Popup Blocker working very weirdly

Topic

New Reply

I use Win 10 and the latest Firefox. I needed a popup blocker and chose Popup Blocker (strict) which is supposed to block all popups. It does this, but only on links I click: it blocks the new window and asks me what to do about the link. If I visit a website, however, it doesn’t block anything. Popups galore!

Can someone suggest a different, free popup blocker? I’m mostly getting the popups that show up almost immediately after your arrival at a website; they block nearly the entire screen while asking you to sign up for their newsletter. These are legitimate business, some with brick and mortar stores, some only online.  I have no idea if signing up for the newsletter would stop the popup, but since I don’t want their newsletters, that’s neither here nor there.

TIA

Reply | Quote

Replies

Firefox can natively block pop-up windows. Type this into the address bar about:preferences#privacy scroll down to the permissions section and you will see Block pop-up windows.

Reply | Quote

Actually, I am not offeredt that setting.

Reply | Quote

? says:

hi areader,

have you read Microfix’s AKB3000003? i have FF on linux and after i applied the suggested settings websites now complain that i have a “pop-up blocker,” (which i do not have.) i,ve added many more ff tweaks but the passive pop-up blocking began after i set up the preferences and added the microfix tweaks:

https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/3000003-firefox-additional-security-telemetry-and-privacy-tweaks/

Reply | Quote

This is way beyond my knowledge and abilities. I haven’t a clue where to start!

Reply | Quote

uBlock Origin’s element zapper is perfect for practicing before banishment using the element picker tool.

Reply | Quote

uBlock Origin’s element zapper is perfect for practicing before banishment using the element picker tool.

I’m sorry but most of your reply is simply gobble-de-gook. I found UBock Origin but I don’t know what elements are, I don’t know what an element picker tool does, etc. If my first try (Poper Blocker) doesn’t work, I’ll give this a try.

Reply | Quote

Search for “overlay” in the Firefox Add-on site there are several extensions which may help you.

Reply | Quote

Thank you. I chose Poper Blocker for my next go-round.

Reply | Quote

[geekdom]

Firefox Settings

— Select hamburger menu to far right
— Select Options
— Select Privacy and Security
— Select Block pop-up windows

On permanent hiatus {with backup and coffee}
offline▸ Win10Pro 2004.19041.572 x64 i3-3220 RAM8GB HDD Firefox83.0b3 WindowsDefender
offline▸ Acer TravelMate P215-52 RAM8GB Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1265 x64 i5-10210U SSD Firefox106.0 MicrosoftDefender
online▸ Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1992 x64 i5-9400 RAM16GB HDD Firefox116.0b3 MicrosoftDefender

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by geekdom.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by geekdom.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by geekdom.

Reply | Quote

I already had that set. Little good it did me. I just finished downloading a YouTube video about bald eagles. By about 1/2 thru watching it, I’d had 6 popup ads and I chose to download it instead.  Very frustrating!

Reply | Quote

You may want to try running adwceaner, just as a check:
https://toolslib.net/downloads/viewdownload/1-adwcleaner/

On permanent hiatus {with backup and coffee}
offline▸ Win10Pro 2004.19041.572 x64 i3-3220 RAM8GB HDD Firefox83.0b3 WindowsDefender
offline▸ Acer TravelMate P215-52 RAM8GB Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1265 x64 i5-10210U SSD Firefox106.0 MicrosoftDefender
online▸ Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1992 x64 i5-9400 RAM16GB HDD Firefox116.0b3 MicrosoftDefender

Reply | Quote

I think these pop-ups you are seeing are actually from YouTube. They have recently (over the last couple of months that I have noticed) been introducing this annoyance. I still get a few on the latest firefox with ublock Origin and noscript. I don’t think it’s an issue with browsers, more google workaround tactics for current blockers. It’s only on some not all videos, as they are probably injecting more by each day..

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

Reply | Quote

areader, I know what you are talking about and it bothers me too. I use AdBlock Plus and have added the “element blocker” but this is too much for many people. uBlock O is another GOOD program and it uses the same “subscriptions” as AdBlock Plus.

Every tech has their own ideas. I would recommend looking at SpywareBlaster and Spybot Search and Destroy (version 1.6.2) as these are passive protections not active. Also consider AdBlock Plus. Many popups and malicious ads will be gone with ABP.

Most of those popups asking you to join something are from the original website itself and are not 3rd party, so it is harder to stop them. If you are willing to learn about the element blocker of ABP or uBlock O that will help but it IS a learning curve.

I hope this helps you somewhat.

Reply | Quote

Thank you for giving me more info. I didn’t know that the popups from the original website were treated differently than 3rd party ones! I am willing to learn, but where to start, when the programs assume you understand what they’re talking about and know how to do these things? My brain kept current all through the pre-DOS era, DOS, and Windows 1 through XP. After that there were too many changes to Windows and programs for this casual user to keep up.

I used to use AdBlock Plus. I have a memory of Firefox telling me it didn’t work with the current version, so I removed it. Anyway, I added it back. Thanks for giving me back a program I know and like.

Reply | Quote

Hello areader, I use ABP and have for at least a decade. I do have Element Blocking Helper and use it occasionally. It does work. See the below for more information as tutorials/demos.

Element Hiding Helper – General notes Installation Using Element Hiding Helper ABP
https://adblockplus.org/elemhidehelper

Element Hiding Helper for Adblock Plus youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nnKJxuzX-0

Tutorials – How to block ads in Firefox ABP
https://adblockplus.org/tutorials

You might also want to investigate adding some more subscriptions. EasyPrivacy, Malware Domains, etc. See ABP site:
Known Adblock Plus subscriptions ABP
https://adblockplus.org/subscriptions

Hope this helps.

Reply | Quote

Thank you all. Returning to AdBlock Plus solved this problem.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Fred

Reply | Quote

areader wrote:

Thank you all. Returning to AdBlock Plus solved this problem.

perhaps the Malwarebytes browser plugin can give you adding assistance…

* _ ... _ *

Reply | Quote