Online advertising pays for most of the Internet content we access, just as TV is fueled by commercials. Without it, Web sites would need to charge a fee for people to view their content. Most of us don't mind subtle ads sprinkled throughout a Web site, but too many pop-up ads can interfere with the Web browsing experience. The good news is that there are easy ways to block them.
Most Windows* users already have a built-in pop-up blocker. If you are using Windows XP* with Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista*, a pop-up blocker is already installed and turned on by default. You can turn off the blocker or adjust the settings. First, open Internet Explorer.
To turn off the pop-up blocker:
On the Tools menu, point to Pop-up Blocker, and then click Turn off Pop-Up Blocker.
To adjust the settings (allow pop-ups from specific Web sites, change notification settings, or change level of pop-up blocking:
- On the Tools menu, point to Pop-up Blocker, and then click Pop-Up Blocker Settings.
- When you open a page that has pop-ups, both Internet Explorer* and Mozilla Firefox* display by default a yellow information bar at the top of the browser window:
- Internet Explorer–"Pop-up blocked. To see this pop-up or additional options, click here..."
- Firefox–"Firefox prevented this site from opening a pop-up window."
Many companies provide toolbars with pop-up blockers. If your operating system doesn't provide a built-in pop-up blocker, many Internet Service Providers and other companies offer toolbars that provide always-available search and other services. For example:
- Google toolbar includes a button labeled "0 blocked" (or a number indicating how many pop-ups have been blocked).
- MSN toolbar includes a button labeled "Pop-ups blocked (0)".
Similar to a built-in pop-up blocker, you can click these buttons to access options that let you turn blocking on and off or create a list of sites where pop-ups are allowed.
There are plenty of other pop-up blockers out there. If what you have already isn't doing the job, or if you're just interested in what else is available, visit the download.com pop-up blocker page page for a wealth of options.
Sometimes, pop-ups are legitimate and useful. "So," you may wonder, "why would I want to turn the pop-up blocker off? Do I look like I need more advertising in my life?" The fact is that sometimes, you will want to see a pop-up window. For example:
- On some sites, a pop-up window appears the first time you visit, asking for your preferences about how information displays. Then it remembers these preferences for future visits.
- Many sites are designed using pop-ups, and pop-up blockers can get in the way. For example, if you click a link and nothing happens, your pop-up blocker might be preventing a new window from opening.
- Other sites may use pop-ups for sign-in purposes or to download or print content.
In cases where you do want to allow pop-ups, you'll need to allow them in all of the blockers you have installed. (This is a good example of why you should resist the temptation to install too many blockers, because managing them in multiple toolbars can be difficult.) To see what toolbars are installed, right-click in an empty place on any toolbar, and a menu will appear that lists all of the toolbars installed. Unchecking the name of a toolbar will typically disable it, and it will no longer block pop-ups.
