8 search results for "ad blocker"

PC Ad Blockers (Updated – June 2022)

Technology Tips – Published June 2022 in the Guide and Digest

By Don Trauger – Kennett

I wrote about ad blockers in Dec. 2020 and now is the time to revisit the subject to see which ones are best. You may have heard of the term but you may be unsure as to what all they do. Ad blockers are small apps that only work when they are added to your web browser such as Chrome or Edge. They are referred to as extensions or add-ons. Their main purpose is to block ads that can slow the loading speed of web pages. Of course, the benefit is that you see few or no ads on the web page you entered in your browser. However, there’s more to an ad blocker than just blocking ads.

 

Having an ad blocker installed can also give you an unseen benefit. Ads can carry malware so if you block ads, you gain added protection over and above what your anti-virus program offers. So, which one is best? Using my personal testing it’s still AdBlock Plus by a small margin.

 

One thing I found out during my testing is that Microsoft’s Edge has better native security characteristics than either Google’s Chrome or Firefox. When Edge is configured to “Strict” mode, Edge made less work for the extensions tested. You can read my previous article about Edge here: https://hersheysmill.org/?s=Edge.

 

Although AdBlock Plus is my #1 recommendation, Adblocker Ultimate also does a good job. In testing I have run up to 5 ad blockers and 2 other anti-tracking extensions at the same time and there were no problems. The only thing I noticed was a very slight increase in page loading time of about 1 second.

 

To improve your security when using a browser install AdBlock Plus and AdBlocker Ultimate. To increase your privacy also add Disconnect. It prevents web sites from planting trackers that can follow you from site to site adding more potential unwanted ads and who knows what else. One other extension that I like is TrafficLight. Every time you do a Google search it places a green check next to each individual result. That means it’s safe to click the result.

 

Installing an ad blocker is quite easy. For Chrome, open the program, click the 3 vertical dots in the upper right corner and navigate to “More tools” then click “Extensions”. On the upper left side click the 3 horizontal bars. At the bottom, click “Open Chrome Web Store.” In the “Search the store” field type “adblock plus” (no quotes) and press the keyboard’s Enter key. You should see the Adblock Plus icon. Click it to add to Chrome and follow any screen prompts. For the Microsoft Edge browser, open Edge then click the 3 horizontal dots in the upper right of the window, then click “Extensions”. Click “Manage extensions.” Scroll to the bottom and click “Chrome Web Store.” Follow the above instructions for adding Adblock Plus for Chrome to Edge. Add AdBlocker Ultimate using the same basic procedure. Notice that you can also add more extensions to Edge from the Chrome Web Store. That’s because Edge was developed using the same platform as Chrome. Note: Disconnect and TrafficLight can be added to Edge using the Chrome Web Store. Just follow the previous procedure for adding Adblock Plus for Chrome. After you click the selected icon, you will see a prompt to “Add to Chrome” even though you are using Edge follow the prompts.

 

After installation check to make sure the extensions are configured for maximum protection. For all extensions right click the newly added icon at the top right of the browser’s window and click “Options” (Chrome) or “Extension options” (Edge). For Adblock Plus, choose to “Block additional tracking,” “Block cookie warnings,” “Block push notifications” and “Block social media icons tracking.” Also, uncheck “Show Acceptable Ads.” For Adblocker Ultimate all options should be on, or green. TrafficLight options should be on, or blue. Disconnect has no configurable options.

 

That’s it for ad blockers but there are thousands of extensions you can add to browsers to enhance their usefulness. Just don’t add too many!

Windows Update Reliability (Dec 2018)

Technology Tips – Published December 2018 in the Guide and Digest

By Don Trauger – Kennett

 

I don’t often make negative comments about anything PC related but in this article I will make you aware of very serious shortcomings with Windows Update.

Reliability with these updates has been in decline for months now. Patches on patches has been the routine for Microsoft. They have had to issue 2 or 3 patches to correct errors that the first one had. It’s obvious to me that Microsoft does not have control over their updates. They force these updates on your computer with no way to stop them or selectively allow only certain ones. It’s not just 1 or 2 updates issued that have problems and are cleared up with a new patch, it’s more like 4 or more that accumulate over months. HP laptops were affected by the faulty October updates but other manufacturers were also affected. Tried and true Windows 7 has also been affected. Strangely, Windows 8.1 has dodged almost all of the serious faulty updates. One of the October problem updates wiped out the contents of the Documents folder including Pictures, Music and Videos. Fortunately this faulty update only went out to power users that have joined Microsoft’s Insiders group but it came perilously close to world-wide distribution.

