[jsmith99]

Toshiba Laptop
Windows 7 x64

I'm constantly having my computiing slowed down by some routines running briefly at 100% CPU power.

Flickering at the bottom of my screen I see references to websites beginning with things like "adclick...", "geocheck..." or "mookie..."

I run Malwarebytes and CCleaner every day, check the cookies I want to keep in the latter, and I have my browser (IE8) set to not accept third party cookies.

Everything's fine for a few hours, and then they're back again.

Is there anything I can do about them? I've seen references in here to Mac software, but what about PC?

[tealady]

I run ff with noscript and ghostery which seems to stop this sort of thing. Plus paid for malwarebytes which runs in real-time.
Total contrast to work where the opposite happens, the things you mention often can be seen at the bottom of the window.

[jsmith99]

I had a look at the software you mentioned. Noscript seems to be only for firefox, while ghostery runs on some versions of Windows, but not 7 (according to a review in PC World). I've also seen comments that it identifies trackers, but doesn't block them.

I've no objection to either adverts or trackers, until they stop me loading a web page because they're sitting waiting for a reply from their server. Which I'm sure is against the Computer Misuse Act 1991.

[Maxatoria]

but as most ad server companies will be based abroad they are not bound by uk law

[bspace]

Originally Posted by jsmith99

I had a look at the software you mentioned. Noscript seems to be only for firefox, while ghostery runs on some versions of Windows, but not 7 (according to a review in PC World). I've also seen comments that it identifies trackers, but doesn't block them.

I've no objection to either adverts or trackers, until they stop me loading a web page because they're sitting waiting for a reply from their server. Which I'm sure is against the Computer Misuse Act 1991.

I have ghostery running on my laptop at home
windows 7 x64 - firefox

seems to be blocking stuff for me,
there is a set up process,
my recollection was that it wasn't just install and go to block stuff, but it was a while back that i installed it

[tealady]

Originally Posted by jsmith99

I had a look at the software you mentioned. Noscript seems to be only for firefox, while ghostery runs on some versions of Windows, but not 7 (according to a review in PC World). I've also seen comments that it identifies trackers, but doesn't block them.

It does run in w7 and you can block stuff if you chose http://www.ghostery.com/faq.

You can see the sucess (or not) with https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...don/collusion/

[Johnbee]

If all that is happening is a bit of a slow down, it very probably is not a virus. You might have an add on, have a look and try disabling things. You could also see what happens with another browser. Opera might be best because not so many people use it.

Incidentally, IE9, though slightly slower and clunkier than earlier versions, is easier to 'work' for this sort of thing.

[jsmith99]

Sorry to take so long to get back, but I've been doing some googling when I've had the chance.

It seems that IE does have problems when running ghostery, mainly in the effect of having more than two tabs open at once. The firm is planning to rewrite it completely, and have, for a few months, been promising a new version by the end of the summer.

This was from their own ghostery forum, but I'm afraid I didn't keep a link.

I may take the advice on trying a new browser; now I'll have to do a bit more research on the 'best' one.

[Stig]

Privoxy works fine with IE9 and blocks most ads and third party content.

[jsmith99]

I had a look at Privoxy, and it just seems way too complex for what I want it to do; I couldn't understand the FAQ answers.

I came across mention of InPrivate Filtering, which seems to do exactly what I want - block the tracking software. But does it run only within InPrivate Browsing? That would make life difficult, because there'd be no continuity (if that's the right word) of cookies.

[fenlander]

Audience Science
Criteo
Google Analytics
Rubicon
- all blocked on this page. Windows 7 (64bit) with Chrome and Ghostery. 30 seconds to download and complete a simple setup wizard - turn the blocking option on for all sites and the bubble option off unless you want to be told every time something gets blocked.

[Stig]

Originally Posted by jsmith99

I had a look at Privoxy, and it just seems way too complex for what I want it to do; I couldn't understand the FAQ answers.

Just install Privoxy and it works. The most complicated thing you might need to do is alter the proxy address in IE.

You only need the complex stuff to tweak the configuration yourself.

[curiousclive]

Adblock plus used in Firefox stops all these ads and adds a block tab to the ones that get through so you can choose whether to block it or not, I use AOL email in firefox and now don't get any of AOL's ads at all.

[thenetworkbabe]

Originally Posted by jsmith99

Toshiba Laptop
Windows 7 x64

I'm constantly having my computiing slowed down by some routines running briefly at 100% CPU power.

Flickering at the bottom of my screen I see references to websites beginning with things like "adclick...", "geocheck..." or "mookie..."

I run Malwarebytes and CCleaner every day, check the cookies I want to keep in the latter, and I have my browser (IE8) set to not accept third party cookies.

