How do you get rid of the stupid Macromedia Flash pop-up?

[jtr1962]

I'm not sure whether this belongs here or in Technical Support, but I figured here would be better here since the problem is not with my computer. The problem is that everytime I go to a site that has a Flash ad I get a stupid pop-up box asking me if I want to download Flash 6 from Macromedia. To add insult to injury, this is after the computer wastes a minute or two trying to download a stupid flash ad. I'm using AdShield, which unfortunately won't block Flash ads, and I haven't found any way to turn off displaying such animations in IE5.5(I tried the "Disable animations" check box, and it doesn't work). To make things worse, the stupid pop-up box has no way of telling it "No, I'm not interested in installing this, please don't show me this again". No, it insists every time I open a page with a Flash ad on asking me if I want to install Flash 6. I thought this type of pestering was supposed to be illegal(or should be). I'm at the end of my rope since I was browsing a site with nice heat sink reviews that unfortunately also has Flash ads, and I get that stupid box popping up twice every time I change pages.

Please note that I don't want to install that Flash garbage on my machine, or waste my bandwidth downloading Flash-based ads(doubly so since I'm on 56K and have no plans in the foreseeable future to switch to broadband until the price approaches something reasonable(<$20/month).

BTW, I have yet to see any point at all to Flash. It is a complete waste of bandwidth.

I HATE Macromedia!!! :x :evil: :x

 

[Tannin]

Time to switch browsers, I think, JTR. I don't seem to get those problems with Opera, though I don't remember disabling Flash, and with Mozilla the Flash download crap can be switched off once and for all. Using Internet Explorer if you don't like Flash and all its ugly friends (such as Real Crasher) is like spending your nights at a disco when you don't like loud, dumb music.

 

[Tannin]

Re: How do you get rid of the stupid Macromedia Flash pop-up

PS: I also HATE Macromedia!!!

 

[Pradeep]

I find Dreamweaver MX to be an excellent tool for web design. Not to mention Fireworks MX.

 

[JKKJ]

Can you use AdShield to block popups? I do this with Adsubtract, and I haven't noticed the Flash popup before.
Maybe I happen not to visit too many sites with Flash. Which site were you looking at?

 

[i]

Can you use AdShield to block popups? I do this with Adsubtract, and I haven't noticed the Flash popup before.
Maybe I happen not to visit too many sites with Flash. Which site were you looking at?

I don't think it's a pop-up ad that jtr1962 is referring to. I think it's the stupid window Internet Explorer shows every time you visit a site that happens to have Flash content ... when you don't have the flash plug-in installed. Internet Explorer tries to be helpful by posting a huge dialog box letting you know that you don't have the Flash plug-in (duh), and that it can install it for you right away. And it tells you that every single time you visit a page with Flash content (up until the point you give in and install Flash).

jtr, it's time to make a change for the better: switch to Mozilla or Opera.

 

[jtr1962]

Can you use AdShield to block popups? I do this with Adsubtract, and I haven't noticed the Flash popup before.
Maybe I happen not to visit too many sites with Flash. Which site were you looking at?

AdShield blocks popups just fine. I guess the stupid box from Macromedia isn't considered a popup.

BTW, the site I was looking at is www.frostytech.com, which is one of the few sites that uses the proper methodology to test heat sinks. They apply known heat sources of 50W and 100W, and measure the temperature rise of the heat source above ambient. Far too many sites just clip on the heat sink, and mention some garbage like "The CPU stayed under 50°C while I was playing Quake". That is hardly a scientific test, or a basis of comparing one heat sink to another.

 

[jtr1962]

I don't think it's a pop-up ad that jtr1962 is referring to. I think it's the stupid window Internet Explorer shows every time you visit a site that happens to have Flash content.

Correct, that's exactly what I'm referring to, and I think what Macromedia is doing should be made illegal. They're trying to pester people to the point that they just give in, and that's 100% wrong. If it's any consolation, I feel that PA and DRM(if it's implemented) will be the beginning of the end for the domination of M$ and it's puppets(i.e. Macromedia), and the type of force feeding Macromedia does might just be the straw that breaks the camel's back for many.

jtr, it's time to make a change for the better: switch to Mozilla or Opera.

I downloaded Opera last night after Tannin mentioned it. The above site works fine(no more stupid Macromedia pop-up). The only problem with Opera is that I haven't found a way to block ads the way AdShield used to in IE, so I'll just be using it when I need to look at sites that pester me with that stupid Macromedia pop-up.

