There are computer gurus out there, so tell us how to eliminate those obnoxious pop-ups with Microsoft.  They have realllly gotten bad lately.  Help!

I've been very happy with this toolbar, which includes a great popup blocker...

http://toolbar.google.com

There's a number of free pop up blockers out there but many of them are really just spyware.  Spyware will plant data on your puter that can cause pop ups, monitor your use for marketing related info, etc...

There are some legit spyware washers and pop up blockers out there, try doing some searches on google to educate yourself.

I got so fed up with the pop ups and spyware that I reformatted my darn HD with a new copy of Windows.  Kind of drastic, i know, but it worked!!

I think the latest version has a popup blocker.  And unlike Microsoft they don't actively participate in throwing them at you.

Norton Personal Firewall

I'll second that, I have had it for several months and it is really great at blocking pop-ups.  It has a few other handy features too.

most of us aren't nerdy enough to go with Mozilla.  Hey, think of it as an election, lesser of two evils and all that.

For IE, the Google toolbar is excellent. I haven't found a better, free, pop-up blocker for non-geeks.

As far as Netscape goes, I've been much happier with Mozilla, particularly Mozilla Firebird. It's much cleaner, faster, and less bloated (no AOL-bundled crap) than Netscape Navigator. The developers have broken out all the extraneous stuff and just given you a web browser. If you want an email and newsgroup client, you can also download Mozilla Thunderbird (Although I must admit that Microsoft Lookout, er...I mean Outlook, is a pretty good program if you're careful about what you open).

You don't have to be an alpha-geek to install the Mozilla products either. Just download the appropriate executable (Linux, Win32, OS-X, etc.) from www.mozilla.org and install.

The biggest problem with using something other than IE is the fact that there are many websites that don't adhere to established World Wide Web publishing standards. They don't validate the site against anything but IE. What this means to non-IE users is that some websites don't render correctly on their browser of choice.

There are really three sources for pop-ups.

If they're coming from within your browser, they are generally being caused by embedded links in web pages you're visiting or leaving.  There's a lot of tools already mentioned that will put the kibash on that.  I've been using a paid program called StopZilla and it really does a number on browser pop-ups.  The problem with pop-up killers is they're usually spyware.  They kill pop-ups at the expense of collecting data about where you surf.  Can anyone confirm that google's toolbar is not collecting data?

The second sourse of trouble within the Explorer are a strain of pervasive yet relatively harmless viruses (or would plural be virii?) such as WinShow or WinLink, which are viruses that invade your explorer settings and reset your home page, search page, and create a pathway for pop-ups.  Do a search for "winlink" or "winshow" in regedit if you're technically oriented, or search the virus sites like McAfee for info about them.

The third problem is a hole in the Windows Messenger service--Not MSN Messenger, but the unrelated inter-system messenging service that is part of the operating system.  If you don't run applications at work that require it (most of us don't), Microsoft suggests you turn the service off.  (It is on by default, at least on Windows 2000).  The leaks in Messenger allow pop-ups to occur ANYTIME whether you're in Internet Explorer or not.

Hope this helps.

I have not gotten a single pop-up since installing the tool bar

Knew I could depend on good feedback from this group.  You are the greatest!

"There are computer gurus out there, so tell us how to eliminate those obnoxious pop-ups with Microsoft."

Which lady is more likely to be a more enjoyable companion: the one in the first ad you see, or the one who matched your search criteria and had the best reviews?

Which restaurant has the best food: McDonalds with their recognizable sign, or the one recommended by a friend?

Which software product is more likely be pleasing: one they could only get you to use by making a bundling deal with your computer manufacturer, or one that competes for your attention?

The answer to your question is to eliminate the last two words of the question.