I no longer trust Microsoft to update my computers nor should you. If you think malware is a more serious problem then you need to rethink how to secure your computer in view of Microsoft’s inability to effectively control their update process. Of course use Malwarebytes free to scan for malware and Bitdefender free is the best anti-virus for your PC. That said, I have tested and recommend Windows Update Blocker V. 1.1 from Sordum.org. It’s a free program that effectively blocks any Windows Update from Microsoft. Other program updates, your browsers (Chrome, Firefox, etc.) for example, will continue normally.

To download this program go to sordum.org and click Windows Update Blocker which is 8th in the list on the right under Our Software. Read through the information about the program if desired and scroll near the bottom of the page and click the Download button. The program will be in your Downloads folder with the name Wub.zip. Double click it then double click the Wub_v1.1 folder to open it. Next, click Wub.exe to open the program. It comes ready to run – no installation needed. Click the Run button instead of the Extract all button. You should see the program window that displays a green shield with a white check. All you need to do is to select Disable Service and click Apply Now. The shield  turns red with a white X. You are now blocking these faulty updates from Microsoft. To turn the updates on simply select Enable Service and click Apply Now. You are now in control of Windows Updates to your computer.

I’m not totally against the concept of Windows Updates but the current situation demands more control by the user.

The following is my recommendation to control Windows Updates. With the Windows Update Blocker set to disable updates, wait for at least 2 months to install a major Spring/Fall update after it’s released to the public. This will allow time for major bugs to be corrected. To receive new updates open Windows Update Blocker and click Enable Service and click Apply Now. Click the Menu button and click Update Options then click Check for updates to download new updates. Normally, updates are issued starting the second Tuesday of the month with corrective patches on the following 2nd, 3rd and 4th Tuesdays as needed.  Remember to disable the Windows Updates in the blocker after you have received all the updates. Timing your updates is best done in the first week of the month following after the updates and corrections have been issued or 2 months after a major Spring or Fall update.

The major Fall update (1809) has been withheld by Microsoft since October 6, 2018 because of the aforementioned update problems. By the time you read this they probably will have corrected it and hopefully you will keep all of your documents. It’s always a good idea to back up your personal files. Use File History located in the Control Panel to back up your files.

For information on the Windows Update Blocker please attend our monthly meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7 PM in the Ardmore room of the Community Center.

Note added Dec 31 2018
Tech Tips Special Report – Dec. 31, 2018.
by Don Trauger – Kennett

Windows Update Blocker for Windows 10 (December 2018 Issue of the Guide & Digest)

It is now safe to update your computer but only to get updates that you may be missing. It’s not recommended to install the “October” Feature update (V.1809) although I haven’t seen anything negative about it recently. I have tested the updating process on 3 computers and all completed their updates without a hitch.

Here’s what to do: Open Windows Update Blocker, click “Enable Service” then click “Apply Now”. Close Windows Update Blocker. Reboot the computer, click the 4 pane white icon (lower left corner) and click the “Settings” icon (gear) just above the “Power” icon. Click “Update & Security” and click “Windows Update” if necessary. Click “Check for updates”. You can then watch the automatic updating process. After the updates are installed open Windows Update Blocker, click “Disable Service” and click “Apply Now”. This will block future updates until further notice. Close Windows Update Blocker.

DO NOT CLICK THE “CHECK FOR UPDATES” BUTTON MORE THAN ONCE! If you do you will receive other updates that are not fully tested along with the October (V.1809) Feature update. Perform this procedure before January 8, 2019.

Toolbars

Don Trauger

There are well over a dozen popular toolbars that are available for download or come as part of other programs that are installed on your computer. For example, there are, the Yahoo toolbar, AOL, MSN, Ask, and Comcast toolbars, and of course the very popular Google toolbar. Basically these toolbars are convenient entry points for searching the Internet for almost anything you can think of plus a myriad of other buttons that whisk you off to specialized locations. They occupy a location in Internet Explorer near the top of the window you are viewing.  I’ve seen computers that have at least three of these toolbars installed. This reduces the ability of Internet Explorer to display the full height of the Web page. Although you can move the vertical scroll bar to the right of the window to see the full page, it requires you to manipulate the mouse more than you should. This of course is user preference but it can be annoying too.

