Pop-up ads are annoying ads that often appear when you want to access or read certain websites. Almost all browsers have a pop-up blocker tool that can filter out these ads by blocking unfamiliar or harmful pop-ups, but still displaying pop-ups that are allowed. If you are constantly bothered by the appearance of pop-up ads, there is a possibility that your computer has been infected with advertising software or adware. However, there are programs on the internet that can help solve this problem for free.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Internet Explorer
Step 1. Click the 'Tools' menu or the button with the gear icon, then select 'Internet Options'
If you can't find the 'Tools' menu, press Alt.
Step 2. Click the tab
privacy.
Step 3. Check the box labeled ‘Turn on Pop-up Blocker’
Step 4. Click the button
Settings to adjust the blocking level. Use the 'Blocking Level' drop-down menu to set the security level. If you want to block all pop-up ads, select 'High'.
The pop-up blocker will always block pop-ups from suspicious sites, regardless of the severity of the pop-up appearing
Step 5. Check the sites that are on the exclusion list
On the 'Pop-up Blocker Settings' menu, you will see a list of sites that are allowed to display pop-up ads. You can remove a specific site from the exclusion list by selecting an existing site and clicking the Remove button, or you can add a specific site to the exclusion list by entering the site's address in the provided field.
Step 6. Run an anti-malware scan if you are constantly being bothered by pop-up ads appearing
If you're still getting lots of pop-up ads even though Pop-up Blocker is enabled, there's a good chance that your computer has a malware or malware infection. Download and run a scan using the three free programs below, and click these links for more information on how to remove malware from your computer:
- AdwCleaner - general-changelog-team.fr/en/tools/15-adwcleaner
- Malwarebytes Antimalware - malwarebytes.org
- HitmanPro - surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro
Method 2 of 4: Chrome
Step 1. Click the Chrome menu button (☰), then select 'Settings'
Step 2. Click the 'Show advanced settings' link at the bottom of the page
Step 3. Click the button
Content settings… in the 'Privacy' section.
Step 4. Scroll the page until you reach the 'Pop-ups' section
Select 'Do not allow any site to show pop-ups'.
Step 5. Click the button
Manage exceptions…. Once clicked, you can see which sites are included in the pop-up blocker exclusion list.
Step 6. Run an anti-malware scan if you are still bothered by pop-ups appearing
If you're still getting lots of pop-up ads while accessing different sites, or your browser redirects you to other sites, there's a good chance that your computer has been infected with advertising software or malware. Run a few scan sessions using the programs below, and read the article at this link to learn more about how to remove malware from your computer.
- AdwCleaner - general-changelog-team.fr/en/tools/15-adwcleaner
- Malwarebytes Antimalware - malwarebytes.org
- HitmanPro - surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro
- AdwareMedic (Mac) - adwaremedic.com
Method 3 of 4: Firefox
Step 1. Press the Firefox menu button (☰), then select 'Options'
Step 2. Click the 'Content' tab on the left sidebar
Step 3. Check the box labeled ‘Block pop-up windows’ to enable the pop-up blocker
Step 4. Click the button
Exceptions… to see what sites are excluded. In this section, you can add certain sites to the exclusion list by typing the address of the site.
Step 5. Use an anti-malware program if you still get a lot of pop-ups
Excessive pop-up ads are a common sign of an advertising software or virus infection. Read the article in this link for further guidance on how to remove malware from your computer. Additionally, run the following programs to remove the most common malware infections:
- AdwCleaner - general-changelog-team.fr/en/tools/15-adwcleaner
- Malwarebytes Antimalware - malwarebytes.org
- HitmanPro - surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro
- AdwareMedic (Mac) - adwaremedic.com
Method 4 of 4: Safari
Step 1. Click the Safari menu, then select 'Preferences'
Step 2. Click the 'Security' tab
Step 3. Check the box labeled ‘Block pop-up windows’
Step 4. Run the AdwareMedic program if the pop-up ads keep popping up
If the pop-ups continue to appear, even after you activate the pop-up blocker, there is a possibility that your computer has an advertising software infection. There are several programs available to OS X to solve problems with advertising software, but AdwareMedic is one of the most popular because of its effectiveness and it's free to use.
