Q: I have two notebooks at home, a Toshiba running on Windows XP and a Compaq running on Windows Vista.

Some time ago, I downloaded software from the Internet which I later removed through the Control Panel. However, the software's pop-ups and icons still remain in the taskbar. The pop-ups, in particular, would appear every now and then.

I have tried to remove them but were unsuccessful. How do I remove them permanently?

Steven Goh

A: The software that enables these pop-ups and icons may have been integrated into the Internet Explorer as an Add-On or a Browser Helper Object.

You can take control of these items by going to Internet Explorer, clicking on the Tools menu and selecting Internet Options. Access the Programs tab and select the Manage Add-ons button. From here you can enable and disable the items.

It may take some experimenting to figure out which item belongs to a particular pop-up or toolbar or icon.

However, since you can disable and enable the item without totally removing it, you will be able to systematically go through each and everyone one.

Answer by Chester Chen and MK Wong. Chester is a recognised Microsoft Most Valuable Professional specialising in Windows desktop experience. MK Wong is an IT lecturer.

This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life.

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