If anyone knows of a good freeware ad blocker for Opera(or how to configure it to do the same), I might start using it as my main browser.

BTW, I'm using the free(ad-enabled) version of Opera. I don't mind putting up with their small ad window since it doesn't change very often or slow down my connection.

I was also going to try Mozilla, but it was a 29 MB download and I'm on 56K.

 

[SteveC]

I was also going to try Mozilla, but it was a 29 MB download and I'm on 56K.

The 29MB download is for the source code. Try this link for Mozilla 1.1, or this one for Mozilla 1.0. These links are for a 214k installer file. You download that, and then select what parts of Mozilla you want to download. For just the browser, it's a little over 8MB download.

Steve

 

[JKKJ]

Ick, I see what you mean now.

I had flash installed so I took it out to see what you saw; It's the security certificate thingey, which I guess is a system thing not an ad, so it's not blocked. In this case, I'm not sure which is better, flash out and the popups or flash in and the ads. The ads on that site are pretty ugly. (Incidentally, the (free) Opera 6.03 I downloaded came with flash installed and enabled).

I think responsibility falls more on the ad-makers and the sites that run the ads instead of the tool-maker. I've seen some pretty neat stuff done with Flash.

 

[i]

... I think what Macromedia is doing should be made illegal. They're trying to pester people to the point that they just give in, and that's 100% wrong. ... what Macromedia does might just be the straw that breaks the camel's back for many.

... so I'll just be using it when I need to look at sites that pester me with that stupid Macromedia pop-up.

jtr, it's not Macromedia that's popping that window up, nor is it the sites you are visiting!

It's Internet Explorer. It's noticing that you don't have the plug-in for xxxxx (whatever) and is offering to install it for you. You'd get the same annoying window if you were visiting sites that, for example, had content that used a VRML plug-in. It's not Macromedia's fault nor that of the sites your are visiting - it's entirely your browser's fault.

By the way, with Mozilla, you can right-click on any image and select an option titled "Block images from this server". That's what I do to block really annoying ads embedded in webpages.

Furthermore, Mozilla gives you the ability to kill pop-up and pop-under ads (and a host of other dirty JavaScript tricks). Go to the Edit menu and choose Preferences. Switch to the "Advanced" section, and then select "Scripts and Windows". Unselect whatever you like on the right hand side of the window (I unselect them all).

With Mozilla, I get complete ad-blocking capability built right into my browser. I don't need any third-party software.

 

[JKKJ]

jtr1962, I found something that might work:

http://www.emsproject.com/FS

Seems to block the ie "install flash" popup along with the other popups it can block.

Incidentally, I found this at the Ars Technica forum in the Software Colloquium. There's lots of goodies there

http://arstechnica.infopop.net/OpenTopic/page?q=Y&a=tpc&s=50009562&f=99609816&m=1400961263

 

[e_dawg]

... I think what Macromedia is doing should be made illegal. They're trying to pester people to the point that they just give in, and that's 100% wrong. ... what Macromedia does might just be the straw that breaks the camel's back for many.

... so I'll just be using it when I need to look at sites that pester me with that stupid Macromedia pop-up.

jtr, it's not Macromedia that's popping that window up, nor is it the sites you are visiting!

It's Internet Explorer. It's noticing that you don't have the plug-in for xxxxx (whatever) and is offering to install it for you. You'd get the same annoying window if you were visiting sites that, for example, had content that used a VRML plug-in. It's not Macromedia's fault nor that of the sites your are visiting - it's entirely your browser's fault.

Can't you tell IE to stop asking you to install Flash?

BTW, with Opera, if you press F12, you will get a bunch of quick access pop-up and cookie options.

 

[jtr1962]

Can't you tell IE to stop asking you to install Flash?

BTW, with Opera, if you press F12, you will get a bunch of quick access pop-up and cookie options.

Thanks for the tip. I tried it and it doesn't work. Maybe it's an M$-Macromedia conspiracy. :x

I've thrown in the towel. I'll just use opera on sites that have Flash content. If I could get it to block ads I'll probably use it all the time. It seems to be a much faster browser than IE anyway.

 

[e_dawg]

Use Proxomitron, one of the most powerful universal web filters available. Unfortunately, it is not the easiest thing to use, but it is more powerful than most of those simpler ad blockers.

