GuardWall is an award-winning add-on to Internet Explorer that blocks more than just pop-up ads--it also blocks Flash ads and animated ads embedded in Web pages, and it prevents your browser from being hijacked or your home page from being reset. GuardWall also is a privacy tool that removes all Web histories, such as form entries and typed URLs.
Editor's review of Guardwall Popup Killer & History Eraser Despite some annoying tendencies, this pop-up killer demonstrates good performance and provides some nice extras. Guardwall Popup Killer & History Eraser installs both as a system-tray icon and as a browser toolbar, and its settings are accessible from either location. The program offers all the basics we expect from a pop-up stopper, including a whitelist and sound notification, but unlike other similar apps we've seen, this one can take screenshots of all windows it blocks. Still, we would have preferred a no-nonsense text log for faster viewing of a list of blocked ads. As you might guess from its name, this utility also can help you retain your online anonymity by deleting Web-surfing traces such as cookies, temporary Internet files, and typed URLs. However, we'd suggest turning privacy notification off, as we found the app's constant reminders to clean our cookies irritating. We also should note that, ironically, Guardwall Popup Killer & History Eraser gives you its own pop-up messages nagging you to register the product. Still, we did like the feature that let us block potential threats such as scripts, browser hijackers, and ActiveX controls. During testing, this program shot down just about every pop-up it encountered, though it wouldn't stop Flash ads or banners. In the final analysis, this program stands out from the heap, largely due to its additional features.