Need a pop-up blocker for Windows XP

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kim/Dreamspinner3
  • Start date Start date
K

Kim/Dreamspinner3

I just installed Windows XP and I was wondering what you would all
recommend as the best pop-up blocker for Windows XP. Thanks.

Kim/Dreamspinner3
 
Kim/Dreamspinner3 said:
I just installed Windows XP and I was wondering what you would all
recommend as the best pop-up blocker for Windows XP. Thanks.

Kim/Dreamspinner3
Click to expand...

Hi

I agree with DC. Install Mozilla. It has the pop up blocker, cookie
manager, spell checker and many more features.

Much better for the environment. ;)
 
Hi

I agree with DC. Install Mozilla. It has the pop up blocker, cookie
manager, spell checker and many more features.

Much better for the environment. ;)
Click to expand...

And known to cure certain forms of male pattern baldness. };O)
 
Hi Kim - There are currently two classes of things going on that are causing
people popup difficulties. If you get popups even when your browser is not
connected to the Internet with a title bar reading "Messenger Service", then
these are most likely due to open NetBios TCP ports 135, 139 and 445 and UDP
ports 135, 137-138 and a UDP port in the range of 1026-1029.. You really
need to block these with a firewall as a general protection measure. You
can stop the popups by turning off Messenger Service; however, this still
leaves you vulnerable. If you have an NT-based OS such as XP or Win2k, you
should probably also specifically block TCP 593, 4444 and UDP 69, 139, 445,
and install the very important 823980 patch from MS03-026, here:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=823980 to block the Blaster worm..


See: Messenger Service Window That Contains an Internet Advertisement
Appears http://support.microsoft.com/?id=330904 which identifies reasons to
keep this service and steps to take if you do.

You can test your system and follow the 'Prevention' link to get additional
information here:
http://www.mynetwatchman.com/winpopuptester.asp Unless you have very good
reasons to keep this active, it should be turned off in Win2k and XP. Go
here and do what it says:
http://www.itc.virginia.edu/desktop/docs/messagepopup/ or, even better, get
MessageSubtract, free, here, which will give you flexible control of the
service and viewing of these messages:
http://www.intermute.com/messagesubtract/help.html Recommended.

(FWIW, ZoneAlarm's default Internet Zone firewall configuration blocks the
necessary ports to prevent this use of Messenger Service. I don't know the
situation with regard to other firewalls.)

Messenger Service is not per se Spyware or something that MS did wrong - It
provides a messaging capability which is useful for local intranets and is
also sometimes (albeit nowdays infrequently) used by some applications to
provide popup messaages to users. However, it can also be (and now
frequently is) used to introduce spam via this open NetBios channel.
For a single user home computer, it normally isn't needed and can be turned
off which will eliminate the spam popups. This DOESN'T, however, remove the
vulnerability of having these ports open, when in fact they aren't needed,
since they can be perverted in other ways as well, some of which can be much
more damaging than just a spam popup.



If you're getting a lot of popups while surfing, then the following may be
useful:

Popups - The best way to start is to get Ad-Aware 6.0, Build 181 or later,
here: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/. Update and run this
regularly to get rid of most "spyware/hijackware" on your machine. If it
has to fix things, be sure to re-boot and rerun AdAware again and repeat
this cycle until you get a clean scan. The reason is that it may have to
remove things which are currently "in use" before it can then clean up
others.

Another excellent program for this purpose is SpyBot Search and Destroy
available here: http://security.kolla.de/ SpyBot Support Forum here:
http://www.net-integration.net/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.cgi. I recommend
using both normally. Update before starting, then after fixing things with
SpyBot S&D, be sure to re-boot and rerun SpyBot again and repeat this cycle
until you get a clean "no red" scan. The reason is that SpyBot sometimes
has to remove things which are currently "in use" before it can then clean
up others.

Then, there are a variety of third party "Popup Killers" available. I
normally use AdShield, which, if you maintain its Block List every now and
then, almost totally stops this. In addition, it stops a variety of
ads/banners/etc. (particularly spyware like doubleclick) on pages I access.
This is probably all you'll need; however, I've also investigated a program
called webwasher which appears to be very good, but decided that AdShield
was sufficient. At the bottom of this post, you'll find a list provided
courtesy of bc_acadia of a number of free popup blockers with links.

