Advertisement blocker.....want to disable!

[xylophone]

I've just posted another question, and thought I would keep this one separate as they are two entirely different questions.

Somewhere near a year ago I installed a "program" to block advertisements (not adBlock or similar) and I believe it has been interfering with a few things like embedded videos and I would very much like to remove it, however I can't remember what it was, and I can't find it anywhere!

I have checked on my Chrome browser and it is not an extension or anything like that and I have checked my downloads and I can't find it. It works across all browsers, so it would seem that it is not just a Chrome issue, but is somewhere else on the computer, but where??

 

The worst thing is that I can't remember what it was called although initially I thought it might be "uBlock origin" however can't find anything of that name wherever I look on my computer.

The only clue I have is that when a blocked advertisement appears on my New Zealand newspaper page, if I click on it, it says this, "data.apa.co.nz's server IP address could not be found", so in my limited knowledge it would appear that this program somehow blocks the IP address of an advertisement provider??

I am at a loss to know where to look for this thing so any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in anticipation.

[Forkinhades]

If it was a genuine install, then it will be in your programs installed list. Just go to uninstall programs and uninstall it.

Sent from my SM-N950F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Forkinhades]

^^^ Just to add, that you can do a 'date search' by clicking the relevant columns.

Sent from my SM-N950F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, Forkinhades said:

If it was a genuine install, then it will be in your programs installed list. Just go to uninstall programs and uninstall it.

Sent from my SM-N950F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Many thanks for replying but cannot find it in the installed programs list, control panel or anywhere that I've looked!!

 

Also not sure of the date...............I know, silly bugger, but always thought that it could be easily found.

 

Any other suggestions always welcomed!

[RichCor]

Seems your looking in all the right places. Installed apps, browser extensions/add-ins... as that's where these things usually live.

 

I'd suggest right-clicking your taskbar and opening TaskManager and take a look in the PROCESSES, STARTUP, DETAILS and SERVICES tabs and see if anything jogs your memory -- then to a google search and see if you can find an installer/uninstaller for it.

[scottiejohn]

Looking in Task Manager details might just be a bit of an overload if you do not know what you are looking for but is certainly the place to find the errant programme/addon if you know what you are looking for

Although RichCor has said you are looking in all the correct places (including browser extension/add-ins) I notice you yourself do not say that you have looked there.     Suggest go to your manage add-on settings or whatever it is called in your browser if you have not already checked and have a look there if nothing struck you in Task Manager - it is a much smaller list than TM details.

 

Edited February 17, 2018 by scottiejohn

[lopburi3]

If using Chrome go to customize and control settings (far right 3 vertical dots) and 'more tools' and 'extensions'.

 

If the program is uBlock Origin it will be listed there.  But if active there should be an icon for it just to left of the vertical dots where you can turn on/off for selected sites.

[scottiejohn]

15 hours ago, xylophone said:

I have checked on my Chrome browser and it is not an extension or anything like that and I have checked my downloads and I can't find it. It works across all browsers, so it would seem that it is not just a Chrome issue, but is somewhere else on the computer, but where??

OOPS  I should have read your posts more carefully.  As RichCor said earlier you do appear to have checked all the obvious places so TM details with help from Google looks like the best solution.

[xylophone]

36 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Although RichCor has said you are looking in all the correct places (including browser extension/add-ins) I notice you yourself do not say that you have looked there.

Thanks scottiejohn and I have looked there and just about everywhere else BUT to no avail!

 

Thanks RC.......will get onto that this morning.

 

 

6 hours ago, RichCor said:

I'd suggest right-clicking your taskbar and opening TaskManager and take a look in the PROCESSES, STARTUP, DETAILS and SERVICES tabs and see if anything jogs your memory -- then to a google search and see if you can find an installer/uninstaller for it.

Edited February 17, 2018 by xylophone

[xylophone]

19 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

If using Chrome go to customize and control settings (far right 3 vertical dots) and 'more tools' and 'extensions'.

 

If the program is uBlock Origin it will be listed there.  But if active there should be an icon for it just to left of the vertical dots where you can turn on/off for selected sites.

Not there lopburi as have checked a few times on just about every setting!! Wonder if it could be hidden, but then again the blocker also works on Edge so poss hiding somewhere else?

