Popup ads Problem

[Bob Lenahan]

Is there a good program to stop popup ads, free. Having problems using the internet.
thanks,

[PaperTiger]

What browser ?

[Flying Bull]

Hi Bob,
if you get more popups than usual, you computer might be infected
http://www.hijackthis.de/en might help.
For normal browsing, don´t use MS IE, use that browser only for save sites which require it (i.e. maxdome movies)
For normal browsing use either mozilla Firefox
http://www.mozilla-europe.org/
and use the free add ons like no script and and and
or use Opera
http://www.opera.com/download/

Greetings Flying Bull

[Bob Lenahan]

I have IE but don't knoe the version. Maybe the one before the lastest. I'll also check your suggested sites, Flying Bull.
thanks,

[Tarq57]

You can find the version by clicking on "Help" "about" up the top. (Expect it to be IE7 or 6) (Personally I prefer IE7, it's a bit more secure and has tabbed browsing.)
Firefox I'm liking, partly because there are a large selection of "add-ons" easily available for it. Some of the more popular include Ad-block plus, and Noscript. Useful.
What security software do you have (a) running and (b) available for demand scanning?

[P.Pilcher]

If your version of XP is updating itself as it should be, you should have I.E. version 7 already installed. I have just acquired a SH laptop - the only way to get a machine with XP on it these days. The machine clearly hadn't been used for quite some time as it promptly downloaded 90 updates as soon as I established its internet connection! One of these was to upgrade it's version of I.E. 6 to I.E. 7. The first job of the newly upgraded browser was to download AVG for virus protection!
If you are not sure what is happening, go on to www.microsoft.com (http://www.microsoft.com) search for "updates" and the site will check your machine for any important O.S. upgrades that you may have missed.

P.P.

[Tarq57]

P. Pilcher, beg to differ. "as it should be" differs depending on whether you're looking at updates from a Bill Gates perspective, or a users.
Mine is set to "notify but don't download or install them" , a setting I highly recommend to anyone semi-savvy who would wish to have some measure of control over the OS.

[green granite]

I did try IE 7 on my old PC but dumped it and re-installed V6, 7 was awful, prefer FireFox anyway.

[BOAC]

Bob - IE6 has an option under Internet Options/security to 'block' pop-ups, Zone Alarm (which firewalll do YOU use?) has, as has Google - all free!

[P.Pilcher]

Tarq57 - I fully accept your point and watch here and elsewhere for updates which are only introduced to help Mr. Gates. I was in PC World yesterday and trying to decide whether to acquire a large, thick volume entitled "Ubuntu" as a late Easter present for myself!

P.P.

[Oracle]

The easiest and cheapest way to stop pop-ups is to install the Google menu Bar (as one of the chapses suggested above briefly) from the Google.com website . Then deselect everything you don't want using the 'options' tag. This will leave you with a search box for google and a POP-UP control button to turn it on and off (with noise and counter if your heart desires). Remember that some websites you want to open pages from - like on-line banking - will need you to select the POP-UP blocker OFF in order to open the respective pages. The latest version of Internet Explorer is better for pop-ups also if you haven't already downloaded it from Windows Update.

:}

[Keef]

Pop-ups? What pop-ups? I use Firefox, with pop-ups disabled. 'Tis brilliant.

[Bob Lenahan]

Well, I sure appreciate all the info from you all- lots of it good and interesting to me. I did install Firefox, which seems to be doing the job, and actually I'm learning to really like it. Thanks again, everybody.

[call100]

Yep. Firefox with Adblocker add on. I don't even see the adverts great. Knocks Internet explorer into a cocked hat....