what's a good popup blocker

Hi all

I'd like to install a popup blocker - seems like it's becoming quite necessary - I haven't used one before.

This computer is only P1 100MHz 32MB, so a "lightweight" would be handy.

Do these things have any drawbacks?

OS: W98, sometimes FE, sometimes SE;
AV/Firewall: CA eTrust AV, Kerio 2.1.5;
IE6/OE6 but other browsers too sometimes;

any suggestions / advice most appreciated.

TIA and best wishes, HJ.

 

The Google Toolbar seems to be very popular, and it is lightweight. Has added benefits too.

 

I second that

Plus a good hosts file serves as a popupblocker/and add blocker

 

Hi Dave

thanks for prompt reply

glad you mentioned the Google toolbar, that's one that was worrying me

I read a thread which talked of hassles people were having after Valentine's Day with the Google toolbar - the "hearts" thing - which seemed to imply that the software was
a) autoupdating itself off the internet and
b) getting it wrong!

at the moment I'm blissfully free of anything which 'phones home or alters the computer without me doing it... this is rather what I was getting at when I said "drawbacks" you see...

can the automatic aspect be disabled, please?

bset wishes as ever, HJ.

 

What I do is install without the advanced features, then open the downloaded programs files folder right click on its dpf and choose remove..
it wont phone home anyway unless you use the advanced features, except i think to check for updates,, removing its activex works

 

nice one Lonny!

now we just might be "cooking with gas "...

Yes, I do run a (I hope!) pretty good hosts file already, and it gets updated (manually!) quite frequently

127.0.0.1 www4.yesadvertising.com

as soon as I read the article - and several more since...

I've often thought a BBS like this could be a good exchange zone for peoples suggestions for keeping hosts files ticking over

I'm paranoid, and proud to be so!

Thanks both, lots, I'll hopefully be back later, popups blocked.

very best wishes, HJ.

 

I use AdSubtract Pro and, while not free, it is extremely effective. I don't see ads. Period. Pages load faster, nothing pops up at me, this program WORKS, and it's worth the $20. (I paid $10 3 years ago, and still get free updates!) It has other features than ad-blocking, and is easy to use.

It may not be the solution for this computer, but I just thought I would mention it for anyone looking for a way to eliminate ads.

Johanna

 

Hi Lonny, Dave and all -

well it (googlebar) seems fine - plus added sense of humour on the installation dialogues

I've nobbled the sound, nobbled everything to do with "assisting" searching, nobbled - well, just about everything visibly nobbleable...

...doesn't seem to have slowed things down noticeably. Good!

I ?didn't get the dpf - installed the toolbar offline and didn't let it go to toolbar.google.done at the end; can't find anything new in the dpf folder; HJT (below) just in case

Johanna - someone will find AdSubtractPro by searching, 'tis certainly on topic... and most everyone's got a better PC than this dinosaur

you're right though - about pages loading faster by stopping the unnecessary addenda; turning off scripts seems to help quite a bit? mine's set to prompt at the moment, the vast majority of sites with scripts seem to work just fine without them, only faster. Hmmm.

Thanks for the advice and help everyone - that's another bit of the defenses sorted.

best wishes as ever, HJ.

==

what an excuse to post a log file! (Netscape's 6.2 going later tonight, it's only on for a trial, I can't run it anyway, needs more clout than available)

***just noticed this: The O15's (trusted zones) doesn't show them all. Two of the windowsupdate entries are missing from the log file. Is that because HJT rates them as "safe" places? puzzling...

Logfile of HijackThis v1.98.0
Scan saved at 17:24:49, on 05/07/04
Platform: Windows 98 Gold (Win9x 4.10.1998)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KERNEL32.DLL
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSGSRV32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MPREXE.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\mmtask.tsk
C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SYSTRAY.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\VETMSG9X.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\CA\ETRUST EZ ARMOR\ETRUST EZ ANTIVIRUS\VETTRAY.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\RunDLL.exe
C:\PROGRAM FILES\KERIO\PERSONAL FIREWALL\PERSFW.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\DDHELP.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\RNAAPP.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\TAPISRV.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\INTERNET EXPLORER\IEXPLORE.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\INTERNET EXPLORER\IEXPLORE.EXE
L:\MASTER\SECURITY\MERIJN\NEWER\HIJACKTHIS.EXE

N2 - Netscape 6: user_pref( "browser.startup.homepage ", "about:blank "); (C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\default\iqxljewp.slt\prefs.js)
N2 - Netscape 6: user_pref( "browser.search.defaultengine ", "http://www.google.com/ "); (C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\default\iqxljewp.slt\prefs.js)
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\PROGRAM FILES\ADOBE\ACROBAT 5.0\READER\ACTIVEX\ACROIEHELPER.OCX
O2 - BHO: Google Toolbar Helper - {AA58ED58-01DD-4d91-8333-CF10577473F7} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar1.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSDXM.OCX
O3 - Toolbar: &Google - {2318C2B1-4965-11d4-9B18-009027A5CD4F} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar1.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ScanRegistry] C:\WINDOWS\scanregw.exe /autorun
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SystemTray] SysTray.Exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LoadPowerProfile] Rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [EnsoniqMixer] starter.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Vet Alert] C:\WINDOWS\System\VetMsg9x.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VetTray] C:\PROGRA~1\CA\ETRUST~1\ETRUST~1\VETTRAY.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Tweak UI] RUNDLL32.EXE TWEAKUI.CPL,TweakMeUp
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [LoadPowerProfile] Rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Taskbar Display Controls] RunDLL deskcp16.dll,QUICKRES_RUNDLLENTRY
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Google Search - res://C:\PROGRAM FILES\GOOGLE\GOOGLETOOLBAR1.DLL/cmsearch.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Cac&hed Snapshot of Page - res://C:\PROGRAM FILES\GOOGLE\GOOGLETOOLBAR1.DLL/cmcache.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Si&milar Pages - res://C:\PROGRAM FILES\GOOGLE\GOOGLETOOLBAR1.DLL/cmsimilar.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Backward &Links - res://C:\PROGRAM FILES\GOOGLE\GOOGLETOOLBAR1.DLL/cmbacklinks.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Translate into English - res://C:\PROGRAM FILES\GOOGLE\GOOGLETOOLBAR1.DLL/cmtrans.html
O9 - Extra button: Related - {c95fe080-8f5d-11d2-a20b-00aa003c157a} - C:\WINDOWS\web\related.htm
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Show &Related Links - {c95fe080-8f5d-11d2-a20b-00aa003c157a} - C:\WINDOWS\web\related.htm
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSJAVA.DLL
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSJAVA.DLL
O15 - Trusted Zone: http://*.windowsupdate.com
O15 - Trusted Zone: http://isc.incidents.org
O15 - Trusted Zone: http://isc.sans.org
O15 - Trusted Zone: http://www.windowsbbs.com
O16 - DPF: {74D05D43-3236-11D4-BDCD-00C04F9A3B61} (HouseCall Control) - http://a840.g.akamai.net/7/840/537/2004033001/housecall.antivirus.com/housecall/xscan53.cab

