Utility software

Internet Tips: Send Browser Pop-Ups to Their Deserved Demise

Send Browser Pop-Ups to Their Deserved DemisePrevent pop-up browser windows, sharpen AOL graphics, capture a shockwave animation.Scott SpanbauerI know how many browser windows I want open at any particular time, and it's usually just one. So it drives me nuts when sites use their Web programming wiles to open extra browser windows on my screen automatically. Like banner ads, the windows usually hawk junk I don't want. (Editor's note: PCWorld.com is among the many sites that use pop-up windows.)But I can't just ignore pop-ups. To get back to my original window, I have to switch away from or close the additional windows. And with so many new windows open, it's easy to close the wrong one and lose my surfing momentum.The quick solution is to press Ctrl-W to close the uninvited browser window (repeat as necessary) and avoid visiting the impertinent site again. But many useful sites are loaded with pop-ups. The windows may open when you enter the site, shortly thereafter, or as you leave the site. In any case, it's a hassle. Since most pop-ups are created in JavaScript, you can prevent the popping by turning off your browser's JavaScript support. In Netscape Navigator 4.7 x, choose Edit, Preferences, select Advanced in the Category tree, remove the check mark from Enable JavaScript in the displayed options, and click OK. In Internet Explorer 5. x, choose Tools, Internet Options, click the Security tab, select the Internet zone, and click the Custom Level button. Scroll through the Settings window until you reach Active Scripting; set the option to Disable or Prompt, and click OK. If you use America Online 6's browser, choose Settings, Preferences, (Internet Properties) WWW, click the Security tab, select the Internet zone, and follow the same steps described for Internet Explorer above. Once you disable JavaScript, Web sites that use it for navigation controls or personalization won't display or function as intended. If that causes problems for you, reenable JavaScript and then download and install one of the many freeware and shareware utilities for taming pop-ups. The Pop-Up Window Cleaners chart on the following page lists some of these.The Poop on Pop-Up Window Cleaners (chart)De-Fuzz AOL GraphicsEver wonder why Web images viewed on America Online look blurrier or more distorted than they do over other Internet connections? To help pages load quickly over the modem connections most of its customers use, AOL automatically compresses standard .bmp, .gif, and .jpg images and converts them to the more compact Johnson-Grace format. The loss in quality (compared with uncompressed images) is subtle but noticeable. Fortunately, however, you can turn off this default compression setting: Choose My AOL, Settings, Preferences, (Internet Properties) WWW, select the Web Graphics tab, click the Never compress graphics option, and then click OK (see Figure 2). To see the results of the change, you must first clear the browser's cache of compressed files: Select the General tab and click the Delete Files button.Capture Shockwave FileWant to capture a Shockwave animation for offline viewing? It's easy to accomplish this task because the Shockwave file runs from your hard disk. After browsing to the site containing the Shockwave animation (Flash) that you'd like to capture, choose Start, Find, Files or Folders ( Start, Search, For Files or Folders in Windows Me and 2000) and enter *.swf as your search criterion. The file should appear in your browser's cache. You'll probably have to open several of the found files to figure out which one you want. Then either copy and paste or drag it into the folder of your choice. As long as the .swf file type is associated with your browser, you can play the animation simply by double-clicking it. Send your questions and tips to nettips@spanbauer.com. We pay $50 for published items. Scott Spanbauer is a contributing editor to PC World.
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