# Yet another question about ANNOYING POPUPS THAT WON'T GO AWAY **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 29, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543 "2003-09-29T20:37:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543/1 "2003-09-29T20:37:10Z")
I keep getting popups from some site called find-now.info, usually advertising online gambling sites. Sometimes they’re popunders or something and just show up on my taskbar. It’s been happening maybe once every hour or so, but not regularly at all. I’ve ruled out their coming from websites I’m surfing, since I even get them when I’m not loading any sites. I keep deleting cookies, but to no avail. I’ve even run AdAware and SpyBot SD. Any advice from the good Samaritan nerds out there? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543/2 "2003-09-29T21:04:49Z")
Are they from “Windows Messenger Service”? [here’s one of many sites](http://www.itc.virginia.edu/desktop/docs/messagepopup/) with help removing that. Also, did you update SpyBot and AdAware before running them? Only other thing I can think of is maybe get the Google toolbar for your browser to stop the popups. Or switch browsers. Seven people will now come along and tell you to do the same 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sinshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Sinshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinshine)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543/3 "2003-09-29T21:17:24Z")
IANA computer savvy person at all. But my **brilliant** little brother installed the latest [Google toolbar](http://toolbar.google.com/) on my new system, and went into the “options” button on said toolbar. There’s an accessories section which includes a pop-up suppression. No po-ups for me! Yay L’il Bro! ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543/4 "2003-09-29T21:17:26Z")
Well, I just downloaded AdAware and SpyBot today after it started happening, so I think they should be the newest versions. And I don’t really want the Google Toolbar because of the spyware on it, and while I guess getting a popup-blocking program or changing browsers might work, I would really like to get whatever the hell this is off of my computer. And I don’t think they’re from Windows Messenger, because that stuff can’t have graphics, can it? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543/5 "2003-09-29T21:38:49Z")
The Google toolbar can be configured so it’s not “spying” on you by not enabling the “advanced features” Thier Toolbar privacy policy is [here.](http://toolbar.google.com/privacy.html) ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543/6 "2003-09-29T22:03:16Z")
If Google installs spyware, I’m the King of Englad. P.S. - Nanoda does not claim any royal status as of this time. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543/7 "2003-09-29T22:08:34Z")
And Englad doesn’t even exist, so you can tell how strongly I feel. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543/8 "2003-09-29T22:13:21Z")
Englad is the boy-wonder sidekick to Englman. And I definitely agree about the Google bar. Of course, you can also try a new browser, because most of the supress popups - except Internet Explorer. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543/9 "2003-09-29T22:35:19Z")
Ah, I didn’t know you could change the privacy settings on the Google Toolbar. Maybe I should get it then. But my major concern isn’t suppressing the popups, although that might be nice. I’m just pissed off that it might be something internal to my computer installed without my permission. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543/10 "2003-09-29T23:55:24Z")
Are you sure you’ve run Spybot and Ad-aware properly - they will identify this trojan if you have ? Also the Google ToolBar is _partially_ so-called ‘spyware’ if you use some of the advanced features: [http://toolbar.google.com/privacy.html](http://toolbar.google.com/privacy.html) - you do have the answers you need in this thread ---
**Author:** ![lilbtagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@lilbtagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilbtagna)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543/11 "2003-09-30T00:15:01Z")
Even if you just downloaded Adaware and Spybot today, you should click “check for updates” on both of them. I don’t know how often the main program is updated, but I’ve had to download updates every time I run either program. It would be a good idea to check and make sure they’re up to date. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543/12 "2003-09-30T02:02:39Z")
Now I’ve updated and run both programs again, and it seems like the problem is gone. I’ll bump the thread if it happens again. Thanks for the help, everyone! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543/13 "2003-09-30T02:03:46Z")
Usually when I DL SpyBot there are updates to be had. Check again. ---
**Author:** ![Cillasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Cillasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cillasi)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543/14 "2003-09-30T02:09:11Z")
Set your internet security to medium high and that will prevent sneaky downloads of stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543/15 "2003-09-30T02:09:11Z")
Grrr, now that I posted that it happened again! Time to update again… ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543/16 "2003-09-30T02:19:12Z")
Every time I run it, it deletes tracking cookies, but nothing that seems out of the ordinary. Would this program create any tell-tale files on my computer I could delete manually? And I just did set the security to medium high, but that can’t erase what’s on there now. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-question-about-annoying-popups-that-wont-go-away/204543/17 "2003-09-30T03:04:09Z")
OK, if System Restore back to Saturday hasn’t killed it, I’m going to disembowel myself.