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Two ways are possible. Use your Windows XP HOSTS file and/or a good blocking program running in the background.

1. You can use a HOSTS file and add a loop back address to block ads, banners, 3rd party Cookies, 3rd party page counters, web bugs, and even most hijackers. This is accomplished by blocking the connection(s)that supplies these little gems. The HOSTS file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. This file is loaded into memory (cache) at startup, then Windows checks the HOSTS file before it queries any available DNS servers and so enables it to override addresses in the DNS. This prevents access to the listed sites by redirecting any connection attempts back to the local machine.

Another feature of the HOSTS file is its ability to block other applications from connecting to the Internet, providing the entry exists.

So you open your HOSTS file and enter on a new line
127.0.0.1 ad.doubleclick.net
to block ads from doubleclick. And after saving the file, this popup will be permanently blocked. Any popup ad address can be entered using the same format on the next line in your HOSTS file. For example you are now entering
127.0.0.1 popupadsannoyme.com
as the next entry then save the file and it also is not blocked.

2. A good blocking software is Ad Aware SE Personal Edition, it's free and it works very well.

Learn more about this author, Vic Burrack.
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