Edge is behaving, even on Windows Central. Here's why

[arn6735]

Hi sir, I'm not a techie boy, can you share how and what to do in detail in blocking those annoying ads. Appreciate it...

 

[Jazmac]

Hi guys, not to be a downer, and not to be unappreciative of Jazmac's help, but this may cause problems with other sites, as is my case. I had problems with my banking websites and with security pop ups (show all content) with other sites. As soon as I reverted back to the original hosts file, my problems went away. So I guess ill have to settle with windows central website being unusable again for me, and just go back to using the app.

I'm sure it's not the case for everyone. Just a heads up if you need to troubleshoot.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

Pretty good sized blanket you're casting out there.
Did you determine what in the hosts file your bank required and comment that from your hosts file or is this a general 'if you do this, dire consequences will result' type post? I keep telling folks, this is the desktop. If you want a developer to managing how to use your device, stick with the phone. If you want to learn how to better your desktop experience, Microsoft Windows is where you want to be.

 

[Jazmac]

Hi sir, I'm not a techie boy, can you share how and what to do in detail in blocking those annoying ads. Appreciate it...

In other words, you like to read the end of the book and work backwards. Its all in the thread. Start from the beginning.

 

[ninjaap]

Pretty good sized blanket you're casting out there.
Did you determine what in the hosts file your bank required and comment that from your hosts file or is this a general 'if you do this, dire consequences will result' type post? I keep telling folks, this is the desktop. If you want a developer to managing how to use your device, stick with the phone. If you want to learn how to better your desktop experience, Microsoft Windows is where you want to be.

No sir. I have no idea what I am doing with the hosts file. So I wouldn't know what to look for. I was able to edit, because you gave very precise instruction on how to do it, but anything beyond that... well I have no idea what to look for or where to begin. So yes this is big blanket statement, because I'd rather give up WPC than try to manually fix my banking sites, and there is at least 20 of them, not counting my the services I subscribe to.

 

[ninny1176]

One thing that seems to not be mentioned (or I just didn't see it) is that because you're modifying one of the first ways a PC looks for a host you will have to keep this list up to date. Ad networks can change DNS names and the info in the HOSTS file will become obsolete and ads can start showing up again.

 

[Jazmac]

One thing that seems to not be mentioned (or I just didn't see it) is that because you're modifying one of the first ways a PC looks for a host you will have to keep this list up to date. Ad networks can change DNS names and the info in the HOSTS file will become obsolete and ads can start showing up again.

Good point.
The goal at this juncture is to make Microsoft Edge work. Not many could use it long enough to even respect it as a browser. With Hosts management, now we can. But this isn't the end of the story. There will be add-ons at some point to where developers will manage those changes and we won't need to. But today, they don't exist.

 

[Jazmac]

No sir. I have no idea what I am doing with the hosts file. So I wouldn't know what to look for. I was able to edit, because you gave very precise instruction on how to do it, but anything beyond that... well I have no idea what to look for or where to begin. So yes this is big blanket statement, because I'd rather give up WPC than try to manually fix my banking sites, and there is at least 20 of them, not counting my the services I subscribe to.

Good to know the instructions were clear enough for use. But this solution may not be YOUR solution and I can respect that.

 

[Zachary Boddy]

It is a pain to know that if you want to continue using the hosts file, you'll need to constantly update it and monitor it. And that it won't always work.
But of course, ad-blocks won't always work either, so that's not the issue.

The issue people seem to be having is that they thought this would be some form of "cure-all" for their ad-blocking-based-needs but what they got was a temporary solution that involved general computer know-how and a willingness to mess around in the bowels of your computer's system files. When Edge gets extension support I'm going to add an ad-block because I won't have to edit it myself. However, to be perfectly honest, I'm going to keep my hosts file as it is now, and probably update it every month or so as well. Yes, it requires a little bit of work, but the beauty of Windows is that if I'm willing to put in a little bit of work I can do amazing things. And, to be honest, I love putting in a little bit of work. Even a lot. Computers are absolutely fascinating on every level, and I love learning about every part of them.
I'll have that ad-block, please, because of the ease of having someone else update it for me and the added security against ads. I will, however, keep my hosts file, because it's faster and more secure. And I can update it myself, so if I find a site that isn't blocked by my ad-blocker that I want to be (and there will be some...looking at you Facebook) I can add it myself.

This went on a little longer than intended. Bottom line:
Let the users who love their computers be granted power over their computers.
Let the users who just use their computers use the powers granted by their computers.

 

[Zachary Boddy]

"Let the users who love their computers be granted power over their computers.
Let the users who just use their computers use the powers granted by their computers."
I just wanted to repeat this because it came out of nowhere and I'm quite chuffed with it...Shut up and let me bask in it! Hahaha.

 

[PavanReddy]

you sir are a legend!

 

[Zachary Boddy]

Question, Jazmac:
When the community hosts file that has been referenced several times in this thread is updated, do they put all the changes at the very bottom? It would be far more helpful to me if I could download the updated hosts file and simply copy and paste all the new entries from the bottom into my hosts file.

 

[Jazmac]

Question, Jazmac:
When the community hosts file that has been referenced several times in this thread is updated, do they put all the changes at the very bottom? It would be far more helpful to me if I could download the updated hosts file and simply copy and paste all the new entries from the bottom into my hosts file.

