SmasheR

In my tests it worked well, although it did allow a couple of static ads to slip through. Its "Smart Pop-up" feature allowed some pop-ups to appear, until I tweaked the settings. The Ad Control feature gave me a way to allow, or block, specific pop-ups and ads -- or block everything on the site. Unfortunately, applying the rules, even through the wizard, is a little kludgy and takes multiple steps.

The program also keeps browser helper objects from downloading, removes Web bugs, and automatically cleans your Temp folder. All of the settings can be configured to meet your security needs.

Ad SmashR is free to try and only $20 to keep. If you find IE's security settings and pop-up stopper lacking, the program is worth a try.

--Kim Saccio-Kent and Steve Bass