[lopburi3]

If this is not a paid service perhaps provide a link so others can confirm it is not the website itself if you do not have any browser it opens on.  Do not believe you should be able to see a blocked advertisement to be able to click on it.  Might be an issue at source not finding advertisement site for a Thailand access if this is only happening with one site?

Edited February 17, 2018 by lopburi3

[xylophone]

46 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

If this is not a paid service perhaps provide a link so others can confirm it is not the website itself if you do not have any browser it opens on.  Do not believe you should be able to see a blocked advertisement to be able to click on it.  Might be an issue at source not finding advertisement site for a Thailand access if this is only happening with one site?

Good idea!! Here is the link and you will see about halfway down the right side (facing) a blank/greyed out space which says advertisement.........has this on a few pages!

 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/headlines.cfm?c_id=3

[Jai Dee]

This is what I see (using Chrome):

 

 

It appears to be space that you could rent for advertising... deliberately left that way by the publication.

[xylophone]

Thank Jai Dee, but there are other spaces greyed out and very much doubt that NZ's main paper would have these.

 

If you right click on the space there is a message which says...."data.apa.co.nz's server IP address could not be found" so poss something blocking it??

[Jai Dee]

9 minutes ago, xylophone said:

If you right click on the space there is a message which says...."data.apa.co.nz's server IP address could not be found" so poss something blocking it??

I think you're right... I don't get that message.

 

Did you check your extensions?

[xylophone]

4 minutes ago, Jai Dee said:

I think you're right... I don't get that message.

 

Did you check your extensions?

Yep, checked and rechecked (several times!) will get on to RichCors suggestion next.........but all info/suggestions welcome. Thanks.

[lopburi3]

Actually I get an advertisement there if ad blocking disabled - if enabled do not get anything (including the word advertisement).  Using Thai IP address for access.  So it does appear you can not access that IP - perhaps your provider?  I am using True.

 

 

[transam]

Worth a try...10Bit Advanced System Care ULTIMATE free trial...It has loads of tools too..

 

 

[lopburi3]

18 hours ago, xylophone said:

data.apa.co.nz's server IP address could not be found

This looks very much like the IP server does not have that address on record rather than any blocking.  This can happen during updates and may correct itself in an hour or two.  Alternative is to access another address server in your internet settings.

[xylophone]

39 minutes ago, transam said:

Worth a try...10Bit Advanced System Care ULTIMATE free trial...It has loads of tools too..

 

 

Thanks Trans............have just run this and it didn't find the culprit BUT did clear out a lot of junk!

[transam]

2 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Thanks Trans............have just run this and it didn't find the culprit BUT did clear out a lot of junk!

Good, now try 10Bit free uninstaller...Again worth a try, see if it shows something you don't want or need...

PS...ADW on line cleaner is good too but may take out 10Bit ASC....But no plobs...

Edited February 17, 2018 by transam

[xylophone]

10 hours ago, RichCor said:

Seems your looking in all the right places. Installed apps, browser extensions/add-ins... as that's where these things usually live.

 

I'd suggest right-clicking your taskbar and opening TaskManager and take a look in the PROCESSES, STARTUP, DETAILS and SERVICES tabs and see if anything jogs your memory -- then to a google search and see if you can find an installer/uninstaller for it.

Thanks again RC............ have done all that you suggested and couldn't find anything untoward, but having said that there was a lot to go through and I could well have missed something so I may just do that again!

All other suggestions welcome!

[xylophone]

28 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

This looks very much like the IP server does not have that address on record rather than any blocking.  This can happen during updates and may correct itself in an hour or two.  Alternative is to access another address server in your internet settings.

Getting a little on the fringes of my understanding of this sort of stuff, however is it possible that IF there was some sort of blocker on my computer, that it was just set to recognise content from my homepage, for example, which would have the New Zealand address?

I say this because I have just been onto the Daily Express UK website and there is no blocking on that?

This has been ongoing for a few months now and it coincides with the intermittent/poor access to embedded videos from this source.

A neuron has just fired............. is it possible that I can access what is allowed on my homepage, somehow, somewhere? Because this would be an ideal place to put some sort of blocker wouldn't it??

Thanks again for your help and perseverance, along with the other posters, as it is much appreciated.

