Fed up with pop-up ads? We review six ad-free browser apps, each with its own method of removing annoying solicitations.Tired of pop-up ads? So are we. Fortunately, we found eight apps that promise to remove these Web-surfing irritants.
Annoyances online
Most pop-ups come from Web sites themselves. To stop these common annoyances, you'll need an app that blocks them at the source. One such app, EdenSoft PopUpCop, not only stops pop-ups from filling your desktop, it also eliminates harmful ActiveX and Java scripts, turns off background music, stops animation, and blocks cookies. It even purges your Internet Explorer browser history and temp file whenever you exit the browser. PopUpCop integrates with your IE toolbar for fast enabling, disabling, and customisation.
Finally, there's Sunbelt iHatePopups, which offers a no-frills app that simply blocks pop-ups. It doesn't, for example, integrate with Internet Explorer as PopUpCop, AdSubtract Pro and Guard-IE do.
Pop-up danger from within
But unfortunately, blocking pop-ups from Web sites might not get rid of them altogether. Yet another source of pop-up advertising comes from within your PC: tiny ad-serving programs on your hard drive itself. Ad-serving software, sometimes called adware or spyware , can track the Web sites you visit, as well as other personal information, and send that data back to the advertising companies. These apps can install on your system without your knowledge when you download certain free software or when you visit some Web sites.
To remove these, you'll need a program such as Spybot Search and Destroy or a similar product, such as Lavasoft's Ad-aware. And, if you're willing to pay for this sort of thing, there's a new app from Webroot called Spy Sweeper that claims to remove more adware than Spybot or Ad-aware. Finally, Net Nanny Ad-Free provides both a pop-up blocker and ad-serving software removal
PopUpCop 2.0
PopUpCop 2.0 for Internet Explorer eliminates annoying ads and respects your online privacy. Unfortunately, PopUpCop isn't available for Netscape, Opera, or the Mac.
iHatePopups
While iHatePopups lacks the sophistication and security of its competition, it's good for home or student users who want just the basics.
Net Nanny Ad-Free
Ad-Free does an adequate job of blocking pop-ups, cookies, and spyware but doesn't integrate with browsers, such as Internet Explorer. For that, get PopUpCop instead.
Spybot Search and Destroy
Spybot blows venerable Ad-aware out of the water when it comes to protecting you against ad-serving software.
Webroot Spy Sweeper
Designed like an antivirus app, Spy Sweeper scans for the latest spyware using a constantly updated signature file. But its sophistication is only skin-deep.
Ad-aware 6.0
Ad-aware Standard Edition pales in comparison to the new feature-rich and free Spybot Search and Destroy.
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