ULX popups appear when you join a server running the ULX admin mod

ULX is an admin modification that many Garry's Mod servers use to manage players and enforce rules. When you join a server with ULX installed, popup notifications sometimes appear on your screen — usually showing server rules, admin messages, or warnings. These popups can block your view or interrupt gameplay, and you can disable them without leaving the server or uninstalling the mod.

The popups come from the server itself, not from your game files, so you cannot remove them permanently across all servers. However, you can turn them off in your client settings, hide them during play, or configure which types of messages you see. The method depends on whether you want to disable them just for your current session or change your default settings.

Key Takeaways

  • ULX popups are server-side messages that appear when admins send notifications or when you join a server with ULX installed.
  • You can close individual popups by clicking the X button or pressing Escape, which stops them from blocking your screen during that session.
  • The ULX mod stores settings in your Garry's Mod client folder, and you can edit the configuration file to disable popups by default.
  • Some servers allow you to mute notifications through the ULX menu itself, accessible by typing a command or clicking the admin panel.
  • If popups persist after disabling them, the server may have custom scripts that override ULX settings, and you may need to contact the server owner.

Close popups immediately during gameplay

The quickest way to stop a popup from blocking your view is to close it right away. Most ULX popups have a small X button in the corner — click it to dismiss the message. If you do not see a close button, press the Escape key on your keyboard, which closes most Garry's Mod UI elements.

This method works for a single session only. The next time you join the same server or a different one running ULX, popups will appear again. Use this approach when you just want to clear your screen without changing any settings.

Disable popups through the ULX menu

Many servers let you control notifications directly from the ULX admin panel. Open the console by pressing the backtick key (`) and type ulx menu, then press Enter. A panel should appear on your screen with various options. Look for a section labeled "Notifications," "Messages," or "Popups" and toggle it off.

Not all servers configure this option, so the menu may not have a notifications section. If you cannot find it, the server owner has locked down the settings. You can also try typing ulx help in the console to see what commands the server allows you to run — some servers expose a command like ulx notifoff or similar that you can execute directly.

Edit the ULX configuration file on your computer

ULX stores client-side settings in a file on your computer. Navigate to your Garry's Mod folder, which is usually located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\GarrysMod\garrysmod on Windows or ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/GarrysMod/garrysmod on Mac. Inside that folder, open the data folder, then the ulx folder.

Look for a file named client.txt or settings.txt. Open it with Notepad or any text editor and search for a line containing popup, notify, or message. Change the value from 1 to 0 to disable that feature, then save the file. Restart Garry's Mod and rejoin the server — popups should no longer appear.

If you cannot find these files or they do not exist, ULX may not have created them yet. Launch Garry's Mod, join a server with ULX, and trigger a popup by having an admin send a message. This creates the configuration files. Then follow the steps above to edit them.

Check if the server has custom popup scripts

Some server owners add custom scripts on top of ULX that send popups with different names or behaviors. These custom popups may not respond to the standard ULX disable methods. If you have closed popups, checked the ULX menu, and edited the configuration file but popups still appear, the server is likely using a custom system.

In this case, your options are limited. You can contact the server owner through their website or Discord and ask them to reduce popup frequency or add a client-side toggle. You can also try typing lua_run print(GetConVar("ulx_popup_enabled")) in the console to check if a custom variable controls the popups — if one exists, the server owner may have documented how to disable it.

Prevent popups from appearing when you join

If you want to stop popups from showing the moment you spawn into a server, add a command to your Garry's Mod autoexec file. This file runs automatically every time you launch the game. Open C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\GarrysMod\garrysmod\cfg on Windows and find or create a file named autoexec.cfg.

Add the line ulx notifoff or ulx_popup_enabled 0 to the file, depending on which command your server supports. Save the file and restart Garry's Mod. The command will run automatically when you join any server, disabling popups before they appear. Note that not all servers recognize these commands, so this method may not work on every server you visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do ULX popups keep appearing even after I close them?

Admins on the server can send new popups at any time, so closing one does not stop future messages. If the same popup appears repeatedly, an admin may be resending it, or the server may have a script that displays it automatically. Contact the server owner to ask them to reduce the frequency or remove the message.

Will disabling ULX popups get me banned from the server?

No. Disabling popups on your client side does not affect the server or other players, and it does not break any rules. Server owners cannot detect whether you have disabled popups, and doing so is not considered cheating or abuse.

Can I disable popups on some servers but not others?

Yes. If you edit the configuration file, the setting applies to all servers you join. If you want different behavior on different servers, use the ULX menu method instead — it only affects your current session and the specific server you are on.

What if I want to see some popups but not others?

The standard ULX settings are all-or-nothing — you either see all popups or none. If you want to filter specific types of messages, you would need to edit the configuration file manually and look for individual settings for rules, warnings, or admin messages. Some servers may also have custom options in the ULX menu for this.

Do I need to uninstall ULX to stop the popups?

No. ULX is a server-side mod, meaning the server runs it, not your game client. You cannot uninstall it from your computer, and you do not need to. Disabling the popups through the methods above is the correct approach.