Another way of doing it is by redirecting the domain name of the ad server to 127.0.0.1 (aka localhost). Find the properties of whatever ad graphic appears in your browser and copy the domain name of it into your hosts file. In Win2k, it would be in \WINNT\system32\drivers\etc.

The syntax would be:

127.0.0.1      ads.x10.com

 

[jtr1962]

Thanks again. I didn't know that using the hosts file worked with Opera. I'll also give Proxomitron a try.

 

[e_dawg]

That hosts trick seems to slow things down a bit, though, in my experience.

BTW, I love your avatar. If I had to describe a cat's attitude to someone who knew nothing about cats, I would just show them that picture. They would understand without so much as a word being said.

 

[jtr1962]

That cat in my avatar has every bit the attitude that the picture of her suggests. :diablo: Sometimes she'll even log on as me and start posting things here at SF. Apparently her and Tea get along really well, and like to have some secret chats while Tannin and me aren't looking. I still have no idea how she got my password. :-?

 

[Cliptin]

Can't you tell IE to stop asking you to install Flash?

BTW, with Opera, if you press F12, you will get a bunch of quick access pop-up and cookie options.

Thanks for the tip. I tried it and it doesn't work. Maybe it's an M$-Macromedia conspiracy. :x

I've thrown in the towel. I'll just use opera on sites that have Flash content. If I could get it to block ads I'll probably use it all the time. It seems to be a much faster browser than IE anyway.

You might try the checkbox right below the arrow, "(other)".

 

[Tea]

My version of IE doesn't have that tick-box, Cliptin. It must be a 5.5 or 6.0 thing. But further down in the "multimedia" section I tried unticking "play videos". That works. Is there a site I visit that won't work with that setting unticked? I don't think so, but I'll try it for a week or two and see how I go. Thanks for prompting the idea.

 

[Tea]

Anyone been to Storage Review lately? Since yesterday there is a seriously anoying Flash animation appearing there, even though I'm using Mozilla at SR, and Moz is usually pretty good at this stuff. Not in this case, despite never having installed Flash or Shockwave of my own free will - only when I carelessly install Web Browsers - Opera is one offender - there was absolutely no way I could discover to get rid of it. With an image, you can right click and say "block images from this server" but with an .swf file, you can't. Bad, bad, bad Mozilla! Black mark on your report form, mozilla.org.

So, not being quite sure whether I was dealing with Shockwave crap or Flash crap (and not caring to find out - if I am interested in crap I can find plenty a lot closer to home than that) I downloaded Shockwave and installed the full version of it, then went to the control panel to uninstall it. So far, so good. Alas, the offending ad was not a Shockwave thing but a Flash thing. Right: download and install the latest full Flash player from Necromedia. Fire up Moz, test: yup, it is now using the version I downloaded, and (ghee whiz!) it let's me choose if I want to switch my microphone on or not - which was an easy call - I don't have a microphone. Now, start, programs, where is Flash? There is no entry for it. Bad, bad Necromedia! Start, settings, Add/Remove Programs - no entry for anything Macromedia. Really bad Necromedia! Time to write a letter home to his mummy and tell her to give little Necro a sound thrashing. Apart from anything else, it is a clear breech of Microsoft's requiement that a Windows 95 (or higher) program must have an uninstaller. No-one is allowed to break that rule. (Except Microsoft, of course.)

Resort to Google. Eventually I found it, very carefully hidden away on Necrophillia's web site - and trust me, I had already looked there, reasonably throughly. http://www.macromedia.com/support/flash/ts/documents/remove_player.htm is the magic address. If the bastards change it, let me know and I'll email the downloadable uninstaller out.

My Mozilla now works just fine now: no Flash crap, just a nice, restful black rectangle. But it didn't ought to be this hard.

 

[SteveC]

Thanks, Tea. That does work for completely removing Flash. However, if anyone ever finds an easy way to selectively block Flash animation, please let me know. There are actually a couple of sites where I want to have it.

Steve

 

[time]

Well, this only applies to Opera, but if you press [F12] followed by [P] for plugins, it toggles Macromedia's junk on and off.

 

[SteveC]

I was reading the Phoenix discussion board last night, and came across this post which describes how to block plugins in Mozilla and Phoenix. Unfortunately, it only works after the page is loaded, but it's better than nothing.
BTW, I'm using last night's build of Phoenix, and it's improved greatly since the last version I tried (0.2 release, I think).

