Blocking Animated Ads

[Key Bored]

Hi All,

I'm using Windows XP Home with the SP2 update. The popup blocker in IE
seems to work well, but my problem is websites that have animated ads. If I
disable scripting and ActiveX by setting the Internet Security to
"High", these ads will disappear, but then I can't open links that require
JavaScript. As a result, it is difficult if not impossible to navigate the
website. Is there an IE setting or other utility that will block these
animations but allow unrestricted browsing of websites? For example,
holding down the Ctrl key (or some other key) while clicking on the link.

Thanx,
Keybored

 

[PA Bear]

It's all or nothing, KB. How about selecting "Prompt" instead?

 

[Smile Extender]

Hi,

It's possible to add more security zones to IE. I've added two more. I've
set internet zone to prompt for each (suspicious) action. These additional
zones do not prompt. One zone has scripts and other things enabled and the
other one disabled. So when I find a web site, which I like to use regulary,
I put it into either of these new zones depending on wether it works wihout
active scripting or not. Normal browsing internet means quite many answers
to various prompts. But that way I can block all popups and malicious codes,
because they require javascript to work. I always answer NO to prompts. If
the site doesn't work, I check source code to see if the scripts or activex
are "safe". If there are encrypted javascript or unknown activex, I just
don't use that web site.

Unfortunately there is no easy way to duplicate security zones. You have to
use registry editor for that. Maybe someone could write a security zone
editor? Basic idea is to look registry key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\Zones\ and create copy of zone number 3. I used registry export to
file, edited the file and then imported it back.

Note: Make same changes to registry key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\Zones.

Here is what I have defined to my new zone5 and zone6. Save that to
zone5.reg and import it to registry. Save another copy where
HKEY_CURRENT_USER is changed to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\Zones\5]
@=""
"DisplayName"="Special"
"Description"="This zone contains all special Web sites"
"Icon"="inetcpl.cpl#004496"
"CurrentLevel"=dword:00000000
"MinLevel"=dword:00011000
"RecommendedLevel"=dword:00011000
"Flags"=dword:00000003
"1001"=dword:00000001
"1004"=dword:00000003
"1200"=dword:00010000
"1201"=dword:00000003
"1400"=dword:00000003
"1402"=dword:00000003
"1405"=dword:00000001
"1601"=dword:00000000
"1604"=dword:00000001
"1605"=dword:00000000
"1800"=dword:00000001
"1802"=dword:00000000
"1803"=dword:00000000
"1804"=dword:00000001
"1805"=dword:00000001
"1A00"=dword:00020000
"1C00"=hex:00,00,01,00
"1E05"=dword:00010000
"1406"=dword:00000003
"1407"=dword:00000003
"1606"=dword:00000000
"1607"=dword:00000001
"1A02"=dword:00000000
"1A03"=dword:00000000
"1A10"=dword:00000001
"1608"=dword:00000003
"1609"=dword:00000001
"1A04"=dword:00000003
"1A05"=dword:00000001
"1A06"=dword:00000000
"2201"=dword:00000003
"2000"=dword:00000000
"2200"=dword:00000003
"1206"=dword:00000003
"2102"=dword:00000003
"2300"=dword:00000001
"2100"=dword:00000000
"1809"=dword:00000000
"2101"=dword:00000000
"{AEBA21FA-782A-4A90-978D-B72164C80120}"=hex:1a,37,61,59,23,52,35,0c,7a,5f,20,\
17,2f,1e,1a,19,0e,2b,01,73,13,37,13,12,14,1a,15,2a,4e,2c,08,0d,20,1b,28,18,\
36,32
"{A8A88C49-5EB2-4990-A1A2-0876022C854F}"=hex:1a,37,61,59,23,52,35,0c,7a,5f,20,\
17,2f,1e,1a,19,0e,2b,01,73,13,37,13,12,14,1a,15,39,4e,2c,08,0d,20,1b,28,18,\
36,32
"1806"=dword:00000001
"1807"=dword:00000001
"1808"=dword:00000000
"2004"=dword:00000003
"2001"=dword:00000003

My zeone6 looks like this:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\Zones\6]
@=""
"DisplayName"="Script"
"Description"="Script allowed restricted zones"
"Icon"="inetcpl.cpl#004441"
"CurrentLevel"=dword:00000000
"MinLevel"=dword:00011000
"RecommendedLevel"=dword:00011000
"Flags"=dword:00000003
"1001"=dword:00000001
"1004"=dword:00000003
"1200"=dword:00000001
"1201"=dword:00000003
"1400"=dword:00000000
"1402"=dword:00000000
"1405"=dword:00000001
"1601"=dword:00000000
"1604"=dword:00000000
"1605"=dword:00000000
"1800"=dword:00000001
"1802"=dword:00000000
"1803"=dword:00000000
"1804"=dword:00000001
"1805"=dword:00000001
"1A00"=dword:00020000
"1C00"=hex:00,00,01,00
"1E05"=dword:00010000
"1406"=dword:00000003
"1407"=dword:00000001
"1606"=dword:00000000
"1607"=dword:00000001
"1A02"=dword:00000000
"1A03"=dword:00000000
"1A10"=dword:00000001
"1608"=dword:00000000
"1609"=dword:00000001
"1A04"=dword:00000003
"1A05"=dword:00000001
"1A06"=dword:00000000
"2201"=dword:00000003
"2000"=dword:00000000
"2200"=dword:00000003
"1206"=dword:00000003
"2102"=dword:00000003
"2300"=dword:00000001
"2100"=dword:00000000
"1809"=dword:00000000
"2101"=dword:00000000
"{AEBA21FA-782A-4A90-978D-B72164C80120}"=hex:1a,37,61,59,23,52,35,0c,7a,5f,20,\
17,2f,1e,1a,19,0e,2b,01,73,13,37,13,12,14,1a,15,2a,4e,2c,08,0d,20,1b,28,18,\
36,32
"{A8A88C49-5EB2-4990-A1A2-0876022C854F}"=hex:1a,37,61,59,23,52,35,0c,7a,5f,20,\
17,2f,1e,1a,19,0e,2b,01,73,13,37,13,12,14,1a,15,39,4e,2c,08,0d,20,1b,28,18,\
36,32
"1806"=dword:00000001
"1807"=dword:00000001
"1808"=dword:00000000

After import you can customize settings from normal IE's settings panel.

regards Nico

 

[Fuzzy Logic]

Hi All,

I'm using Windows XP Home with the SP2 update. The popup blocker in IE
seems to work well, but my problem is websites that have animated ads.
If I disable scripting and ActiveX by setting the Internet Security to
"High", these ads will disappear, but then I can't open links that
require JavaScript. As a result, it is difficult if not impossible to
navigate the website. Is there an IE setting or other utility that will
block these animations but allow unrestricted browsing of websites? For
example, holding down the Ctrl key (or some other key) while clicking on
the link.

Thanx,
Keybored

A partial solution is to disable the animation. You can either hit the ESC
key to stop the animation or disable them entirely via Tools>Internet
Options...>Advanced>Multimedia>Play animations in web pages

Alternatively look at a 3rd party shell that has these abilities. I use
Avant and it can disable ads, popups, flash and do a lot more. It's free and
just over a megabyte <www.avantbrowser.com>