DIY [AD] and [AD-IMG] text temporary fix

06 Jan

Posted by smith as gdrw.com

  • While waiting for a new version of this excellent software, here is a simple fix for those in need of a quieter browsing :-)

    This modification involves patching the ADBLOCK.dll file found on the Outpost .Kernel folder
    This only works on file version 1.0.242.0
    A similar patch can, probably, be designed for other versions.
    Although this was tested on the FREE version of Outpost, chances are that it will work also on the Pro version.

    1. goto the OutpostKernel folder and make a backup copy of the ADBLOCK.dll file.

    2. start your favorite hex editor or grab frhed at http://www.kibria.de/frhed.html and open the ADBLOCK.dll file in it

    3. change the following two bytes:
    byte 0xd8, change from 0x49 to 0x2a
    byte 0x474, change from 0x5b to 0x3c

    4. save the file.

    5. Exit and Shutdown Outpost, and then restart it

    Voilá! check that everything is working properly.

    Should you have any difficulty, please report back. If you don't, also report back :)

    Regards,
    António Vilela


  • Aaron,

    adshield only works on IE here, not on Opera.

    Derek


  • OK thanks. How bout writing some plugins? :D


  • Originally posted by Diniska
    Great_Dragon
    AD block plugin works? OK! This means - DLL existed on your comp :D
    Try to SEARCH for "adblock*.*"
    I find 2 files: in KERNEL folder and in AUPDATE folder.

    I've got a file in /outpost/plugins called ad_int.dll Is this something different!!


  • DMUT I found the file. It was a hidden file. It was in where everyone else's is just hidden.:confused: I didn't think that it would be a hidden file. But I can use this patch with the ver. I got anyway.


  • "Patchmaker,patchmaker,make me a patch..."
    Sorry,i couldn't resist that.Oh,and go download this http://adshield.org/ if you wanna block even more ads. it's great!


  • Hi mal1930,

    It is really no problem. I just wanted to say something before too many users started trying to do the same thing. The only goal is to avoid filling up the front page of the forum with inactive threads. As far as I know, if you subscribe to a thread as I instructed, you should always be able to refer back to it. I also subscribe to many threads and use them for reference. And, I have never had a problem opening my subscribed threads, even the old one, from my User CP.

    Have a good day. :)


  • Well if it's that easy, why don't they just include this in there next update. I have been asking for this for months and have been using admuncher along with outpost just so I wouldn't have to look at that stupid ad-img text. Although admuncher does a better job of getting rid of practically every ad, outpost comes close to about 95%. I can live with that. Thanks for the fix!
    Tim


  • Great_Dragon
    AD block plugin works? OK! This means - DLL existed on your comp :D
    Try to SEARCH for "adblock*.*"
    I find 2 files: in KERNEL folder and in AUPDATE folder.


  • ajvilela,
    Don't suppose you (or anyone else) could provide a new patched ADBLOCK.dll for version 2? :) Would be a great help.


  • Hi Great_Dragon, I doubt there is something wrong with your OP installation - adblock.dll must be in "Program FilesAgnitumOutpost Firewall 1.0Kernel".

    please point out the folder where did you finally found it - this is probably a bug in the installation script.

    Hi ajvilela, thanks for interesting patch.

    btw: decompilation and reengineering is restricted by Agnitum's licence ;), but me to like to dig some proggy :D


  • OK, and what would quieter browsing mean? What does this change?


  • My guess:

    Doesn't show [AD] and [AD-IMG] text?


  • HI, I tried the patch on version 1817 but it made no difference at all as the ad image blocks are still there.

    It would have solved my problem with Delphi as there are so many "ad image" blocks at the bottom of a post on one forum that I have to keep moving the left hand column to read the post or use the mouse to read a long each line.

    I wish someone could make a patch do it it on this version as I am too illiterate to do it myself. Peace Mal

    PS Outpost still works just is still teh same.