****** NOTE: As of 28 Apr 03 AdShield appears to have partnered with a new
reseller, and AdShield is no longer free. There is a trial version of
AdShield3; however, IMO it is seriously crippled in not being able to import
or export block lists and I think for reasonable utility one would have to
go to the full version. While I don't normally recommend non-free software,
I personally will continue to use AdShield3, since I think it is the best
currently available combined Popup/Ad/Malware blocker, but you should be
aware of the fact that it now costs, ($29.95), whereas the earlier versions
upon which I based my original recommendation were free, although not nearly
as capable as the AdShield3 release. I've included below links to both the
older free version and the new paid version. You'll have to investigate and
make your own choice in the matter. *******

Here are a number of AdShield-related links:

http://www.fsd1.org/technology/Files/AdShield.exe - AdShield1.2 (free)
http://www.internettechs.net/utilities/AdShield.exe - AdShield1.2 (free)
http://ftp.ural.ru/home/index/windows/networking/utils/AdShield -
AdShield1.2 (free)
http://www.megalog.ru/info/utilz/AdShield.zip - AdShield1.2 (free)
http://www.allstarss.com/store/adshield.html - AdShield3
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/block.txt - (Mike Burgess' .txt Block List
for AdShield)
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/block.zip - Mike Burgess' Zipped Block List
for AdShield - Recommended)
http://adshield.briankass.com/blocklists.html (lists a number of blocklists)
http://adshield.briankass.com/blocklist.abl (brian's blocklist in .abl
format)
http://adshield.briankass.com/blocklist.txt (brian's blocklist in .txt
format)
http://www.songwave.com/software/adshield_blocklist.txt (40,000 pornsites
blocked - *VERY* large list - use at your own risk)
http://www.chrismyden.com/temp/block.abl (chrismyden's blocklist in .abl
format)
http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/resource.htm#AdShield (Eric Howes AGNIS
for AdShield block list - Recommended) (BTW, Eric's site contains a wealth
of very valuable information about all aspects of net security - Very Highly
Recommended)

There's also a new AdShield forum here:
http://users.boardnation.com/~adshield/index.php

Here's a good AdShield test site, courtesy of siljaline: "Make ***SURE***
you have your block scripted popups enabled
http://www.mediaboy.net/1010100-1100001-1111010/gahk/>>>> [Warning this URL
opens a multitude of Browser windows almost instantly]"

http://www.webwasher.com - Webwasher


Additionally, some people have recommended Popup Stopper and PopupBuster,
but they have also been reported or experienced to cause perceived problems
for some people with "normal" links in IE6 such as Google search results and
links from OE. Some proponents of PopupBuster assert, however, that this is
normal operation for this program under
certain circumstances which can be overridden if necessary. YMMV Another
"Proxy" type blocker similar to Webwasher and Proxomitron but supposedly a
bit easier to configure is Privoxy here: http://www.privoxy.org/

Also, if you're comfortable allowing changes to the registry, there is an
approach, IE-SPYAD, using the restricted sites list which can be used for
scripted popups. I use this and it works very well. See here:
http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/resource.htm

There is additonal information about setting up and using AdShield, and
about using the Restriced Zone (and an additional list) here:
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm and some of the Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ's) about AdShield here: http://adshield.briankass.com

Lastly, ZoneAlarmPro3/4 has added provisions for stopping adds/popups,
handling cookies, web bugs, and scripting/ActiveX components in addition to
it's firewall functionality. Not free, but I have used it with my other
AdBlocking stuff (AdShield, etc.) turned off as a test, and it appears to be
very good indeed. So far I've experienced no problems at
all with it set in its High Security modes for Ads although others have
reported the need to temporarily turn it off to reach some sites. Also,
Agnitum's Outpost Firewall supports a plug-in for this: "Pre-configured to
block most banner advertisement. Can be configured manually or by simply
dragging and dropping unwanted banners into the Ad Trashcan." I
have no experience as to how effective it is, but I have received a
favorable report.

There's good information about hijacking in general and fixes available for
specific hijackers here: http://www.spywareinfo.com/hijacked.html
http://gmpservicesinc.com/Articles/hijack.asp
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/Darnit.htm#pop_up
http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/

bc_acadia's list:

"Some popup blockers. All of these are 100% pure freeware, no trial
periods. Some of these do more than just handle popups.