 

A more serious problem with toolbars is that they have their own behind-the-scene agenda. Many of them offer anti-phishing, anti-spam, anti-spyware, and a pop-up blocker. This built-in protection scheme often conflicts with your own installed anti-virus software. In addition, some toolbars may link to 3rd party sites of questionable integrity. My advice is to uninstall all toolbars. For Windows XP click Start, click Control Panel on the right, click Add or Remove Programs, click the name of the toolbar you want to remove, and then click on Change/Remove or Remove. For Vista and Windows 7 users, click the Start orb (lower left corner of the screen) then click Control Panel on the right. Click Programs and Features, click the name of the unneeded toolbar, and then click Uninstall. I can hear you now – “I really use my toolbar”. I understand, however, Internet Explorer can be configured to use any search engine you wish without using a toolbar. For Windows XP users, open Internet Explorer and click the tiny down arrow under the “X” in the upper right corner of the window. Click Find More Providers. Under Internet Explorer Gallery are the popular search engine providers. Google is the preferred choice. Click Google if it is not installed and choose to make it the default. Click Add, and then click the Add to Internet Explorer button. By clicking that same down arrow again in Internet Explorer, you should now see that Google has been added. You should also see Google in the grayed out search field of Internet Explorer. Type a search request in this field then click the magnifying icon next to the search field and you will automatically be taken to Google. The first ten search results will show in the opening window. Windows Vista, 7, and 8 users can click the gear icon, and then click on Manage add-ons, then Search Providers on the left side. At the lower left of the window, click on Find more search providers and then follow the above procedure for adding Google in the Internet Explorer Gallery. Vista, 7, and 8 users must type search requests in the address field of Internet Explorer.

 

            If you insist on having a toolbar make sure only one is installed to avoid conflicts. Look for where the Preferences or Options are in the toolbar and turn off or disable all the extra and unneeded security functions it offers.

 

            The basic rule is to not run your computer with multiple security programs of the same type at the same time. Only one anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam, phishing filter, or pop-up blocker should be operational at a given time. More information about this and other subjects can be obtained if you attend our monthly PC Club meetings. They are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM upstairs in the Ardmore room of the Community Center.

 

Note: Remember to visit our newly designed Web site at www.hersheysmill.org to discover information about our community.

Toolbars

Don Trauger

There are well over a dozen popular toolbars that are available for download or come as part of other programs that are installed on your computer. For example, there are, the Yahoo toolbar, AOL, MSN, Ask, and Comcast toolbars, and of course the very popular Google toolbar. Basically these toolbars are convenient entry points for searching the Internet for almost anything you can think of plus a myriad of other buttons that whisk you off to specialized locations. They occupy a location in Internet Explorer near the top of the window you are viewing.  I’ve seen computers that have at least three of these toolbars installed. This reduces the ability of Internet Explorer to display the full height of the Web page. Although you can move the vertical scroll bar to the right of the window to see the full page, it requires you to manipulate the mouse more than you should. This of course is user preference but it can be annoying too.

 

A more serious problem with toolbars is that they have their own behind-the-scene agenda. Many of them offer anti-phishing, anti-spam, anti-spyware, and a pop-up blocker. This built-in protection scheme often conflicts with your own installed anti-virus software. In addition, some toolbars may link to 3rd party sites of questionable integrity. My advice is to uninstall all toolbars. For Windows XP click Start, click Control Panel on the right, click Add or Remove Programs, click the name of the toolbar you want to remove, and then click on Change/Remove or Remove. For Vista and Windows 7 users, click the Start orb (lower left corner of the screen) then click Control Panel on the right. Click Programs and Features, click the name of the unneeded toolbar, and then click Uninstall. I can hear you now – “I really use my toolbar”. I understand, however, Internet Explorer can be configured to use any search engine you wish without using a toolbar. For Windows XP users, open Internet Explorer and click the tiny down arrow under the “X” in the upper right corner of the window. Click Find More Providers. Under Internet Explorer Gallery are the popular search engine providers. Google is the preferred choice. Click Google if it is not installed and choose to make it the default. Click Add, and then click the Add to Internet Explorer button. By clicking that same down arrow again in Internet Explorer, you should now see that Google has been added. You should also see Google in the grayed out search field of Internet Explorer. Type a search request in this field then click the magnifying icon next to the search field and you will automatically be taken to Google. The first ten search results will show in the opening window. Windows Vista, 7, and 8 users can click the gear icon, and then click on Manage add-ons, then Search Providers on the left side. At the lower left of the window, click on Find more search providers and then follow the above procedure for adding Google in the Internet Explorer Gallery. Vista, 7, and 8 users must type search requests in the address field of Internet Explorer.

 

            If you insist on having a toolbar make sure only one is installed to avoid conflicts. Look for where the Preferences or Options are in the toolbar and turn off or disable all the extra and unneeded security functions it offers.

 

            The basic rule is to not run your computer with multiple security programs of the same type at the same time. Only one anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam, phishing filter, or pop-up blocker should be operational at a given time. More information about this and other subjects can be obtained if you attend our monthly PC Club meetings. They are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM upstairs in the Ardmore room of the Community Center.