  • Hi mindsigh,

    I've got a file in /outpost/plugins called ad_int.dll Is this something different!!

    Yes. When I understand it right it might be the gui-part of the plug-in. A plug-in in OP can consist of 2 dll´s. The first one is doing the work and the second is doing user interaction. Have you tried auto update or a new installation?

    cu B.


  • I just gave this a try, and it works good on my pro version.

    Nice work, ajvilela :D


  • Just a word of warning here.I used to use naviscope to ad block because that had options whether to show nothing or ad/img etc , and I used to use nothing.Then a problem arose whereby it was blocking images in websites that you needed to see ,but couldnt because it was set to show nothing.For example some sites that have a little box that says "start" or "go", could be blocked out by ad filters ,and if you have nothing being shown you may not notice (though you could look at logs)Afeature that id love for outpost to use is another naviscope feature which blocks the ad but shows the ads description (after all you may want to see a particular ad),and also a feature that will actually load the ad if the cursor is hovered over the ad for a few seconds.
    me


  • I agree... wite us some plugins !!!!!!!!! ;)


  • This might be silly. I can't find the ADBLOCK.DLL. I open program filesagnitumOutpost firewall 1.0kernel. There no ADBLOCK.DLL there. Oh never mind I just looked at the help and I have Outpost 1.0.1817. Now I feel stupid should of looked. But I'm gonna try it with this ver. as soon as I find the file.


  • well, i just gave this puppy a whirl and so far so good! thanks. my only suggestion is shutting down Outpost before attempting this, i did not and came up with some funky errors which i did not write down?? other than that time will tell, again thanks for the great program tweak


  • Our life would be made much more easier if this plugin is open source.


  • thx's it works great :D :)


  • Thanks David :)
    I wish I knew that these last two years. It would have saved a lot of searching.
    Chris


  • Its a shame your suggesting Agnitum would have a problem with this Danil. Its been recived by users of OP with much enthusiasum.

    As i see it however it is not a breach of . This is a unsupported modification of the code for use non-commerically and would not consitute a breach because the patch is not using the original code of the file that is protected by the .

    Had he been selling this patch i doubt it would even then consitute a breach of , its unsupported and not using the same code only making a change to the orginal file. As Darkwolven has said this happens alot with many companies code, he used MS as an example.

    Its hardly fair to point your finger at us and the author of this patch and say what we are doing (by using this patch) is illegal.

    Thats what i feel your comment was getting at despite the fact it was small one.

    OutPost is out there in the firewall market with Open Architecture so i did not expect anyone to really mind a little modification of there code outside of the SDK development package for plugins.

    Anyway, thankyou to the author was all i really wanted to say. If he wishes to patch anything else he should go right ahead :)


  • Quite right. It does not show those strings in the place of removed advertising.

    While I'm at it, and for those who don't want to bother with manually editing a binary file, here is a patch to do that mod.

    Just put it on the same directory ADBLOCK.dll is and run it.
    You'll get that file renamed and a new edited one in it's place.
    Restart Outpost and you're set.

    Regards,
    António Vilela


  • Originally posted by mal1930
    Hi, Thanks for your reply but are you using the same version as I am.

    The patch is said to work for an older version but not for the latest version. Peace Mal

    The patch is for the latest version of ADBLOCK.DLL

    I forgot to say which version I had.

    I have the latest version of OutPost Free.
    1.0.1817.1645

    ADBLOCK.DLL version 1.0.242

    And again, it works perfectly for me.


  • HI, Sorry I should have tested it more. It does seem to be working on sites I have just tested like ZD net etc. I had only checked the forums sites I was interested in. It does make the pages a lot clearer.

    The forums I was interested in are served by Prospero and the ad image blocks are still at the bottom of the posts and on the left hand column.

    I did mention this before and somebody advised me to delete Prospero from the list of blocked links.

    I think I am confusing the banner ads with whatever I am seeing at Prospero linked forums. About is one such group of forums and Delphi is another.

