Blocking Pop-ups In Internet Explorer

Transcription

1 Blocking Pop-ups In Internet Explorer Preamble: Pop-ups are small Web browser windows that open above or below other windows. Many sites use pop-ups as an unsolicited way of promoting products and/or services. Other sites, like WebCT, use pop-ups to expand content and/or offer Web services. Annoyance-free surfing is a delicate balance between the filtering of ads and allowing for content. This document offers users a pop-up management strategy for better surfing. Checking Your Version of Internet Explorer With the release of Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, users have the ability to manage popups directly though the browser. Prior releases of Windows, and by extension Internet Explorer, require 3 rd party software. Step 1: Launch an instance of Internet Explorer. Click on Help in the menu bar and click on the About Internet Explorer menu item. Step 2: Look for the Update Version in the window. Version 6.0 with Service Pack 2 (SP2) has pop-up blocking. Lesser versions do not. If you are running a lesser version, consider upgrading to Windows XP and/or applying Service Pack 2.

2 Activating the Pop-up Blocker Click on Tools in the menu bar. Point to Pop-up Blocker. When the menu expands, click on the Turn on Pop-up Blocker menu option. Note: Pop-up Blocker is on by default. You should only need to turn it on if someone for some reason has decided to turn it off. Viewing a Blocked Pop-up Step 1: In Internet Explorer, underneath the Address Bar, click the Information Bar when it notifies you that a pop-up has been blocked. 2 Page 2 of 5

3 Step 2: To momentarily allow page pop-ups, click the Temporarily Allow Pop-ups option. To permanently allow pop-ups throughout the entire site, click on the Always Allow Pop-ups from this Site option. Note: Clicking on a link or button that triggers a pop-up while holding down the CTRL key temporarily by-passes the pop-up blocking engine. Allowing Pop-ups from Specific Sites There are likely sites you visit often and for which you want to allow popups. Simply add those sites to your list of pop-up blocking exceptions. Step 1: Open Internet Explorer if it is not already open. In the Tools menu, point to Pop-up Blocker and then click on Pop-up Blocker Settings. 3 Page 3 of 5

4 Step 2: In the Address of Web Site to Allow box, type the address of the site from which you want to see pop-ups and click the Add button. When you are finished adding sites, click the Close button. 1 2 To remove a site, select it in the Allowed Sites list and click the Remove button. To clear all Allowed Sites and disallow all pop-ups, click the Remove All button. 3 Note: Clicking on Always Allow Pop-ups from this Site in the Information Bar while surfing the Web also populates the Allowed Sites list. Adjusting the Pop-up Blocker s Settings Step 1: Open Internet Explorer if it is not already open. In the Tools menu, point to Pop-up Blocker and then click on Pop-up Blocker Settings. 4 Page 4 of 5

5 Step 2: Adjust the notification level using the two checkboxes in the Notification and Filter Level frame. The first checkbox controls whether or not audio cues accompany blocked pop-ups. The second checkbox controls visual cues through the Information Bar. To minimize the risk of missing content, it is recommended you not adjust the notification level. Notification Level: Audio Cues (On/Off) Visual Cues (On/Off) Filter Level: High, Medium, Low Step 3: Use the dropdown box in the Notification and Filter Level frame to adjust Internet Explorer s sensitivity to pop-ups. Setting the Filter Level to High blocks all pop-ups regardless of how they are triggered. To block all pop-ups except those triggered by buttons and hypertext links, set the Filter Level to Medium. Lastly, set the Filter Level to Low to block all pop-ups except those from secure sites (sites with strict data handling policies). Most users run at Medium because of its balanced approach. Developed by the Technical Service Desk Last Revised on Thursday, May 17, Page 5 of 5