[lopburi3]

Just remembered I am using PIA VPN service so probably not getting address from same servers you and Jai Dee were using.  At any rate what is there is just an advertisement that changes every so often

Edited February 17, 2018 by lopburi3

[jenny2017]

Please see: 

 

  https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/ie/forum/ie8-windows_other/ad-blocker-in-browser/67b3dfd2-0ef3-4209-87fe-40de8775bdb2

[scottiejohn]

4 hours ago, xylophone said:

A neuron has just fired............. is it possible that I can access what is allowed on my homepage, somehow, somewhere? Because this would be an ideal place to put some sort of blocker wouldn't it??

I have not had time to re-read all the posts since my last post but have you checked your cookies?

Do you have any blocked cookies against any of the sites 3rd parties you are having problems with.  

Are we all going too deep?

Edited February 17, 2018 by scottiejohn

[xylophone]

18 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

I have not had time to re-read all the posts since my last post but have you checked your cookies?

Do you have any blocked cookies against any of the sites 3rd parties you are having problems with.  

Are we all going too deep?

Too deep.........lost me ages ago!!! But I think I have it thanks to all the posts making an occasional neuron fire!

 

Digging around I came across my "Hosts" file and then checked on the net and found an article related to it.......

 

https://www.bestvpn.com/use-your-hosts-file-to-block-ads-and-malware/ 

 

The VPN isn't relevant here but the blocking of host files is and the fact that some "actions" and/programs by website experts allow rafts of IP addresses to be blocked in ones Host File folder (at least I think that's how it works).

 

Anyway I opened up a file and it seems to have the 0 0 0 0 prefix next to a huge amount of IP addresses, thereby blocking them, if I understand it correctly.

 

Having done that I'm not sure that I know how to fix this and then again it looks so complicated and scary, that I worry I could stuff something up badly!!!

 

Does this make any sense to anyone??

[RichCor]

As you look for things that might affect what a browser renders on the page, 

 

Network slowness can time-out 3rd-party elements (ads) from rendering (displaying).

Some routers can block certain sites or web addresses. More advanced routers can filter similar to Network Security Software (AntiVirus) but they do it in hardware on the router.

In a similar method, using specific DNS entries in your config setup can affect what gets delivered and rendered. I've had rogue DNS hacked on my consumer router and they acted as man-in-the-middle redirecting IP requests and addending JavaScripts for non-https sites. Not fun.

HOSTS file entries can usurp data requests by redirecting calls to certain addresses to other locations (or nowhere).Network Security Software (AntiVirus) might have options that blocks ads or rendered elements.

Corrupt or hacked driver files. Anything updated or replaced recently?

3rd-Party software running in the background (as an app or as a service) (ala Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit) can filter Internet traffic.

Hidden bots or nits (spyware) can prevent or replace elements as data is received for rendering ...usually blocking and delivering their own ads.

In-browser Add-ons or Extensions can feature other options that might prevent or even replace data elements before being rendered in the browser. You really need to list all the add-ons or extensions your browser is currently running before we can agree the issue isn't there.

 

Do you remember actually downloading and installing software to do something involved with this? 

Seems awfully strange that you can't find anything on your system.

 

 

[xylophone]

9 hours ago, RichCor said:

HOSTS file entries can usurp data requests by redirecting calls to certain addresses to other locations (or nowhere)

That's what it is RC as when I opened this file it had the 0000 prefix against IP addresses thereby directing them to nowhere!

 

I do remember visiting a link (program?) which did this some time ago BUT can't remember its name (duh!) and not even sure I'd recognise it if I did.......certainly not in the downloads file now for some reason.

 

So looks like you have solved the problem (along with help from others...thanks) as to what it is and now I've found out where it operates, BUT how to disable it is another matter! 

 

Then again........looking at the amount/number of addresses it blocks, perhaps it is better to leave it and put up with the occasional video not working??

 

I will ponder this and thank all for helping solve the problem AND increase my knowledge of things IT/computer related.

[RichCor]

Normally, HOSTS files are blank (containing rudimentary instructions on usage as comments). 

 

Take a look to see if whatever process that edited your HOSTS file also created a backup (i.e.: HOSTS.bak).  See what that file contains. You should be able to rename your current file HOSTS as HOSTS.bak2, then rename HOSTS.bak as HOSTS.  Then reboot for it to take effect.