What I would do is simply create a new hosts file when it became necessary and replace the one I'm using. (the chance it will become necessary is remote in the time frame I'm working with) If I install an application or utility that might makes changes to my host file, then yes, I'll drop the changes at the end.

 

[Maaz Mansori]

Jazmac, just wanted to thank you for bringing this to our attention. While I've been very familiar HOSTS files and what they do for many years, I never considered using one for Adblock purposes. While not the perfect solution and occasionally needing to mask out sites that prevent certain links from opening, the concept has been a significant improvement overall.

 

[Zachary Boddy]

What I would do is simply create a new hosts file when it became necessary and replace the one I'm using. (the chance it will become necessary is remote in the time frame I'm working with) If I install an application or utility that might makes changes to my host file, then yes, I'll drop the changes at the end.

I suppose that would be an easier solution then dropping necessary changes at the end of my current hosts file, but hosts files in general can be very time consuming, so no matter what I'm going to spend some time on them.

 

[Nickkk101]

Just extract/unpack everything inside and run mvps.bat file. It does everything for you automatically.

Here is another ad protection for IE9-IE11 that will work on Windows RT. Very easy to do.
1. Quero AdBlock IE Tracking Protection List
2. Click on Quero AdBlock IE TPL button on the right of the page.
3. Add list

Thanks for this, I'm pretty sure I'm seeing a good improvement across the web but how/where can I check or edit the TPL in the modern IE11? If I wanted to remove this add on for instance? I almost never use the 'desktop' version of IE on my surface 2 so I can't seem to find it on the modern version. Anyone know? Also can I ask if anyone out there with an RT device can check a specific sport website for me as I'm not sure if the above edit to the TPL has knocked out some functionality.. its a Redbull media player that is typically embedded in sport news articles on various websites, cycling in my case. I'm just finding a blank space with no player rendering at all. Oddly, visiting the video on Redbull's own site works fine-its just the embedded vids that no longer work for me. Its a downhill mountain bike video on a very well established Canadian mountain bike website called 'Pinkbike' btw, although no player appears when I look on similar sites. Link is Claudio's Course Preview: World Cup DH, Windham - Pinkbike if someone can check this for me id be very grateful!! Would the TPL change affect such a thing anyway?

 

[CheDragan]

wow - I have to say I didn't expect this big a change.
Edge is like on steroids - it's pity MS didn't release add-ons from the word go, most people would just label Edge slow (like I almost did myself). And it is quite fast actually.
I rarely comment, but I had to thank you in person jazmac
And it's been a good 15 years or so since the last time I manhandled the hosts to ad block, I totally forgot that even exists as an option. Simple solutions are always the best!

 

[TechAbstract]

Thanks for this, I'm pretty sure I'm seeing a good improvement across the web but how/where can I check or edit the TPL in the modern IE11? If I wanted to remove this add on for instance? I almost never use the 'desktop' version of IE on my surface 2 so I can't seem to find it on the modern version. Anyone know? Also can I ask if anyone out there with an RT device can check a specific sport website for me as I'm not sure if the above edit to the TPL has knocked out some functionality.. its a Redbull media player that is typically embedded in sport news articles on various websites, cycling in my case. I'm just finding a blank space with no player rendering at all. Oddly, visiting the video on Redbull's own site works fine-its just the embedded vids that no longer work for me. Its a downhill mountain bike video on a very well established Canadian mountain bike website called 'Pinkbike' btw, although no player appears when I look on similar sites. Link is Claudio's Course Preview: World Cup DH, Windham - Pinkbike if someone can check this for me id be very grateful!! Would the TPL change affect such a thing anyway?

TPL and Host can block some stuff that are not just ads only. The Claudio video works fine for me with mvphost turned on.
IE Metro is like Edge, doesn't have TPL. You can disable TPL lists in IE->Tools->Manage Ad-ons->Tracking Protection.
To revert hostmvp back to original state. Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc. Rename HOSTS file to something else. Then rename HOSTS.mvp to HOSTS (Original host file is only 1KB)

 

[johnson_patrickw]

127.0.0.1 youcanoptout.org appears twice in that list, which are you stopping at?

 

[Jazmac]

127.0.0.1 youcanoptout.org appears twice in that list, which are you stopping at?

Last one.

 

[Maaz Mansori]

For anyone having problems opening some links, I wanted to mention 2 things.
First, for example, some links on cnn.com may not open because paid.outbrain.com and traffic.outbrain.com are blocked. You notice this when you click on a link and it tries to open these particular domains. To solve this, open Notepad as administrator (Click Start, type notepad and when it appears, right-click and run as administrator), then simply open C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
Click Edit and Find and type in a domain you wish to unblock and click Find Next. Then at the beginning of the line (ahead of 0.0.0.0 or 127.0.0.1), simply put a #. Then repeat the process for any additional domains you wish to unblock and then Save the file.

Also, if you need to temporarily disable ad block, make sure you keep a copy of both the original HOSTS file as well as the modified one. For example, you can name them hosts-original and hosts-modified. Then create 2 simple batch files, we will call them blockads.bat and unblockads.bat.
For blockads.bat, put in the following script:
copy c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts-modified c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts /a
ipconfig /flushdns

For unblockads.bat, put in the following script:
copy c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts-original c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts /a
ipconfig /flushdns

Then create a desktop shortcut to each batch file, name them however you like; go to the shortcut's properties and Advanced and Run as Administrator.
Now with this you enable or disable the adblock with desktop icons.