Even respectable Web sites throw ads in pop-up windows these days. Most utilities that block pop-ups do so indiscriminately—not necessarily the best plan, since some pop-ups you may actually want to see. k.soft's PopupDummy! ($18 direct) blocks pop-up windows in all versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer but also sounds an unobtrusive alarm (a "pop" sound by default, though you can silence it or change it to whatever WAV file you wish), so you can decide what to do with the window.

The process is automatic, and the program creates a blacklist of URLs from which pop-ups are blocked. You can also create a "white list" of domains from which the program always allows pop-ups. We could also allow pop-ups on an ad-hoc basis by pressing Ctrl and clicking on the link.

Another trick played by some advertisers is stripping windows of controls, such as menus and the Close button, but PopupDummy! can force these back onto all windows. This program makes surfing more tolerable.