Pow!: http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network/pow.htm
NoAds: http://www.southbaypc.com/NoAds/
PopupEraser: http://www.webknacks.com/popuperaser.htm
Stop-the-Pop: http://www.bysoft.se/sureshot/stopthepop/index.html
Internet Organizer: http://www.sf.yucom.be/wdprojects/
PopKi: http://ranfo.com/popki.html
PopUpPopper: http://www.bayden.com/Popper/default.asp
PopUpKiller: http://sourceforge.net/projects/puk/
AdCruncher Proxy:
http://home.sprintmail.com/~dtrout/AdCruncher/ReadMe.html
KillAd: http://www.wplus.net/pp/fsc/
ClickOff: http://www.johanneshuebner.com/en/download.html
PopupBuster: http://www.popupbuster.com/PopUpBuster/
Free Surfer: http://www.kolumbus.fi/eero.muhonen/FS/
Window Shades: http://www.g-m-m.com/Software/WindowShades/index.php
AdShield (my personal favorite): http://www.adshield.org/
PopupStopper: http://www.panicware.com/popupstopper.html
Proxomitron (has learning curve): http://www.proxomitron.org/
For those who don't want third party stuff, your own pc's built-in
host file:
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm and
http://www.smartin-designs.com/ and http://www.accs-net.com/hosts/


Here is a review of 61 popup killers, not all of them are free:
http://www.popup-killer-review.com/index.htm"

NOTE that this site also contains a good, comprehensive series of popup
killer tests. Some good additional tests are also available here:
http://www.webknacks.com/aptest.htm


Finally, there's a new class of hijacker using Window's Messenger Service
(not Instant Messaging, BTW) that I discussed at first.


you might want to consider installing the SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard
here to help prevent this kind of thing and other malware from happening in
the future:
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/spywareblaster.html (Prevents malware Active
X installs) (BTW, SpyWare Blaster is not memory resident ... no CPU or
memory load - but keep it updated) The latest version as of this writing
will prevent installation or prevent the malware from running if it is
already installed, and it provides information and fixit-links for a variety
of parasites.
http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareguard.html (Monitors for attempts to
install malware) Both Very Highly Recommended.

Perhaps these will help.


--
Please respond in the same thread.
Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP



In
 
I meant the type of pop-ups you get when browsing the web. I've disabled
Windows XP Messanger service already. I tried to download Ad-Aware but
their website appears to be down. Is there anywhere else I can download the
latest version of Ad-Aware?
 
sf said:
I meant the type of pop-ups you get when browsing the web. I've disabled
Windows XP Messanger service already.
[snip]
Click to expand...

Try this - it works for me.
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
Click to expand...

I also use the hosts file and keep it updated. I do not get popups,
spyware, etc. If I absolutely have to visit a site that is listed in my
hosts, I go in and remove for just that session, then re-insert for
insurance. I also use Spybot S&D, Spywareblaster, HJT, & Ad-aware. Avast
is my AV. Since I've used hosts, all my warriors have rested. ;-)
 
(FWIW, ZoneAlarm's default Internet Zone firewall configuration blocks
the necessary ports to prevent this use of Messenger Service. I don't
know the situation with regard to other firewalls.)
Click to expand...

Yes they do.




Aaron (my email is not munged!)
 
Hi VSJ - You might find the use of a little program called RenHosts.bat an
easier way to temporarily enable/disable your HOSTS file. See here:
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

"Safely Rename the HOSTS file

In the event you can not access a site and you believe it may be due to an
entry in the HOSTS file. Check the URL first! It may be taking you to
somewhere you don't want to go! Yes webmasters can fudge the URL displayed
in the lower left corner of your browser. When you are not sure -
right-click the link and select: Copy Shortcut - paste to Notepad. You can
use the HOSTS Editor to see if that server is listed.

You can use a simple batch file to rename the HOSTS file "on-the-fly".
Download: RenHosts.bat [right-click and select: Save Target As]

a.. Place RenHosts.bat in your Windows folder
b.. Create a Desktop or Quick Launch shortcut to RenHosts.bat
c.. You can also place a shortcut in your Favorites if needed.
d.. Note: if IE is open when you toggle the HOSTS file, click Refresh (F5)
<picture deleted for this post>

a.. To use: click (the shortcut) once to rename HOSTS to NOHOSTS
Click again to rename NOHOSTS back to HOSTS
Note: you will see the above small on-screen message as to the status."

I use this all the time. It also has the virtue of properly renaming your
HOSTS file to all caps, no extension.

--
Please respond in the same thread.
Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP



In
VSJ said:
sf said:
I meant the type of pop-ups you get when browsing the web. I've disabled
Windows XP Messanger service already.
[snip]
Click to expand...

Try this - it works for me.
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
Click to expand...

