Software

Pop-up windows are an unavoidable part of the web, especially when online regulations have changed, but if you’re noticing a sudden abundance of them then it’s possible that a malware or adware program has taken root on your computer.

The culprit might have installed itself as an extension or as a separate program, or it might be completely hidden from view—use whatever antivirus software you’ve got installed to run a thorough scan for problems, and for an extra sweep run a no-install, on-demand scanner as well (like Microsoft Safety Scanner or ClamWin Portable).

We’ve solved problems like this in the past by purging our browser of cookies and cached data, so follow the instructions we laid out in tip 1 if you’re still having problems with overbearing pop-up windows. An ad-blocker app might help you to reign in some of the worst offenders and maybe identify the root cause at the time same, but just remember to whitelist your favorite sites.