 

Looks like a clean log Hugh. I would say possibly, the trusted sites not shown are omitted because they are considered safe. You can check, maybe, by opening HJT, click config and uncheck 'Ignore non-standard but safe....' then rescan. I see you are using eTrust. FWIW, the Armor package with firewall has a popup blocker, a very effective one, incorporated in the firewall.

 

Thanks for checking the log, Dave, good for my paranoia level

I'd only just got the new HJT from radiosplace immediately before doing it, hadn't thought even to look at the options

looking now, yes, the "Ignore non-standard..." was indeed checked.

eTrust AV - we signed up sometime ago when it was still InnoculateIt, so we have a superb deal, it seems ridiculously cheap (~$20 p.a.) compared to some of the mainstream AV companies...

...but it's only the AV component, not the firewall. I tried teaming it up with ZA to start with, but found Kerio far better suited to this low power computer. NO startups!

very best wishes, HJ.

 

?odd things

sorry to bother again

I have a few rather odd things happening. The timing might be a coincidence, but...

the first time I used the search button on the Google bar, floppy drive started up a couple of seconds later (no disk was in the drive); it had two brief goes, then stopped.

...a bit like clicking on A: by mistake in Windows Explorer.

Immediately after this (perhaps even simultaneously) I lost the dialup connection; but I suspect this was our ISP, who do a 2 hour timeout.

Attempted to reconnect; it did, but the line was dead - couldn't access any web site; Kerio status screen showed 137, 138, 139 looking stunningly normal; and one IE connection which had received about 2k bytes but no more came in.

(again this could be coincidence - very occasionally we dial up a "dud" at the other end. Rare, but not unknown)

so I reconnected with my normal method, eTrust Autodownload; the internet connection was fine this time. An AV update downloaded (had last done this 4 hours previously, we were up to date at that point, so it's fresh)

the AV update came in and installed but I didn't get the "minor update has completed successfully" alert - this has never happened before.

I then checked the minor dat version number, it showed the same as the downloaded AUP file.

I "prodded" with the EICAR; antivirus detected it OK.

I did an HJT log to find results identical to those I posted previously.

Then I rebooted, and as far as I can tell things are behaving normally at the moment.

==

Other weirdness: as standard, I have taskbar set to autohide, but recently it's stopped unhiding itself - I have to "force" it to unhide with Crtl-Esc; but this has been happening for a few days, roughly since I did the ADODB patch OR perhaps since I paralysed ActiveX, scripts, Java and worked the security zone alterations along the lines suggested by M$. I mention it for completeness, although it's probably unrelated. It's certainly happened before I fitted the Google bar.

==

out of this lot, the thing with the floppy, and certainly the missing AV alert box are the most worrying - and the thing with the floppy was only just after I used the Google search button for the first time.

==

does any of this ring any bells? This computer may be puny and slow, but it's usually very dependable, and the AV thing's worrying

with best wishes, HJ

 

Doesn't ring any bells for me Hugh. My eTrust has done that on a couple of occasions too. I just figured it was a hiccup.

 

Cheers for the reply, Dave...

I've tried searching from the Google bar quite a few times since, nothing unusual with the floppy. That was unnerving...

ever since last upgrading eTrust (now v 6.1.7.0) the "Minor Update has completed" alert has taken ages to arrive; but I've never known it skip it altogether before. However as you say you get similar hiccup... there's always a first time I suppose

so maybe just one heck of a coincidence? - possibly it got upset because of losing the internet at that precise moment? I dunno.

...and I certainly don't want to put anyone off using the blocker - it works fine, very happy with that

I shall watch it carefully, particularly the next AV update, but apart from that better get on with using it rather than fiddling with it I suppose!

best wishes as ever, HJ.

 

Code:

7/7/2004  6:29:56 - AUTODOWN - Result=1
7/7/2004  6:29:59 - AUTODOWN - Your virus data files are up to date
7/7/2004  7:56:43 - AUTODOWN - Result=0
7/7/2004  7:56:43 - AUTODOWN - FileName=aup_5576.exe
7/7/2004  11:17:59 - AUTODOWN - Result=1
7/7/2004  11:17:59 - AUTODOWN - Your virus data files are up to date

all went stunningly normally

15 seconds for Minor Update, 27 seconds till all the windows disappear (yup, that's normal...)

==

there's surely some gremlin got in - but it's not down to the toolbar - just coincidence.

best wishes, HJ.