I just bought a new Lenovo Windows 7 ThinkPad.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

I had an old Lenovo (bought in 2007) with Windows XP, and I wanted the Win 7 while it was still available.

I had a professional computer guy transfer the contents of my hard drive into the new machine. The new Lenovo runs well, and is fast.

The problem is Popups. I keep getting them, and I've never had them on my old Lenovo.

Why do I have them, and more importantly, how do I get rid of them? I mean, permanently. Some are really obnoxious, with spoken voices and crap like that.

ANY help will be most gratefully accepted.

TIA.

[RoccoR5955]

1. Run a malware scan

with your favorite anti-malware software. I use Malwarebytes and Emsisoft.
But use one, you are more than certain to find the problem.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My husband suggested this....but how can a new computer have malware right out of the box?

[RoccoR5955]

5. It could have been lurking in your old data n/t

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. I routinely ran the appropriate software for that.

I'm puzzled.

Thanks!

[lastlib]

34. several years ago, I got "OEM" copies of Windows 2000 that had malware.

The OS installation on a brand-new hard drive gave me bugs. It can happen......

[NYC_SKP]

2. If you use Firefox, you'll want to visit thier add-ons and plug-ins page:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/

For other browsers, there are similar resources.

What do you use, my dear?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. My dear NYC_SKP!

I do use Firefox.

I'll check out your link, and thank you!

[NYC_SKP]

9. Cool. Top left click on "Firefox", then "Preferences"....

Then "content".... and turn on blocking, specify exceptions.

Explained here: http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/pop-blocker-settings-exceptions-troubleshooting

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. I will and thanks!

Right now I'm on my desktop, of course, but later on I'll be using the laptop, and I'll do it then.

[NYC_SKP]

6. If you use Internet Explorer, here's a link:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/internet-explorer-pop-up-blocker-frequently-asked-questions

In my experience, nobody should have to experience pop-ups, though some are desirable and even necessary part of a webpage's functionality, so you'll want to specify exceptions to the rule.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. I haven't used IE in Ages! Thanks, though...

[cprise]

11. Firefox blocks popups by default

Is it only when browsing the web that you get popups?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. It's only when I browse the net that they occur.

In fact, I've had them here on DU.

[Phillip McCleod]

12. are you getting internet popups or desktop popups?

that is.. are these ads for crap while you are browsing? or is this software running on your computer that's popping up? i ask because the approaches to getting rid of each are wildly different.

1) if your problem is internet popups.. follow the advice upthread for your browser (firefox i guess?).. then install at least the first of these two add-ons..

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/adblock-plus/
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ghostery/

2) if your problem is desktop popups, you'll have to describe them in detail.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

14. It's only when I'm browsing the net.

I haven't looked at them closely enough to describe.

[Phillip McCleod]

16. in that case.. adblock and/or ghostery will fix your wagon.

they make the internet *better*.

they even make DU better.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

17. How do I find those?

I know I sound like an idiot, but when it comes to computers, I'd rather have things spelled out than wander around on my own and not get what I need.

[Phillip McCleod]

18. just click on each of the links i included in my first reply.

they will take you directly to the addon page for firefox. then just click the big green button to add them on and enjoy a vastly improved and faster web surfing experience.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

19. Thank you! I will do that once I'm back on my laptop. n/t

[Phillip McCleod]

21. if you are running firefox now, you can install it in <1 min. now on that machine too.

or chrome, using the other link i posted. i install both in every browser i get my hands on.. except IE.

internet explorer isn't a full web-browser.. it's actually a windows service and doesn't support an ad-free internet.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

24. I am running Firefox, but I'm not currently on my laptop.

My desktop, which is where I am now, has never had a problem with the popups.

[Phillip McCleod]

25. ahh.. but adblock plus does more than just block popups.

like i said.. it even makes this website better. number of ads i see on DU on a daily basis?

zero.

edit .. it'll even block ads on hulu, youtube, etc. it's necessary.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

26. I don't see any ads on DU either....the star blocks them.

[Phillip McCleod]

27. gotcha. haven't got one of those.

of course, your DU star doesn't get rid of ads everywhere else, eh?

takes two seconds. i dare you. double dog dare.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

29. I don't know what you mean by "everywhere else."

Elsewhere on the net?

I play on Facebook and of course there are ads there....just not popups.

[Phillip McCleod]

31. not if you install adblock plus there aren't.

by 'everywhere else' i do in fact mean 'everywhere on the net'. even facebook.

hell.. even pirate streaming TV sites that are viral nightmares are tamed. not that i would know by experience, of course.

[cprise]

20. My suggestions

AdblockPlus
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/adblock-plus/?src=search

DoNotTrackMe
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/donottrackplus/

This second one is for privace, like Ghostery, but in my experience entails less compromise and doesn't slow the browser down the way Ghostery did.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

22. Thanks! I'll check 'em out.

[Phillip McCleod]

23. gonna have to try that 2nd one.

nobody.. even ghostery which has always done me good.. gets the benefit of the doubt. it's all about empirical evidence.

[cprise]

32. Ghostery is run by the advertising industry

It still allows information to be collected about your browsing, but they promise its more limited data than with normal browsing.

DNTM is made by a company with for-pay services like DeleteMe, where they work to have some types of info about you removed from the Internet (there are a couple of buttons in DNTM that direct you to brochures about their pay services... this is how they make money). They are not beholden to any advertiser and DNTM doesn't make exceptions for what type of tracking isn't allowed.

[Phillip McCleod]

33. ghostery is not run by the ad industry.

if you opt in to their programs.. which i don't.. then they report to the BBB, not the NSA. sure ghostery is produced by a company.. Evidon.. but they ain't Google. they make a point on their FAQ to emphasize..

* Evidon is not an advertising network or behavioral data collection service.
* Evidon doesn’t work to allow advertisers to be more invasive.

precisely because they have a great product and a bunch of wannabes see dollar signs being copy cats.

same reason Adblock Plus ain't on page one of a Firefox Addon search for the phrase, 'Adblock Plus' anymore. copycats.

[Phillip McCleod]

15. btw for all you chrome users..

you too can block ads and trackers of all sorts with adblock plus and ghostery. you can even block *all facebook related scripts of any sort* which is a big deal to some folks.

here's the ghostery link for chrome. it takes more setup than adblock plus, but gives you fine-grained control over trackers. it's a 5-star addon/extension.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ghostery/mlomiejdfkolichcflejclcbmpeaniij

[Warren Stupidity]

28. Is there a recovery partition or media?

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/guides-and-manuals/detail.page?DocID=UM006576

Do a wipe and clean install. And don't reinstall the crap. Not for the faint at heart.

The less invasive process is to use the control panel app to uninstall all the fraud ware. That frequently is less than successful, and can take longer than a wipe.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

30. I am faint of heart!

If I thought something like what you propose is necessary, I would take my laptop back into the technician who did the hard drive transfer, and have him do this.