Pop up problems

So what exactly is a pop up? Well basically it is just another instance of your browser, Microsoft Internet Explorer, opening up at a web page automatically. Doesn't sound too bad right?  Well It's not as long as there is no malicious code attached to the new browser window. However one pop up can spawn another and another and another and.... well you get the idea.

So who started pop ups anyway? Well Microsoft inadvertently did when they made it possible for web developers to write code that spawned pop ups. Originally they were used by the advertising industry to get your attention. You would surf to a site such as www.asx.com.au and all of a sudden another little window would appear with an ad in it.  Pretty quickly though unscrupulous advertisers started sending out spam emails that when you opened them up, would spawn a whole series of pop ups that would take over all the resources of your PC and you would have to shut down your machine to regain control of  it.

The most recent malicious use of pop ups I have seen is by so called "software developers" using pop ups to sell their anit-pop up software to you!! Outrageous huh? If you ever see a pop up window with an ad trying to sell you anti pop up software chances are your PC has been hijacked by these extortionists.

They take control of your browser and pretty much your PC usually via a website you have visited. It is impossible to do this if you have implemented and followed the advice in STOP POP UPS section of family.com.au . They can also change your home page, sometimes make browsing impossible and plague you with pop ups even when you are not using your browser. When you buy their software it presumably removes the software they put on your machine in the first place! Grrrrrr.. they make me angry.

My advice is to NEVER buy anything advertised in a pop up window. Most legitimate advertisers have moved away from this method of selling their products anyway.

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