Internet Explorer Pop-up Blocker: frequently asked questions
This information applies to Windows Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Internet Explorer 8.
Here are answers to some common questions about pop-ups and Pop-up Blocker.
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A pop-up is a small web browser window that appears on top of the website you're viewing. Pop-up windows often open as soon as you visit a website and are usually created by advertisers.
Pop-up Blocker is a feature in Internet Explorer that lets you limit or block most pop-ups. You can choose the level of blocking you prefer, from blocking all pop-up windows to allowing the pop-ups that you want to see. When Pop-up Blocker is turned on, the Information bar displays a message saying "Pop-up blocked. To see this pop-up or additional options click here."
Pop-up Blocker is turned on in Internet Explorer by default. To turn it off or to turn it on again if you've already turned it off, follow these steps:
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Open Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button 
, and then clicking Internet Explorer.
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Click the Tools button, and then click Pop-up Blocker.
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Do one of the following:
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To turn off Pop-up Blocker, click Turn Off Pop-up Blocker.
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To turn on Pop-up Blocker, click Turn On Pop-up Blocker.
Yes. Follow these steps:
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Open Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Internet Explorer.
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Navigate to a website with a pop-up, and then click the Information bar when it notifies you that a pop-up window has been blocked.
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Click Show Blocked Pop-up.
By default, Internet Explorer displays pop-ups that appear as a result of you clicking a link or button. Pop-up Blocker blocks pop-ups that are displayed automatically (without you clicking a link or button). If you want to allow a specific website to display automatic pop-ups, follow these steps:
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Open Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Internet Explorer.
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Click the Tools button, click Pop-up Blocker, and then click Pop-up Blocker Settings.
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In the Address of website to allow box, type the address (or URL) of the website you want to see pop-ups from, and then click Add.
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Repeat step 3 for every website you want to allow pop-ups from. When you are finished adding websites, click Close.
The following are some common reasons why you might still be seeing pop-ups:
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You might have software, such as adware or spyware, on your computer that is opening pop-up windows. To stop these pop-ups, you will have to identify the software that is opening them and then remove it or change its settings to stop it from opening pop-up windows. For information about detecting and removing adware and spyware, see Spyware: frequently asked questions.
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Some windows with active content are not blocked.
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Internet Explorer will not block pop-ups from websites that are in the Local intranet zone. If you want the pop-ups from these websites to be blocked, you have to remove the websites from this zone. For more information, see Security zones: adding or removing websites.
To remove a website from your list of sites that allow pop-ups
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Open Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Internet Explorer.
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Click the Tools button, click Pop-up Blocker, and then click Pop-up Blocker Settings.
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In the Address of website to allow box, click the website you want to remove from the list, and then click Remove.
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Repeat step 3 for every website you want to remove from the list of websites that can display pop-ups. When you are finished, click Close.
Yes. Follow these steps:
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Open Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Internet Explorer.
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Click the Tools button, click Pop-up Blocker, and then click Pop-up Blocker Settings.
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Under Filter level, select High: Block all pop-ups, and then click Close.
If you want to see pop-ups that are blocked when you have this setting turned on, hold down CTRL + ALT while the window opens.
To change the Pop-up Blocker settings, follow these steps:
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Open Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Internet Explorer.
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Click the Tools button, click Pop-up Blocker, and then click Pop-up Blocker Settings.
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Make the changes that you would like, and then click Close.
By default, pop-ups display in separate windows. If you prefer to have pop-ups display in tabs, follow these steps:
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Open Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Internet Explorer.
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Click the Tools button, and then click Internet Options.
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Click the General tab, and then, under the Tabs section, click Settings.
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In the Tabbed Browsing Settings dialog box, click Always open pop-ups in new tab, and then click OK twice.
