Remember back in 2004 when you would be online and your screen would be taken over by popup ads? Sometimes to the point of endless popup ads that would require you to restart your system and even reset your home page because that had been hacked too. That was extremely frustrating and why popup blocker software was invented. However, security software has greatly evolved, as has spyware and viruses, so many software providers and consumers now demand a more comprehensive internet security product.
We first reviewed popup blocker software in 2004, and since then many products have disappeared from the market or have not been updated to be compatible with newer operating systems. We have watched the evolution of internet security products that now are extremely complex and reactive, even to the point of continually updating to combat emergent viruses and other malware; popup blocker software has not made this evolution. Most programs are outdated or are not compatible with Windows 7 or browsers like Google Chrome or FireFox. We did recently look at all of the popup blocker programs reviewed and tested them by downloading them onto a test computer using Windows 7. We ran each product with a few different browsers to see if the popup blocker would work with newer technologies.
We really strive to provide current information and want you to be able to find the best product to suit your internet security needs and highly recommend you look to a comprehensive and up-to-date antispyware software solution. Antispyware software includes popup blockers, and they are continually updated to fight new malware. These types of security programs cost about the same as popup blocker software but go beyond just combating adware; they also block spyware, Trojans, keyloggers, browser hijackers, parasites, dialers, spam and much more for complete internet security. We have had good experiences with our number one ranked Spy Sweeper by Webroot, it is affordable and is continually updated.
In this site, we give you simple-to-understand reviews of the best popup blocker software around. You'll also find articles on how popups spy on you helping you make an informed decision about why you need this type of protection, what really works and what products are best left unused.
At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™
As mentioned, we first reviewed popup blocker software in 2004 and have continued to watch anti spyware, spam blockers and internet security software evolve. The products reviewed in this round up have up-to-date reviews and feature information. We also tested them to see if they would load with Windows 7 and used each application with several browsers, including the latest version of Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and FireFox. We did this to see how up-to-date the popup blocker software providers have kept their product. We also emailed customer support to see if they still support the product.
Please Note: Some products have checks in certain areas; they received low scores because even though the product was originally designed to have that feature we found it ineffective or inconsistent. For example, if a product has a tool for blocking flash ads but we could not get it to work properly or consistently, we gave it a low score.
Below are the criteria that TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate this specialized software:
Ease of Use
Popup blocker software features and instructions should be easy to find and simple enough for anyone to use.
Feature Set
The software should contain the standard bells and whistles, including the ability to easily and effectively detect and remove spyware and adware.
Installation
The software should be easy to install and use. It should also be able to install on a PC running Windows 7 and the newest browsers.
Help & Support
We emailed all the software providers customer support to see if they still support their product and to test how quickly they respond. We also looked at their support information and the embedded help files.
Security Features
We looked at elements of the software that protect private information and system settings such as track erasers and homepage protection.
Effectiveness
When it comes to blocking popups, this is what it's all about. We test the software against a variety of popup types in order to determine how effective it is at protecting you from them. We also tested to see if it could offer protection using a variety of web browsers.
Like we mentioned above, these are current reviews of popup blocker software. However, for full protection and more up-to-date Internet security we recommend antispyware software.
Popups ads are annoying and often contain spyware. With a good popup blocker, spam blocker and anti spyware you can block pesky ads and protect your internet activities and private information.
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