• Operating System: All
• Application: MetaCrawler Toolbar

Popup blocker on the MetaCrawler Toolbar

What is the Popup Blocker and how does it work?

Web sites sometimes display popup windows for ads or other information you may not wish to see. The Popup Blocker uses a special kind of coding to block the access of most popup ads to your browser. When the Toolbar blocks a popup window, your cursor changes briefly, a sound plays and the popup blocker button keeps count of the number of blocked ads. The popup blocker can be turned on and off with the click of a button.

What do the icons on the Popup Blocker mean?

The Popup Blocker displays four possible icons. The chart below describes each condition.

Icon	Label	Condition
	Blocking Off	Popup blocker is turned off. Click icon to turn it on.
	Popups allowed	Popups are allowed on the current site. Click to block popups.
	## blocked	Popups are blocked on the current site. Click to allow popups.
	## blocked	A popup has just been blocked.

Will the Popup Blocker block all popups?

The Popup Blocker should block most, if not all unwanted popup ads. If you are still receiving some, the most likely explanation is that you have spyware or adware installed. For more information on finding and removing spyware and adware, please try searching for these terms with the Toolbar.

I need to receive popups from a certain site, will Popup Blocker let me do that?

As a general rule, the Popup Blocker will automatically allow popups that you request by clicking a link or button on any Web page. Because some sites (like personal banking sites) use popups to display account information, you can set up your Popup Blocker to allow popups from certain sites automatically as well.

To do so, please try one of these methods:

1. Hold down the 'Ctrl' key as you click on the link.
   Note: This will allow a popup from the specific link for your current browsing session only. To allow popups from a particular site every time, please try option #2 or #3 below.
   
2. Go to the URL for the site you would like to allow popups from, and click the Popup Blocker icon to allow popups from that site indefinitely.
   
3. Add that URL for the site to the Allow Popups list in the Popup Blocker Settings dialog box to allow popups from that site indefinitely. (See below for more information).

To find the Popup Blocker Settings dialog box:

1. Click the menu arrow to the right of the Popup Blocker icon to display the menu.
   
2. Select “Settings” to see the dialog box.

Does the Popup Blocker work with MSN, Hotmail, AOL, and Yahoo web mail applications?

These web mail sites use popups to display things like the contents of an individual email and address book contact information. The Popup Blocker is compatible with MSN and Hotmail. AOL and Yahoo use a different popup method that may block individual email and address book content. For this reason, we have added the AOL and Yahoo mail sites to the list of sites that are allowed to display popups. You can see them in the Popup Blocker Settings dialog box. If you want to block popups from these sites go to the Popup Blocker Settings dialog box, select the site and click the "Block selected site" button.

If you have other web sites that display content in a popup window and you find that Popup Blocker is blocking those popups, you can allow popups for those sites by clicking the Popup Blocker icon drop-down menu in the Toolbar. You can also allow individual popup windows by holding down the 'Ctrl' key as you click on a link.

Can I turn the Popup Blocker off?

Absolutely. The Popup Blocker can be turned off at any time in one of two ways:

1. From the Popup Blocker menu, select Turn off Popup Blocker, or
   
2. Go to Toolbar Settings, and uncheck Show Popup Blocker.

How will I know when a popup is blocked by the Popup Blocker?

When a popup ad is blocked by the Popup Blocker, several things happen to let you know.

1. The Popup Blocker plays a sound each time an ad is blocked. This sound can be customized if you’d like.
   
2. Your cursor will briefly change to alert you that an ad is being blocked.
   
3. Your Popup Blocker counter will increase by one each time an ad is blocked.

Can I change the sound the Popup Blocker makes when it blocks a popup ad?

Yes. To change your sound, go to the Settings dialog box. There you will find a section that says “When a popup is blocked do the following:”. Use the pull-down menu to select a pre-defined sound or browse and add your own. The Test button will play the sound that you currently have set up to play each time a popup is blocked.

Does MetaCrawler Toolbar with Popup Blocker work with browsers other than Internet Explorer?

No. The Toolbar only works with Internet Explorer 5.5 and above. It does not work with Netscape, AOL, MSN Explorer, Avant or Opera, even if that browser is based on “Internet Explorer technology”.

Will the MetaCrawler Toolbar with Popup Blocker work on a Mac?

No. The Toolbar only works with Internet Explorer 5.5 and above. It does not work with Netscape, AOL, MSN Explorer, Avant or Opera, even if that browser is based on “Internet Explorer technology”.

How do I uninstall Popup Blocker?

You can uninstall Popup Blocker by removing the Toolbar. To do so, select the “Add/Remove Programs” icon from the Control Panel, then select MetaCrawler Toolbar. You can also disable the Popup Blocker feature from the Toolbar by hiding it in the Toolbar Settings area.

Does Popup Blocker launch its own popups?

No. The Popup Blocker is not spyware and does not launch its own popups at any time.

How do I start Popup Blocker when windows starts, I don’t see the Popup Blocker program anywhere?

The Popup Blocker is automatically loaded by the MetaCrawler Toolbar each time you open your browser. There is no need to start a separate application.

How can I find out when new versions of Popup Blocker are released?

When a new Toolbar version is released, the Toolbar will display a notice that an update is available. You can also manually check for updates by selecting Updates from the Toolbar logo menu.

Will Popup Blocker work with other popup blockers?

No. We recommend uninstalling all other popup blockers. Due to the many different ways that popup blockers are written, they generally don’t work well together.

Does Popup Blocker block popups from HTML emails viewed from Outlook, Outlook Express etc.?

Yes, at this time Popup Blocker does block these types of mail, but we are working on a solution to this problem.

Can I import lists from other Popup Blocker programs?

No. At this time other anti-popup lists are not supported by the Popup Blocker.

Will the Popup Blocker continue to work if I uninstall the MetaCrawler Toolbar?

No. The popup blocker only works when the Toolbar is installed.

When I activate the Popup Blocker, I sometimes receive error messages saying that a “Runtime Error” has occurred and asking if I want to “Debug.” Why is this happening and what should I do to stop these messages from appearing?

This error message appears due to a programming error in some Web pages. It happens because the Web page generating the popup thinks the popup window still exists and tries to access it using Javascript, but then can’t find anything. If you have script debugging turned on (either by user choice or by default with some software) Internet Explorer notifies you of the error.

If you get this kind of error, you can safely turn off the messages. To do so:

1. From the Internet Explorer menu, select Tools.
   
2. Choose Internet Options.
   
3. Select the Advanced tab.
   
4. Scroll down to the Browsing section.
   
5. Check the Disable script debugging box.
   
6. Uncheck the Display a notification about every script error box.
   
7. Click OK.