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How to Turn Off Pop-Up Blockers on My Computer

By Paul Higgins
You can turn the pop-up blocker back on at any time by editing the same settings.
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While browsers come with a pop-up blocker that is enabled by default, there are cases where you may want to disable it, for example, if you frequently visit websites that display critical information in pop-up windows or if you want to troubleshoot a site you manage. Disabling Chrome, Internet Explorer or Firefox's built-in pop-up blocker requires you to edit your browser's content or privacy settings.

Google Chrome

Step 1

Clicking on "Settings" opens a new Web page containing the Chrome settings options.
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Launch Google Chrome 41 on either Windows 7 or 8.1 and open the Chrome menu. Select Settings.

Step 2

Once you click it, the link disappears and a new set of options displays.
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Click on the Show Advanced Settings link to reveal Chrome's advanced settings options.

Step 3

The Content Settings option allows you to edit various settings, such as your browser's cookies or JavaScript preferences.
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Select Content Settings.

Step 4

Chrome recommends that you keep the pop-up blocker enabled.
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Select Allow All Sites to Show Pop-Ups and click on Done to finish disabling the pop-up blocker. Instead of disabling the pop-up blocker for all websites, you can instead select Manage Exceptions and type in a uniform resource locator address to allow pop-ups only on that specific site.

Mozilla Firefox

Step 1

The Options screen opens in a new window.
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Open Firefox 36's Options window by clicking on the Firefox menu and selecting Options.

Step 2

The Content tab allows you to modify your pop-up, font and languages preferences.
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Select the Content tab.

Step 3

You cannot click the "Exceptions" button when the pop-up blocker is disabled.
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Deactivate the check box next to Block Pop-Up Windows and select OK to save your settings. Alternatively, clicking on Exceptions allows you to disable the pop-up blocker only on specific websites by entering their URL addresses in the Allowed Sites window and clicking on *Allow.

Microsoft Internet Explorer

Step 1

You can also access the Internet Options window from the Windows Control Panel.
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Launch Internet Explorer 11 and click on the cog icon to open the program's main menu. Select Internet Options.

Step 2

The Privacy tab also lets you assign sites to different Internet zones, depending on how much you trust them.
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Open the Privacy tab.

Step 3

Internet Explorer disables the Settings button when the pop-up blocker is turned off.
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Untick the check box next to Turn on Pop-Up Blocker and save your new settings by clicking on Apply. Instead of disabling the pop-up blocker entirely, you can also click on Settings and enter a domain name to prevent Internet Explorer from blocking pop-ups generated by that website.

References

Tips

  • If you installed a browser extension or add-on that automatically blocks pop-ups -- such as the Yahoo Toolbar with built-in pop-up blocker, you can disable that add-on by following a browser-specific procedure. On Chrome, open the "Settings" page, click on "Extensions" and deactivate the check box next to the name of the extension you wish to disable. On Firefox, select "Add-ons" from the Firefox menu, click on "Extensions" in the sidebar and select "Disable" next to the name of the extension. Finally, on Internet Explorer, select "Manage Add-Ons" from the Internet Explorer menu, click on the name of the add-on and select "Disable."

Writer Bio

Paul Higgins has been working as a writer since 2005, covering topics such as travel, technology, health and finance. He has also served as a Web developer and information technology trainer for more than 10 years. Higgins graduated from the University of Denver in 2006.

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