    Thanks for being so quick.

    Peace Mal.


  • How so Danil?
    Didn't he just use the same sdk (or whatever it is) that people use to write plugins?
    Chris


  • Hi, Sorry David, I thought when it became old I might not be able to get back to it at all as it would be pured from the archives. Peace Mal


  • mal1930,

    Just scroll to the bottom of the thread and click on 'Subscribe to this thread'. You can then go directly to the thread through your User Control Panel which is accessible by pressing the 'User CP' button near the top of each forum. Under the heading of subscribed threads in you User Control Panel, just click on 'View All Subscribed Threads' and you will be able to view any thread that you have previously subscibed to. Do not make a needless post just to push a thread back to the top of the forum. Thank you for your cooperation. :)


  • I certainly hope the management has a talk to the patch maker with a view to employing him.

    Derek


  • ...or to prosecute him, as he broke ...


  • ajvilela, thank you for the update..
    :D


  • HI, THis is an example. I think they are just buttons.

    Post New

    [AD-IMG]Create Poll

    [AD-IMG]Advanced Search

    That is in the left column of an About forum
    --------------------------------------------------------------
    This is all one line and is at the bottom of the post box. Once again they are buttons. If you press the "ad image" next to reply the post opens right across the page.

    Email this Message
    Reply
    [AD-IMG] [AD-IMG] [AD-IMG] [AD-IMG] [AD-IMG] Rate

    As I said someone told me they were links. It does not matter as I can live with it. It is just a nuisance. Funny thing it does not happen in all the forums of the groups. Peace Mal


  • There is a version of adpatch for Outpost v2. Check it here (http://www.outpostfirewall.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8492) .

    Regards,
    António Vilela

    P.S. Thanks to all that replied to this topic.


  • Hi, Thanks for your reply but are you using the same version as I am.

    The patch is said to work for an older version but not for the latest version. Peace Mal


  • Didn't he just use the same sdk (or whatever it is) that people use to write plugins?Did he write his own Ad blocking plug-in using SDK? No.


  • will there be one for version 2? :)


  • hello and has anyone tried this recently??
    love to do, but dont want to screw it up...(with the latest pro version) that is..:D


  • better go get yourself IE then? lol i use both IE6 and Opera 6.05... and i equally dislike them both. might have to make my own one day. in fact i find computers in general such a lame disappointment...i've only owned a computer since Feb. this year and i guess i was expecting too much. it's been such a letdown and an anti-climax that i now wish i'd spent the money on a holiday instead .Ah well,"you pays your money and you takes your choice"


  • Hi, Please don't let this one fade off the forum as I have used it 3 or 4 times when I have had to reinstall Outpost.

    Peace Mal


  • diniska I did I find file or folder on the adblock.dll and it shows I have one. I just can't find it in the folder that it says it's in. I think the file is a hidden file.


  • It works for me. I like it.

    I am using OutPost Free.


  • Originally posted by Danil
    ...or to prosecute him, as he broke ...

    Oh...that would look REAL great on Agnitum to prosecute a guy trying to help people by teaching them how to make Outpost work the way they want when Agnitum struggles to get version 2 out. It's not like he is distributing the file anywhere else than here or making money off of it.

    Did he break , yes I suppose. Did he do anything "wrong" exactly? IMHO, no. laws are so screwed up as it is, no need to exacerbate the issue. Look at how many people mod their installs of Windows and post modded files. I've never heard of MS suing anybody doing that.


  • Thanks ajvilela. Your patch works wonderfully.

    ADBLOCK.DLL
    File version: 1.0.242.0
    Build: 242 06-14-02



    :p


  • Hi,
    >I think I am confusing the banner ads with whatever
    >I am seeing at Prospero linked forums.
    Perhaps these are flash ads. Ads based on flash are not handled by this version of the plug in.

    cu B.


  • Likewise. That's great.







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