I also use the hosts file and keep it updated. I do not get popups,
spyware, etc. If I absolutely have to visit a site that is listed in my
hosts, I go in and remove for just that session, then re-insert for
insurance. I also use Spybot S&D, Spywareblaster, HJT, & Ad-aware. Avast
is my AV. Since I've used hosts, all my warriors have rested. ;-)
Click to expand...
 
Hi VSJ - You might find the use of a little program called
RenHosts.bat an easier way to temporarily enable/disable your
HOSTS file. See here: http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
Click to expand...
[snip]

Jim,

Appreciate your help and info but...
could you kindly bottom post in this news group? Please.

Bottom posting and trimming superfluous text is the preferred
method of replying to posts in a.c.f. and a.c.f.d.

Netiquette [net etiquette] "It is to your own advantage... "
http://www.uwasa.fi/~ts/http/netiquet.html

Thank You Very Much :-)
 
Hi Boomer - First, thanks for reminding me to snip - I tend to post long
replies, and while I try to mark them as such and to remember to snip, I do
sometime forget, so a reminder now and then is useful. :)

Next, about top-posting - I don't usually engage in top vs bottom posting
discussions - that issue is an emotional one like religion, politics, the
best firewall and whether it's possible for Symantec to write software which
doesn't screw up your computer. However, since your request was civilly
made, I feel like I should at least offer a short explanation of why I top
post and will continue to do so. I'll probably be giving you more detail
than you really want to hear, but . . .

I monitor 23 public newsgroups and 5 private ones daily. Of these I post
predominantly in 10 out of 14 of the msnews.microsoft.com groups, but to
some lesser degree also in all of the others. So in addition to a fairly
voluminous email load, I wind up looking at between 1,000 and 2,000 headers
a day, sometimes more at busy times like during the blaster worm panic. I
will end up only posting about 300 - 500 responses per month to these;
however, doing so requires actually reading a much larger number of
messages - not just the headers. In order to handle this load, the system
I've developed is to use the preview pane in OE, view only unread messages
(mostly), and mark threads that I'm involved in or interested in as
"watched". Using the preview pane I can click on a message header,
particularly one in a thread I'm following, and immediately see (at least
most of) the latest response in the preview pane without having to open the
message. If I need to reply, I can then do so immediately without further
scrolling by top posting, and then scroll down past the most recent reply to
"snip" to the bottom (again, mostly). I've tried using a bottom posting
format, and it just isn't very efficient for me, adding signifcantly to the
time (2-3 hrs/day including researching answers in addition to my normal
work) it takes me to process the load. Thus my decision. I hope you'll at
least understand my reasons, and that this isn't just arbitrary on my part.
Thanks again for your courteous request, though. I won't post further about
this issue.

--
Please respond in the same thread.
Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP



In
Boomer said:
Hi VSJ - You might find the use of a little program called
RenHosts.bat an easier way to temporarily enable/disable your
HOSTS file. See here: http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm [snip]
Click to expand...

Jim,

Appreciate your help and info but...
could you kindly bottom post in this news group? Please.

Bottom posting and trimming superfluous text is the preferred
method of replying to posts in a.c.f. and a.c.f.d.

Netiquette [net etiquette] "It is to your own advantage... "
http://www.uwasa.fi/~ts/http/netiquet.html

Thank You Very Much :-)
Click to expand...
 
Jim Byrd wrote:
[SNIP]
I monitor 23 public newsgroups and 5 private ones daily. Of these I post
Click to expand...
Wimp! :-)

Some of us have been scanning well over 100 newgroups a day for well
over a decade (admittedly, some of them have very low traffic).

I've never had any problem with bottom-posting, but then I started using
"readnews" on a BSD system way back when, switched to "rn" when it came
out, and by default they would open the message file using "vi +" which
put the cursor at the end of the file.

It wasn't until comparitively recently that top-posters became an
annoyance to me, and that can be traced to the arrival of
Outlook/Outlook Express as news-readers.

It is sadly symptomatic of one of Microsoft's _worst_ habits, ignoring
an existing standard or accepted behaviour and saying "lets's do the
opposite," to no good effect. Yes, there are times when going against
the prevailing wisdom _is_ innovative, but there are times when the
corollaries to Clarke's Laws have to be considered.

The other problem with top-posting is that it encourages people _not_ to
trim messages, which is, to me, a far greater problem. The amount of
storage and bandwidth wasted by multiple copies of the same message is
ridiculous. Although primary storage is cheap, it is frustrating to
look at having to back up all that redundant garbage.

Cheers,
Gary B-)
 
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