Firefox, Mozilla Users

[OhioYJ]

This is handy little add-on that I found, and usually I'm not one to install any type of add-ons:

Ad Block Plus (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865)

It blocks all sorts of bad things, advertising, eliminates all sorts of web page hassles, it receives updates of known bad sites, etc.

I've been using the first subscription list, EasyList. I've installed it on every machine in the house now.

[Tonka]

I'll give it a whirl. I have not had many pop ups lately, but some sites have been sluggish to load.

BTW, do you know how I get Firefox to launch one tab rather than 3? I have tried just about everything I can find and think of.

[OhioYJ]

AdBlock plus blocks a lot of statistic and information collecting scripts and such as well. It's not necessarily the pop-ups, its killing other things that would normally be just displayed on the page, and you can also tell it what you want to block.

What do you mean opens three tabs, rather than one? Do you have three different home pages set?

These tweaks are also good for speeding up FireFox, (http://www.bizzntech.com/2008/06/21/how-to-speed-up-firefox3-a-quick-tip) I use these on every machine now.

[DrLewall]

so that only works and applies to Firefox?

[OhioYJ]

so that only works and applies to Firefox?

Yes, Firefox and Internet Explorer are completely different design, the maker of AdBlock Plus has already mentioned because he'd have to completely start over, and it's quite intensive to design add-ons for IE, he has no desire to do so.

I actually prefer Internet Explorer, but running Linux, I'm forced to use Firefox. Mrs.OhioYJ likes her Windows laptop, I've been very impressed with this AdBlock Plus over the past few months, so I installed Firefox and AdBlock Plus to her laptop.

[Tonka]

What do you mean opens three tabs, rather than one? Do you have three different home pages set?

When I initially launch Firefox, it opens up with 3 tabs. I did not set it up this way. Since then, I have been trying to find a way to have it open up a single screen. To bypass it, I keep the computer in standby when I am not using it and just keep Firefox open with only one page. When I do launch it, it is taking up time to open all the pages of each tab.

The bad thing about Firefox is that you cannot get an answer to your problems from a source. You have to go to their blog site with the hopes someone has posted the problem you have or post yourself and hope someone answers it.

[OhioYJ]

What pages is it opening? Is it opening things from your bookmarks folder?

[Jesse-James]

Google Chrome, FTW!

[Tonka]

Just launched it to check.... It doesn't open up 3 tabs.... :confused: I restart the computer, log in and relaunch..... It doesn't open up 3 tabs.... :confused: :confused:

I do not recall the sites nor do I remember if they are in my bookmarks (I have not thinned it out lately and the remaining sites sometimes change their look) but they were consistent. One being a satellite imaging site that show has snapshots of areas you want to see.

If it happens again, I will bring it up. One time, it was opening tabs across the screen. :eek:

[loaf]

If it happens again, I will bring it up. One time, it was opening tabs across the screen. :eek:

This makes me think that it was opening up whatever number of tabs you had open when you last quit the program.

[Tonka]

This makes me think that it was opening up whatever number of tabs you had open when you last quit the program.

I would close them and just be down to one screen before I closed it. When it opened up multiple tabs across the screen, it was no less than 10 tabs of which was none of my doing. I never had more than 4 tabs at a time.

[CMSurfer]

Lookup IE AdBlock on google and you'll find a similar addon for Internet Explorer...

I have not used it, so I can't comment on it.

I use Opera and it already has an adblocker built-in ;)

[Tonka]

I have had a couple of sites that load up slow. At least one is a local TV channel. :mad:

[JeepBSU]

Alot of questionable sites have a (I'm not sure what the technical term is) but a "trojan" that will add it's site as your homepage...
However, I doubt a local tv channel station's website is chock full of spyware.

[Tonka]

Since downloading this, some sites that I frequent (including my Yahoo! mail) are even slower! :mad: Are there any setting that I can/should tweak?

[OhioYJ]

Since downloading this, some sites that I frequent (including my Yahoo! mail) are even slower!

You could un-install it, but I'd venture to say you have something else going on. I use Yahoo mail as well, and it doesn't cause me any problems are slow downs?

[Tonka]

You could un-install it, but I'd venture to say you have something else going on. I use Yahoo mail as well, and it doesn't cause me any problems are slow downs?

