IE6 SP2 pop up blocker

Brynn · January 04, 2006, 02:53:05 PM

Hi :D
I've been using the pop up blocker which came along with the SP2 updates, just trying to be very security conscious. But the truth is that it annoys the !#@*! out of me :!: Not only that, but lately I'm beginning to seriously doubt how much protection it actually offers. I've always thought of it as mostly ineffective. I never considered IE opening a new window, when I purposely browsed to it, to be a threat or an advertisement. I want a pop up blocker to actually protect me from one or the other, and I can't see how the IE blocker does either.

But before I disable it, I just want to confirm this is an accurate understanding. I mean, it's not blocking anything except what it alerts me to, is it? In all this time, it's never alerted on anything remotely dangerous or threatening. As long as I'm careful about my browsing practices, I'm thinking I can disable it. Yes?

Skittles · January 04, 2006, 03:03:54 PM

Pop up Blockers are just that....to just block those annoying popup windows such as advertisements that pop up when visiting certain websites.

Altho, they can be temporarily disabled by holding down the ctrl button, if you want to allow a popup window to come up. At least that is the way to temporarily disable it, for the popup blockers that I have worked with.

I personally like and use Panicware myself. Alot of ppl like the google popup blocker that comes with the google toolbar....but I personally don't like it.

Panicware can be easily disabled either by holding down the ctrl button or by disabling it by clicking the icon and unchecking the box to block popups.

The reason for disabling it either temporarily or for longer periods of times depends on if you are using a website where you need a popup window to appear....such as enlarging a thumbnail sized picture, or clicking on a link to show a map or view a private message. That is when it is advisable to disable it temporarily or a lil longer, so that you can view something that you need to see.

Otherwise I always have my popup blocker enabled.

mitch · January 04, 2006, 04:11:38 PM

are you talking about a "popup blocker" or are you talking about the firewall??????
if you are talking about a firewall and the one with sp2 well
it is a "firewall" but just bairely !
it blocks incoming traffic only and does NOT give alerts !

there are still a few free good working software firewalls that work !!!!

and you can test your firewall at GRC.com

for more SAFE free info, click my signature
read "how di i get infected" by tonyK

then go to "newbies and oldies" page and read the info i have in FIREWALLS

any questions let me know !

i am confused by your topic of hardware firewalls and talking about popups

and that is like comparing appels and grapefruit !
two different subjects !!!

Brynn · January 04, 2006, 09:05:53 PM

YIKES!!!

Sorry about that, mitch. I was composing 2 messages and got the titles mixed up. I have edited the title now to reflect what my topic is really about.

I am asking about the IE6 SP2 pop up blocker, in this thread (although I do have a thread about hardware firewalls in the Firewalls forum). Coincidentally, I am in the process of reading the pages on your website, recommended to me in another unrelated thread. Unfortunately I have trouble staying on topic -- I'll be on one page, reading about something, when I something else crosses my mind. And I'll stop what I'm reading or doing, and go off to take care of the other thing. No doubt this is how my topic titles got mixed up :oops:

Anyway, thanks for your help :)
And not to forget skittlespc -- thank you too!

Paddy · January 04, 2006, 11:16:21 PM

Well you could always try POW ...
With all the cool things about the web (like my website), there's an even greater amount of really lame things, like those popup advertisements from sites like GeoCities and Tripod. After a late night of closing those damn windows, I couldn't take it any more, and AnalogX POW! was born! A simple utility, just run POW! while browsing on the net, and when one of those nasty popups appears, POW! will automatically close it for you... It's that easy! And that's not all... You can configure POW! to close any new popups that you run across, so if it doesn't close them already, you can easily add/remove them at any time. This is an absolute must for anyone who spends any reasonable (or unreasonable) amount of time surfing the web.

POW
http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network/pow.htm

From the makers of cookie wall.

Cookie wall a simple program to control the many cookies that you get on your system you can download it here
http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network/cookie.htm

numbnuts. :breakkie:

GR@PH;<'S · January 04, 2006, 11:19:39 PM

numbnuts,

GR@PH;<'S :breakkie:

mitch · January 05, 2006, 12:08:58 AM

yep and just for info both are listed on the newbie oldie page :hysterical:

JOSEPH · January 06, 2006, 02:16:59 PM

Here's a site that supplies pop up tests.
http://www.popuptest.com/

Brynn · January 07, 2006, 05:08:27 AM

Good info!
Thanks everyone :D

default · January 10, 2006, 05:37:14 AM

I was using IE on high speed connection IE's POP stopper did not work. I tried craze browser that POP stopper did not work either :?

What I did was to use Maxthon

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Maxthon_Standard_d1167.html

Maxthon bocked POP-UPs & ads. Worked Great :breakkie:

Brynn · January 10, 2006, 05:55:36 AM

Thanks, default.
Well, I have decided to get a new stand-alone pop up blocker. However, it's a good bit above my technical knowledge and abilities to try a whole new browser!
All best.

Ripley · January 10, 2006, 01:25:10 PM

Quote from: Brynn on January 10, 2006, 05:55:36 AM
However, it's a good bit above my technical knowledge and abilities to try a whole new browser!

My 2006 New Year's resolution is to start using an alternative browser like Firefox or Opera, but didn't think it would take significant technical knowledge to switch. Something I don't know about here?

Brynn · January 11, 2006, 12:06:56 PM

I don't think so, ripley. That may have been a poor choice of words on my part.:oops: The more accurate comment would be that I've got too much on plate, at present, to consider learning a whole new browser. You're probably right in that it wouldn't take significant technical knowledge. Although, in defense of my wording, I will say that I find "technical" to be a fairly relative term. For example, something you might think is not so technical, someone who unpacked their brand new 1st machine, that they got this past Xmas, might consider very technical. Anyway, no worries, you'll probably be fine!

babyoh · February 26, 2006, 03:51:16 AM

i know this is an older thread, but i just got to it...
:rose:
i'm using opera, firefox, and occasionally netscape and internet explorer (sometimes at one time, to check how pages look in different browers.)
>there's an even greater amount of really lame things, like those popup advertisements from sites like GeoCities
just so you know, OPERA is the ONLY browser that blocks those HIDEOUS frame-ad's that GeoCities always loads on the right. they don't show up at all -- and those frames can't be blocked in firefox or ie, with ANY setting.
-- not sure why this is so, but i sure do APPRECIATE it...
:thumbsup: