22Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Hmm. Installed PopupPopper and Spyware Blaster; still getting popups almost every link. That’s all great but did you try what **Q.E.D.** asked you to do in the first reply to this thread? ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-still-popups/256372/16 "2004-07-23T14:59:34Z")
I’ve just gone through a hellish couple of weeks removing malware from my home computer. My specific problem was a home page hijack with tons of popups, but if you have only popups then it might be a bit easier to get rid of. Download [Ad-Aware](http://www.lavasoft.de/support/download/). (if you already have it, click the Check For Updates button to make sure you have the latest definitions). Download [Spybot](http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html). (ditto on the updates) Download [CWShredder](http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/cwshredder.zip). Then restart in Safe Mode (tap the F8 key while rebooting; use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode). Run Ad-Aware, Spybot, and CWShredder. Restart normally. If you still have problems, download [HijackThis](http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/hijackthis.zip), and post the resulting scan in the [SpywareInfo Forums](http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showforum=18). The people there are inundated with requests for help, but if you are patient they are very helpful. You can learn a lot just by reading the responses they’ve given to other people to solve their problems. NOTE: Be careful with HijackThis – if you “fix” things you shouldn’t, you could really mess up your computer, so just run a scan and ask for advice. I’ve switched to [Mozilla Firefox](http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) for my Browser. I like it better than IE, although there are certain web sites that still require IE (and Windows Update uses IE). To help prevent future problems, make sure you have a good virus scanner enabled and updated frequently. (I’ve just switched from Norton to [Avast!](http://www.avast.com/) (which is free!, and it caught viruses that Norton missed.) [Here is an article on how to tweak the security settings in IE](http://www.spywareinfo.com/articles/hijacked/prevent.php) if you don’t want to switch browsers. Good luck.