So far, I have tried to do some pre-inspection by doing subsequent scans and sweeps without results. I will try uninstall to totally isolate the situation.

[Tonka]

Update:

I installed Ad Block Plus and my internet browsing was sluggish. I did a few scans and cleaning, but that did not solve the problem. I tried to uninstall Ad Block Plus and I could not find it. I know where I told it to be put but it was not there. I even did a search and came up empty.

I exported my bookmarks to a file and uninstalled Firefox. Then I reinstalled Firefox. Browsing is much quicker. However, Firefox will not import my bookmarks.

[OhioYJ]

I thought you had something else wrong with your computer, but there is definitely something up with AdBlock Plus, at least that's what I'm starting to believe. I've been installing it to everyones PC, even the new ones I build, and so far I've had two different machines that experience drastic slow downs, random disconnects from the internet (it doesn't actually disconnect, just doesn't see the internet anymore, only pings to the router go through, nothing on the outside)? Uninstalling AdBlock Plus made the problems go away? I'm not sure why though, because of all the machines I repair and build, 2 is a small percentage, so I'm still not quite sure why this is happening.

Its been great for me and most of the customers that I work on their PCs, but don't feel bad, it's not just you, and I don't have an explaination for what's going on, it doesn't make any sense, as all my machines are still running it with no problems?

As for removing add-ons in Firefox, you just go to "Tools" - "Add-Ons" then you'll see all the add-ons you have installed, and a button next to each that says "Disable" and "Uninstall".

[Tonka]

Per my pm, my computer, my decisions. I am just going with the understanding that all machines are not alike. There might be something with mine and the other few that have some sort of problem with Ad Block Plus.

I thought I put it in My Downloads, ect, etc. But when I went back to where I put it, it was not there. :confused: I looked in other areas I thought it could be. After I did a search that come up with nothing, I knew something was really wrong.

I did save my Bookmarks. However, restoring them was not clear. Currently, FF will not put them in the Bookmark tray/window. I have to go to Bookmarks > Organize Bookmarks and then select from the Library window. Just now when I was getting back to this site, it loaded the site where the Bookmark tray would be! :confused::confused: :rolleyes: Any ideas how to put them in the BM tray/window?

Now to go to work and work with MORE COMPUTERS!!!

[Tonka]

When I am in one site (pch.com here) and want to go to Q-Tec forum, I start typing the address in the address bar and this is what it does...

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/sfoshag/Computer/Dec212008.jpg?t=1229957651

To get out of that and to a full screen, I just click one of the links in Q-Tec.

[CMSurfer]

Looks like spyware to me... In case I missed it in your other replies, what anti-spware app(s) are you using?

My new favorite is malwarebytes anti-malware (http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php)

[Tonka]

Looks like spyware to me... In case I missed it in your other replies, what anti-spware app(s) are you using?

Spyware scan (never found a thing in the years I have had it), Spybot, AdAware, CCleaner.

[MechanicalMayham]

For users of IE, I have found 'Pop Up Stopper Companion' to be effective. The only time I get a pop up is when the system is barraged with them faster than the processor can run. It gives you an extra tool bar but I go to my 'Tools' and remove it. Not bad for about $30.

[OhioYJ]

Looks like spyware to me... In case I missed it in your other replies, what anti-spware app(s) are you using?

I second that, whats the URL in the address bar, that doesn't appear to be pch.com or quadratecforum.com, somethings not right.

Anti-virus, and spyware tools won't pick up everything, even with the latest updates, they just can't keep up.

[Tonka]

I second that, whats the URL in the address bar, that doesn't appear to be pch.com or quadratecforum.com, somethings not right.


That is one of PCH's sponsors. Sometimes, if I do something a few times with the computer, it will eventually work. :rolleyes: So I might un-install and re-install again. Perhaps run some spyware programs in between. I like Firefox because it is faster and stops quite a bit of pop-ups than IE.

post edit: BTW, it is only Q-Tec site that it does this. I have not had it do it with others..... Will keep in touch on this.

[Tonka]

I just uninstalled Firefox, did some scans, found some stuff, cleaned those out and then re-installed Firefox and my bookmarks work normal. They don't cascade down like I want, but they cascade across. I am going to look at it tomorrow after work to see if I can get them to cascade down.