Steve

 

[Tea]

Not quite on-topic, but you know those stupid damn "your Real Player is out of date" emails you get all the bloody time? Yes? I dunno about you, but I hate them. And guess what - after bouncing them to junk@junkspy.com for a while, I see that Junk Spy has added them to their spam list and now they get filtered out before I ever see them. Woopee!

(For some reason, blocking Real Player spam gives me particular pleasure.)

 

[honold]

back when i actually needed real for something (which hasn't been the case for a few years), i would give my email address as 'sales@real.com', 'press@real.com', etc. fuckers.

 

[Handruin]

back when i actually needed real for something (which hasn't been the case for a few years), i would give my email address as 'sales@real.com', 'press@real.com', etc. fuckers.

I feel bad for the person who owns where.com. For many years I have filled out my e-mail address as why@where.com for places that want to spam me...

 

[e_dawg]

sales@real.com

LOL... why didn't I think of that? I've always used something like lick@myballs.com. It would be even better to bounce the e-mails back at the originating company.

 

[Handruin]

sales@real.com

LOL... why didn't I think of that? I've always used something like lick@myballs.com. It would be even better to bounce the e-mails back at the originating company.

Did you know that www.myballs.com is a golf site? :lol: And they are offering free shipping today.

 

[Mercutio]

I always use billg69@msn.com for that purpose. Or sometimes be@be.be, if I feel like doing a minimal amount of typing.

 

[blakerwry]

sometimes i do something like postmaster@localhost or admin@[127.0.0.1]



yes, it is legal to use the IP of the mail server as long as you put it in brackets most places have no problem emailing to the specified address.

 

[Cliptin]

Thanks, Tea. That does work for completely removing Flash. However, if anyone ever finds an easy way to selectively block Flash animation, please let me know. There are actually a couple of sites where I want to have it.

Steve

I know I'm a little late but did you try adshield.org. JKKJ meantioned it earlier. Supposedly you can easily switch it on and off.

On a side note I ran across this site today, "Flash is Evil".

In his book "Web Site Usability," researcher Jared Spool found that his web site testers found animation uniformly irritating, and some were so distracted that they could not read the other text on the screen. In testing the Disney site (no longer online), many users were so annoyed with an animation that they covered it with a hand.

 

[CityK]

Everytime I see this thread come to the top I think someone's finally figured a way to stick it to Macromedia - oh well, maybe someday. Anyways, there is also a lot of info on this site.

Cheers, CK

 

[SteveC]

On a side note I ran across this site today, "Flash is Evil".

Flash may be evil, but so is that black on orange website. It hurts my eyes to read it.

 

[JSF]

Thanks JKKJ for your link to EMS-Project. I downloaded and installed “Free Surfer”. It appears to be a neat program. I have disabled GIF animations and Flash animations.

The first thing I noted is that Tannin’s dancing avatar has stopped dancing. Moving over to SR, that annoying Intel add has been eliminated.

When making changes in the Option Menu it is necessary to Quit and re-launch Free Surfer for changes in Flash animations to take effect. But one must restart the computer for changes in GIF animations to take effect.

Strangely, jtr1962’s avatar is not being displayed, but I do not believe that this is related to Free Surfer. What does the red “x” in the avatar box imply?

Joe.

 

[JKKJ]

Tannin's avatar dances?

 

[mubs]

Tannin's avatar dances?

Yes. With the cows.

 

[jtr1962]

Strangely, jtr1962’s avatar is not being displayed, but I do not believe that this is related to Free Surfer. What does the red “x” in the avatar box imply?

For some reason my avatar is no longer appears in the gallery list of user avatars stored at the SF. Maybe this had to do with the recent move. I don't see Mercutio's there, either. We're the only two people here who have kept the same avatars we started with, so maybe this has something to do with it being deleted from the user list. Both avatars appear on my machine, though, presumably from my Internet cache.

The complete URL for my avatar was(is?) http://www.storageforum.net/forum/images/avatars/gallery/users/d1f66d843d1ddbdaaed23.jpg

 

[Mercutio]

Pradeep was/is hosting mine. Maybe he's not hosting it any more? Or maybe someone is trying to tell me it's time for a new avatar?

Too bad. I think Bill Gates with pie on his face is funny.

 

[Fushigi]

I see Merc's avatar just fine. jtr's, though, doesn't show.

I could host a few avatars for people if needed; I barely use my domain for anything other than email.

- Fushigi