Do you use ad blocking sofware on this site?

[starlifter]

Do you use ad blocking sofware on this site?

If so, which one?

If not, please visit the link here to see a series of posts showing screenshots of how ad-blocking programs are effective. Do you normally surf sites and get all the popups, flashing ads, and jammed up CPU & bandwidth (particularly noticible if you use dial up, with a "typical" 44K download speed).

 

[joespaniel]

Yeah, the ads on the forum are a little too much.

I need a good pop-up killer. :scout:

What should I look for, or do, to rid my system of this menace?

 

[starlifter]

I always use AtGuard 3.22, even though the company no longer exists because it was bought out by Symantec over 2 years ago, and Symantec did not continue it.... this was to reduce the free competiton, though a few parts of AtGuard were patched rather clumsily into the Symantec products.

This poll was inspired because I was shocked at the amount of ads that occurred when testing without AtGuard on, as a result of reading about the 7 August problems with ads and whiteouts in the thread referenced previously.

 

[joespaniel]

I voted the last choice.

AAARRGGHH!!!

 

[starlifter]

I have heard that zone alarm is free, and pretty good. I have not used it, however...

 

[joespaniel]

In the other thread, you mentioned checking registries...

Could you elaborate on that? (In the other thread)

 

[King of Camelot]

Hey starlifter, even though AtGuard was bought out, any way for me to still get AtGuard 3.22? Please!

 

[joespaniel]

*Cough*, *cough*, E-Mail?, *cough-cough*.

 

[starlifter]

I know what you're asking, but won't use CFC as a medium for such stuff.

That said, there is something that I should explain. I am quite knowledgable about OSs, and MS OSs in particular, and for reasons I need not go into in this thread, I do not use WinME or WinXP. AtGuard was released in late 1999, based on Win2K preliminary release candidates 1 and 2 (build 2072 and build 2128). This program works well for me because I run Win95 and Win2K.... most people seem to prefer WinME and/or XP... I would not recommend AtGuard for them, as the code has not been updated since October of 1999.

On the other hand, there is a free program called ZoneAlarm, and I have friends (tech types in the industry) that swear by it. I don't use it because AtGuard runs just fine.

So I don't want to leave people with the impression that AtGuard is the only solution... infact, for average users, I don't recommend it even if you have it, because it is no longer supported. I don't mind because I know the tech stuff.... but the average user does not (and should not have to).

Soooo...... maybe some people that use Zone Alarm and other programs that support current OSs can make some recommendations. Or, post a question to this effect in the Computer Talk forum....

In summary, I really don't recommend most people use AtGuard... use a newer program

 

[starlifter]

I scrolled too far when replying in this thread, and this is at the bottom of my webpage ...

 

[King of Camelot]

Originally posted by starlifter
I know what you're asking, but won't use CFC as a medium for such stuff.

Puff! Both you and joespaniel, I was only asking if there was someplace online where I could get it! How do you think I would be asking anything else!

 

[joespaniel]

Relax, I was only having fun.

EDIT: Wait. I'll see if theres a free version.

 

[joespaniel]

OK, my bag. Heres the free ZoneAlarm, but they sell the Spyware killer for $20 bucks.
I guess you need it to kill whats already on your system.

Free Zone Alarm

 

[King of Camelot]

I know, I just like having a reason to yell at people! You Hurt my Feelings!

 

[joespaniel]

I'm off to install it. Be back to see if it works.

 

[starlifter]

In all seriousness, let us know how it works. I have never used it, because it is best to uninstally my other programs first to test it properly.

If you determine what the nature of the spyware is, I will find a way to hack it out (or maybe better yet, find someone who has done it already).

I despise spyware, in all of its ugly forms. I hate it more than ads.... but at least I can find it in my system... most of my friends and none of my relatives (all are average users) can, and the spyware makers know it.

Hey, this sounds like a job for..... SPYCATCHER! Catch those spies lurking in the shadows .

 

[King of Camelot]

Ok, starlifter, I decided to test ZoneAlarm since joespaniel posted the link. The free version he linked to doesn't block ads, on their site it says only the one that costs money does. I don't know about you but I'm not willing to pay $50.00(I think thats what it said) to block ads, I'd just rather bite the bullet.

 

[joespaniel]

I paid the 20 bucks to get the pest-patrol, and HOLY ****!!!

47 spyware cookies, and 2 backdoor exe programs on my computer!!!
Unbelievable!

The 2 backdoor exe's kind of bothered me, those are kind of serious.
I wonder who put them there???

Well, they are all gone now. I have the zone alarm up and running too.
I still see pop-ups on the forum though, it doesnt stop that.
But I'm protected from all that crap getting back into my registry and files.

Thanks for the hot tip Starlifter.

EDIT: The ZA killed one pop-up, an "adware". Score one for the good guys.

I wish it would stop the others.

 

[King of Camelot]

Well, I found one I like, its called Ad Muncher. 30 day free trial, then $15 to register. Allows much cutomization allowing you to add keywords, for those ads that get through the cracks. It also has IP scramble, Watchout TF. I will post screenshots tommorrow, very tired right now, about midnight my time. Anyways, joespaniel, for spyware I use the free Ad-Aware because I'm a cheap little man.

EDIT: Lol, so far us three have made 18 replies, does no one else find this interesting?

 

[ainwood]

Where's the "No, because my damned work has locked-down my PC and won't let me do anything, such as even change the date / time or screensaver or wallpaper or install anything at all because they presume that anyone whose job description isn't IT is completely computer illiterate and would just stuff their machine" option




(fortunately, there are pretty easy workarounds for some of these function....)