Everything's fine for a few hours, and then they're back again.

Is there anything I can do about them? I've seen references in here to Mac software, but what about PC?

Some type of ads on DS and on some newspapers (mostly google related I think) do the same, or just shut IE 8 down completely in my 32 bit version but the pages load properly in the 64 bit IE one I think its got something to do with the flashplayer update I am running with - which doesn't work at all in 64 bit, but is a tad behind for 32 bit. That may be another area to look at.

I know I should have the latest flashplayer, but my last few experiences have been that if you update it, before things you do need - like youtube - actually demand an update, the update is often ahead of and incompatible with the software doing other things - and things like realplayer stop working for that reason too.

[jsmith99]

I've decided to go for FireFox and, after a few days getting used to it, add AdBlockPlus.

I'm now getting problems of a webpage not loading, and the line at the bootim of the screen showing an adserver address. Googling tells me that this happens when an adserver is down ...your webpage just hangs.

As I said earlier, I've nothing against ads, or even data trackers, until they start interfering with my browsing.

[Blackjack Davy]

Originally Posted by jsmith99

ghostery runs on some versions of Windows, but not 7 (according to a review in PC World). I've also seen comments that it identifies trackers, but doesn't block them.

Eh? Ghostery depends only on the browser you're using, nothing to do with the Windows version. Windows 7 x64 here and I have Ghostery on Opera, Firefox and I used to have it on Chrome (it only partially blocks on Chrome due to Google not releasing the necessary code to developers, possibly due to Google Analytics being one of the principal data harvesters out there, one of several reasons why I stopped using Chrome)

It blocks them if you choose to block them (options > block all)

NoScript is the most powerful tool out there but it's a PITA to get set up correctly and as you say it's FireFox only.

[whoever,hey]

Originally Posted by Blackjack Davy

Eh? Ghostery depends only on the browser you're using, nothing to do with the Windows version. Windows 7 x64 here and I have Ghostery on Opera, Firefox and I used to have it on Chrome (it only partially blocks on Chrome due to Google not releasing the necessary code to developers, possibly due to Google Analytics being one of the principal data harvesters out there, one of several reasons why I stopped using Chrome)

It blocks them if you choose to block them (options > block all)

NoScript is the most powerful tool out there but it's a PITA to get set up correctly and as you say it's FireFox only.

Blocking seems to work here on w7 64 on chrome.

[jsmith99]

Originally Posted by Blackjack Davy

Eh? Ghostery depends only on the browser you're using, nothing to do with the Windows version. ............

I was only going by what was said on the Ghostery users' forum, plus the reply from the company, which promised a completely new version by the end of the summer.

[alanwarwic]

Originally Posted by jsmith99

I've no objection to either adverts or trackers, until they stop me loading a web page because they're sitting waiting for a reply from their server. Which I'm sure is against the Computer Misuse Act 1991.

Considering that it is how a web site is funded, if can be probably be considered part of the main site.

[jsmith99]

Originally Posted by Stig

............ The most complicated thing you might need to do is alter the proxy address in IE.
..................

You see - I haven't got the faintest idea what that means.

Originally Posted by alanwarwic

Considering that it is how a web site is funded, if can be probably be considered part of the main site.

The waiting to download, and waiting for the upload, are actions which I haven't authorised. Which, if I remember correctly, are the key words in the Act.

[whoever,hey]

Originally Posted by jsmith99

The waiting to download, and waiting for the upload, are actions which I haven't authorised. Which, if I remember correctly, are the key words in the Act.

I dont understand what that has to do with the computer misuse act.

[jsmith99]

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

I dont understand what that has to do with the computer misuse act.

I think that section 3, unauthorised modification of computer material, covers an awful lot of actions. Including placing an adserver address in .... whatever urls go into to access a website.

And sorry, it was 1990, not 1991.

[whoever,hey]

Originally Posted by jsmith99

I think that section 3, unauthorised modification of computer material, covers an awful lot of actions. Including placing an adserver address in .... whatever urls go into to access a website.

And sorry, it was 1990, not 1991.

They aren't modifying anything. Your browser is requesting a webpage, and you are receiving it with adverts.

Its like you are saying page redirects are illegal aswell, but they are just the contents returned from a PHP request.

[jsmith99]

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

They aren't modifying anything. Your browser is requesting a webpage, and you are receiving it with adverts.

Its like you are saying page redirects are illegal aswell, but they are just the contents returned from a PHP request.

I didn't phrase it very well; I didn't mean the original request for a web page, I meant when an ad wants to send information about you to a data tracker. The ad has, I assume, to place the url somewhere to initiate the transfer.

If page redirects are what I think they are, then they could be considered to be authorised by the request for the original webpage.