For those of you reading this post, I’m assuming you would like to know, exactly how you can block all those annoying pop ups on your computer.
Well, it’s not as simple as that, as it’s quite broad an issue. As a result, I’ve decided to take a broad approach in this article. So I will be discussing exactly how to prevent pop ups, on your internet browser, under the various operating systems. However, I will also discuss how to prevent desktop pop ups, which can be done by removing associated applications.
One thing that must be understood, is that it’s not possible to block all pop ups. If your PC is at risk, then the operating system will typically warn you. In most cases, you will be presented with a checkbox, which you can use to dismiss the message. However, for those pop ups that appear, that are not of Windows, they are typically the result of some application you have running on your computer. As standard practice, it’s very important that you’re running the most up-to-date internet security software.
If an unwanted pop up, appears every time you log into your computer then it’s more than likely the result of something you recently installed. This is something I intend to discuss in this article.
Removing Desktop Pop Ups
As I previously stated, some pop ups are simply a part of the operating system. These pop ups are, however; less frequent on the latest Windows operating systems, but they do appear, from time to time.
It’s those programs that you may have installed unintentionally, that will continue to bother you for a long time into the future. Removing these programs is fairly simple, just do the following:
1. First, boot into your computer with full administrative rights.
2. Then press Windows Key + R, type appwiz.cpl into the Run Command Box and click on OK.
3. When Add or Remove Programs loads up, simply click on the Application, and then click on Uninstall.
One thing to note is that both your antivirus and firewall tool may also produce pop ups. In most cases when this occurs, it’s usually because the software is out of date. Thus, it’s important that you ensure everything is always up-to-date to keep your computer secure and free of malicious files.
Read: Is Your Computer Slow? Here Are 10 Ways To Make It Run Faster
Using Microsoft Internet Explorer
For those users that surf the internet on Internet Explorer, they should be happy in the knowledge that Microsoft has provided their browser with its own built-in popup blocker. This feature is normally enabled by default, however, in the event that it has been disabled, you can enable it by doing the following:
1. First, open Internet Explorer, by double clicking on its icon.
2. Once it’s up and running click on Tools -> Internet Options.
3. Once Internet Options loads up, click on the Privacy Tab, then tick the box next to Turn on Pop-up Blocker, and click on OK.
By clicking on the Settings button, you can configure the browser to block specific websites, which is a nice addition, for more control.
Using Firefox
One of the main reasons, so many people switched to Firefox, from Internet Explorer, way back then, was because it had its own built-in pop up blocker.
If you use Firefox to surf the internet, you can enable or disable the pop up blocker by doing the following:
1. First, load up Firefox, by clicking on its Icon.
2. Once Firefox is running, click on Tools -> Options.
3. From the Options menu, click on Content, then tick the box next to Block pop-up windows.
By default, just like with Internet Explorer, this feature is enabled. The box next to pop up blocker should already be ticked, if it’s enabled. Additionally, you can click on the Exception button, and select specific websites you would like to Allow or Block.
Using Google Chrome
Google Chrome, just like the other two, also has its own pop up blocker, which is like standard today.
By default, this feature should also be enabled, but if you would like to enable, disable or adjust the settings, then you need to do the following:
1. First, run Google Chrome, by double clicking on its desktop icon.
2. Once Google Chrome is running, click on the 3-Stripes Icon and click on Settings.
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the Settings page and click on Show Advanced Settings.
4. In the Privacy section, click on Content Settings.
5. In Content Settings, scroll down to Pop-ups, then click on do not allow any site to show pop-ups.
Like with the two previous web browsers, clicking on Manage exceptions will allow you to choose which websites you would like to Block or Allow ads on.
Another option available to you, on all three browsers, is the installation of AdBlock. This pop-up blocker will block the vast majority of ads on your browsers. In some cases, you may even have to set it to enable ads, as it can be pretty powerful.
AUTHOR INFO
Uchenna Ani-Okoye is a former IT Manager who now runs his own computer support website compuchenna.co.uk.