Almost everyone who has used the internet in the past couple of years will have experienced pop-ups, the annoying windows that appear when you're surfing the internet.

Most of them are harmless advertisements, but some can be downright dangerous, installing spyware and porn diallers on your computer if you click on them. The most devious pop-ups are designed to look like Windows error messages, encouraging users to click on them.

There are many free applications that attempt to stop these annoyances, but Roxio's STOPzilla is more effective: it stops all pop-up windows from appearing. This may sound like sledgehammer approach, but you are given the option each time a pop-up is detected of whether or not to allow it.

For example, some sites use legitimate pop-ups to display information so you could potentially kill off a relevant window. So it's worth taking care over which pop-ups you block, to make sure you are blocking ads rather than content.

The software also includes a browser cleaner that will erase your browsing history and remove cookies and spyware from the computer.

STOPzilla is good at what it does and, if pop-ups are bothering you, it could be your saviour. It's not the cheapest option, but it's an effective one.

Contact: Roxio 01908 278100
www.roxio.co.uk