How To Block DesktopAD?

Everything about using Adblock Plus on Internet Explorer
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Caramello222
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 5:05 am

How To Block DesktopAD?

Post by Caramello222 »

I downloaded ABP for this reason. I have a puzzle app that I use to really enjoy because it's free and has pay as you go options (buy one puzzle pack at a time). I don't mind viewing banner ads or watching commercials (ex. Microsoft Casual Games/Xbox for PC), because I truly do believe that's what allows apps to be free. But recently this puzzle app has added a new ad publisher 'Desktop AD'. From day one these ads have messed with the performance of the game, because I can see and hear it reading cookies while it's loading. After I noticed that, I've been making sure I delete cookies so there is nothing to read, but it still tries. Desktop AD is so aggressive that I swore it was adware, and I ended up seeking assists from 3 different places and ran multiple scans only to find out it's legit. So I'm hoping someone can tell me how to add 'Desktop AD' to ABP blocking list. Easy List has already blocked some ads from this app but they are not the ones getting on my nerves. I only want DesktopAD blocked the other ads can stay. I'm using IE 11 on WIN 8.1 with both desktop and immersive views being used. I have not been able to add anything to ABP. When ever I try I get an error message that I don't have an app installed on my computer that can open that type of file, would I like to search the Windows App Store for one. I've only clicked on that once because it open the app store and showed 0 results for that request. Thank you for any help with this issue and sorry so long. By the way I don't have Mozilla Firefox and I don't want it, so please only reply if you know something other that wanna-be solution. I'm not trying to be snippy, I just think you can't call that a fix or work-around if you make a download for a specific browser and it's missing features but people can have those features if they download a different browser and stick that info into the other browser. That sounds crazy to me and concludes that ABP should not boost the inclusion of IE because it needs an assist from Firefox. If I'm wrong about that process I'm sorry.
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mapx
Posts: 21940
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 2:01 pm

Re: How To Block DesktopAD?

Post by mapx »

well, it seems you need a new filter (in easylist).
In ABP for IE there are not tools to "debug" the ads, so ... yes, you should install firefox and ABP for firefox and submit an issue report to have a chance to be helped.
Caramello222
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 5:05 am

Re: How To Block DesktopAD?

Post by Caramello222 »

I'm not looking to debug Desktop AD, I don't think it has a bug problem. DesktopAD has a problem with not minding it's business and wanting to get all up in mine, which I don't appreciate. So I want to block Desktop Ad by adding it to ABP. I know that feature is lacking in ABP for IE and is being worked on along with other features that are missing to be added on at a future date. I was hoping that what is being worked on is an ABC or easy way for IE users to adjust ABP functions that other browser already have. So I thought maybe there it's possible to adjust or add to ABP for IE the hard way, possibly going in to the file/folder that holds the Easylist and add Desktop AD to the list allowing ABP to block that ad along with the rest. I'm not tech savvy, it took me 5x to install ABP to get the icon to show on the status bar and 2 long sessions of reading info in this forum to realize I had to enable browser extensions in IE advance settings to get the icon to show. So after all of that I'm sure you can image my disappointment with the fact that I can't use ABP for the features that are not excluded for IE on the ABP features page. So that is why I'm bitter, and in no mood to deal with getting to know a different browser because I thought all I needed to run ABP for IE is IE.
Caramello222
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 5:05 am

Re: How To Block DesktopAD?

Post by Caramello222 »

Ok, I caved and downloaded Mozilla Firefox and added ABP to it so now they both have ABP. You stated I need a new EasyList filter, please give me a little more info as to what you mean. Also I'm not trying to debug any ads, I'm trying to block ads from these specific publishers desktopad.com, va.sndcdn.com, laxl.ib.adnxs.com, s.ppjol.net, compute-amazonaws.com, and of course addoubleclick.net. According to searches I did at hpHosts online website those ad companies are annoying cookie trackers and a couple of them have shady ties to IP's that don't connect directly back to the same IP and participation in the distribution of adverts and malware. The ads that I'm seeing are not directly connected to adverts or malware, but they are annoying and I'd rather be save then sorry and block them now in case one day they decide to become malicious. And in the past DesktopAd has opened my IE immersive view browser displaying shopping webpages. Which I should probably contact Microsoft about that because these ads are only in one app on my computer which is Magic Jigsaw Puzzle that I downloaded from the Windows Store over a year ago. So now that I have FF, do I enter those sites into that .ini file (I don't remember the full name) and then add it IE? 2 more things does it matter which browser is the default for ABP to function correctly in both? And should I have ABP sync setting on or off? Thank you for your time.
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mapx
Posts: 21940
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 2:01 pm

Re: How To Block DesktopAD?

Post by mapx »

I used "debug", that means finding a filter for that ad.

Are you talking about a game you play in the browser or a totally independent program ?

If you can play it in a browser, try in firefox and as I wrote above, you have to submit an issue report. Then post here the report link.
Go to that page / site, when you get the ad and follow the indications to submit that report.

If it's a separate program (and not a browser game), ABP can do nothing for this stuff.
Caramello222
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 5:05 am

Re: How To Block DesktopAD?

Post by Caramello222 »

Thank you for the info, now I know I misunderstood conversions about ABP blocking ads from game apps. Plus I feel silly because I thought I saw less ads in my jigsaw puzzle app, after installing ABP. But that's probably due to that company having problems with that app again. Because early today when using the app, the ads in it started opening my IE immersive browser again. Thank you for your help and I'm sorry, I was wrong. I also owe you a double thank you because I think I'm going to keep Mozilla Firefox, so far it looks like it's better then IE and less complicated. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.
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