 

Note: Remember to visit our newly designed Web site at www.hersheysmill.org to discover information about our community.

Windows 10 – Privacy (Oct 2021)

Technology Tips – Published October 2021 in the Guide and Digest

By Don Trauger – Kennett

 

Having an antivirus program to protect your computer while online is important. However, your privacy settings are also an important feature that allows some information about your computer’s use to legally flow to Microsoft and elsewhere. Windows 10 allows you to set your desired privacy settings that can be more restrictive than that normally set by Microsoft.

Open Settings by clicking the Start icon in the lower left corner of the Desktop screen. Then click the “gear” icon which is the second icon up from the bottom on the left side. Next, click the Privacy icon to get started. The window will display the General privacy settings. Make sure they are all off. Speech and Inking and typing personalization items should also be turned off. The setting for Diagnostics feedback should be set to Required diagnostic data. Scroll down and turn off the next 3 items then click delete for Diagnostic data. Feedback frequency should be set to Never. Under Activity history the top 2 choices should never be selected. Below is where you can select the listed accounts to appear on the Timeline. The Timeline is not a privacy feature, but it does allow you to review previous documents that you were working on. Location can be a desired feature as it supplements a Google search when looking for local businesses, weather and other items that depend on your location for accurate search results. Camera and Microphone can be turned off, if you don’t use Zoom or other similar services. It’s much better than putting tape over the camera lens and leaving adhesive stuck to the lens should you need to use it. Notifications should be off. Contacts needs to be set On if you use Mail or the Calendar features. Phone calls should be turned off if not using this feature. Call history should be off. The Email setting needs to be on if you use Mail and Calendar. Tasks, Messaging, Radios and Other devices can be turned off if not used. Background apps should be reviewed and only turned on for what is needed. The ones that are turned on are also started and run in the background using computer resources. Alternatively they can be started, if necessary, by clicking a Desktop icon or clicking the item in the Program list. Windows security should be on, but the rest do not have to be on. App diagnostics can be turned off. Automatic file downloads needs to be on if you use Microsoft’s OneDrive for file storage or other similar online file storage providers. Documents, Pictures, Videos and File System should be turned on.

To complete your privacy, make sure to add an adblocker to your browser. Not only does it block ads it can block tracking of your various websites as you traverse the web. Read my previous article here: https://hersheysmill.org/?s=ad+blocker.

The PC Club has restarted and meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7 PM in the Ardmore room of the Community Center

General Computer / Printer Tips

Microsoft’s PC Manager (Apr 2024)

Technology Tips – Published April 2024 in the Guide and Digest

By Don Trauger – Kennett
PC Manager is a relatively new PC cleanup tool from Microsoft. It removes deleted, unneeded and used once but not deleted files. You can download the free app from the Microsoft Store. It will install itself automatically and put a shortcut on the Desktop screen.

I installed the app and did a fairly intensive test comparing its effectiveness with Wise Disk Cleaner, my recommended cleanup tool. I set it up to run at a maximum removal level. My testing showed a rather dismal showing of only 37% of the junk files were removed. Whether this is due to just conservative parameters imbedded in the app or possibly a lack of other items that aren’t made available to clean. My guess it’s a combination of the two. One thing I do like that it’s fast, safe and with better programming it may do a better job of cleaning in the future.

Click the shortcut for PC Manager to get started. You’ll start in the Home position. Next to Boost click Set Smart Boost and turn it on. This a memory controller that comes into play under high memory usage conditions. It will work best on computers that have 8 Gbs or less of installed memory. Next, click Boost on the blue bar to activate. Click Health Check. You can accept all the pre-checked items then click Proceed. Click Deep Cleaning. You can accept the pre-checked items or click details next to unchecked items for more info. Process can be ignored as it is a list of running programs. Startup displays a list of programs that start up at power on. They should be minimized to help the computer boot up quickly and minimize overall memory usage. Anti-virus files must load at startup but others can be optional. Third party programs are known for using this category to get a jump on startup at the expense of your startup time. These programs do not have to start at boot up or at all. They are usually delivered when your computer is turned on the first time but they continue until you uninstall them or turn them off in Startup. Protection does not do any cleaning but is more of a status report on the listed items. One item, Pop-up management, does offer to block pop-ups so click it then click Enable pop-up block. Click Storage then click Processing. The Apps items offers a repeat of Process and Startup items shown in the Home category. The Toolbox is a work in progress showing only memory usage, screenshot (used to send Microsoft shots of pop-ups when they bypass the pop-up blocker) and the Settings icon.

If you want a fast, safe but incomplete cleanup, then PC Manager is for you. You should run it weekly if you are a moderate to heavy user. Wise Disk Cleaner users can do their cleanup monthly.

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