[aldiboronti]

I've been thinking about using the Hosts script from this site:

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

but I thought I'd ask advice from one of the tech wizards here first. What do you think? Will it do what it says, or is it gonna screw my connection up?

[Davey7549]

aldiboronti
The concept is sound having the browser look to itself by calling 127.0.0.1 for any add banners thus not displaying. The laundry list is rather large to so the individual did their homework.
Before you replace your hosts file with this hosts file make sure yours does not contain any information that need to be included in this new hosts file such as Norton antivirus will put references in there for pop3 antivirus scanning. If there are entries already in your hosts file they will have to be included in the new hosts file.
Tip: The hosts files can be read and changed using notepad. Also after you have merged the two if necessary then rename the present one Hosts.old

Dave

[Davey7549]

aldiboronti
By the way I liked the idea so much I tried it myself and went to a website I know was loaded with ad garbage and it loaded quickly and displayed the standard could not find page message in place of the ads!

Dave

[aldiboronti]

It works! Thanks for the advice, Davey.

[aldiboronti]

I'm using AdShield as well, mentioned in the first link. After adding a block list from the same site I have it up and running, and with this and the Hosts file, it's changed browsing from a pain in the ads to a pleasure!

[Davey7549]

aldiboronti
The only drawback I have found so far and it is minor, the ads that are essentially blocked are added as line items in the browser back button reference list. So one must use the drop down list to move backwards or expect having to click multiple times to achieve the actual prior page.

Dave

PS: Think I will move your find into the Tips and Tricks forum in case others may want to try it.

[Dark Star]

It's wortwhile mentioning that if you notice a strange behavior in the Back Button...

Sometimes when you click the Back button to return to the previous page it appears that nothing happens. What usually occurs is that the HOSTS file has blocked one or more (< Iframe >) ad pages that are embedded into the web page you are viewing. To verify this click the small drop-down arrow on the Back button, do you see just an ad server listed? ... well now you know .....

[Dark Star]

Let's try that again....


Sometimes when you click the Back button to return to the previous page it appears that nothing happens. What usually occurs is that the HOSTS file has blocked one or more

PHP Code:

<Iframe> 


ad pages that are embedded into the web page you are viewing. To verify this click the small drop-down arrow on the Back button, do you see just an ad server listed? ... well now you know .....

[RandyG]

hopefully this will correct the problem that the duck caused!!

Originally posted by Dark Star:



Let's try that again....


Sometimes when you click the Back button to return to the previous page it appears that nothing happens. What usually occurs is that the HOSTS file has blocked one or more (< Iframe>) ad pages that are embedded into the web page you are viewing. To verify this click the small drop-down arrow on the Back button, do you see just an ad server listed? ... well now you know .....

[RandyG]

hopefully this will correct the problem that the duck caused!!

Originally posted by Dark Star:



Let's try that again....


Sometimes when you click the Back button to return to the previous page it appears that nothing happens. What usually occurs is that the HOSTS file has blocked one or more (< Iframe>) ad pages that are embedded into the web page you are viewing. To verify this click the small drop-down arrow on the Back button, do you see just an ad server listed? ... well now you know .....

</iframe>

[RandyG]

</iframe>hopefully this will correct the problem that the duck caused!!

Originally posted by Dark Star:



Let's try that again....


Sometimes when you click the Back button to return to the previous page it appears that nothing happens. What usually occurs is that the HOSTS file has blocked one or more (< Iframe>) ad pages that are embedded into the web page you are viewing. To verify this click the small drop-down arrow on the Back button, do you see just an ad server listed? ... well now you know .....

[RandyG]

in case anyone should wonder, be careful of posting html commands without ending them, or at least use the php commands before and after whatever nifty little tag you are trying out. That will disable it's nefarious effects on the boards.

http://forums.techguy.org/showthread...857#post485857 for more info.

Here's what this thread looked like before I posted.
<img src="http://forums.techguy.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=516629">
It literally stopped there, and you might notice now, that my signature is in Dark Star's thread!!
That's cause my first reply was added to his post, due to the nature of the code he used!!!

[brendandonhu]

If you would like to have the HOSTS file speed up your connection as well as block ads, open hosts in wordpad, and do a find and replace all changing 127.0.0.1 to 0.0.0.0. Its considerably faster. After doing that make sure you chance localhost back to 127.0.0.1

[aldiboronti]

Thanks for the info, brendan, i've just amended my Hosts file accordingly.

[brendandonhu]

You're welcome and remember that the person who made that hosts file might have blocked something you want to see. In that case, move your hosts file to the desktop, and everything will be unblocked until you move it back.