Intrusive ads without an X to shut them down

abenn

Member
On several web sites on my Windows 10 PC and on my iPad, but not on my Android phone, I get ads that obscure the web site content and which have no 'X' box to click to allow me to close them. Are these a bug in the web sites themselves or something on my PC and iPad? More to the point, how can I stop them please?
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
On several web sites on my Windows 10 PC and on my iPad, but not on my Android phone, I get ads that obscure the web site content and which have no 'X' box to click to allow me to close them. Are these a bug in the web sites themselves or something on my PC and iPad? More to the point, how can I stop them please?
Which sites exactly?
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
I noticed these ads first on https://www.standard.co.uk/ and now I'm getting them on https://www.bangkokpost.com/ but, as I mentioned, not when I'm viewing them on my phone. I can't remember if they appear when I'm on other sites.
Sounds like a virus then, I’d suggest a full windows reinstall.

Unless you have a very small resolution monitor in which case it could just be the advert is taking up more space than your screen can display?

What monitor are you using, what resolution and refresh or make and model if you’re unsure?
 

Mask3d

Silver Level Poster
Sounds like a virus then, I’d suggest a full windows reinstall.


Bit extreme for adverts mate, if these are news sites theycommonly popup what I call 'begware' type screens stating how poor they are but they bring you quality news and you can subscribe for 'x' amount of £ a month and help to support the poor dying media.

Firstly, what browser are you using? Is popup blocker on?
Can you screenshot some of the 'adverts' for us (also curious whether they are the ridiculous 'notifications' that pop up in Chrome)
 

abenn

Member
Thanks for the replies. I'm using Chrome browser on my PC and an HPw1907v monitor, and Apple's default browser on my iPad.

I've looked through the Chrome settings just now, and I don't see anything about popup blocker, so I don't know how to switch it on or off. The ads are by 3rd-parties, not the news sites that I'm looking at, and the only difference from the popups that I'm used to is (a) they don't have any 'X' on them for me to shut them down and (b) they're in the foreground, covering the site's content, and they stay in the same position on the screen (usually the bottom left quarter) when I scroll the site's content.

Naturally, now that I've raised the subject, I'm not getting any at the moment, but I'll post a screen shot next time I get one.
 

Bhuna50

Author Level
Quite a few of the newspapers online have these annoying adverts now as its the only way they get revenue in now. Sometimes subscribing to the papers will give you ad-free access or as Nursemorph says, refresh the page.
 

abenn

Member
Glad to hear I'm not alone! I hadn't thought of refreshing the page -- I'll try that next time it happens.

But what about ad-blocking with Chrome or Apple? Is it a separate app I have to install, or something I should be able to enable in settings?
 

AgentCooper

At Least I Have Chicken
Moderator
Glad to hear I'm not alone! I hadn't thought of refreshing the page -- I'll try that next time it happens.

But what about ad-blocking with Chrome or Apple? Is it a separate app I have to install, or something I should be able to enable in settings?
If you look in the App Store on your iPhone/iPad and search for AdBlock Plus that's a pretty decent one. I've been using it for a couple of years and it keeps the rubbish away.
 

Martinr36

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Glad to hear I'm not alone! I hadn't thought of refreshing the page -- I'll try that next time it happens.

But what about ad-blocking with Chrome or Apple? Is it a separate app I have to install, or something I should be able to enable in settings?
I'm pretty sure firefox and waterfox have them built in, chrome just loves snooping
 

scarpa1

Enthusiast
I get them sometimes on whoscored.com and NFL.COM.
Takes up each side of the screen, often blocking out parts of the site.
Right pain and there isnt a x to close them.
No dodgy adds, normally a car add or we'll known brand.
This is on a laptop so perhaps I'm not getting all the ad?
 

abenn

Member
Thanks guys. I've just now installed Adblock Plus, and I'll see if my wife (the main user of the iPad) notices a difference. I've also added it to Chrome on my PC.

I've just remembered, I've had a couple of instances when the no-X ad has stopped loading and a message has appeared saying Google stopped it running because it was using too much of my PC's resources. That error message was also not removable!

I remember I used to use Firefox as my PC browser, but I abandoned that because of something that was annoying me about it -- can't remember what -- but it did have an ad-blocker.
 

TonyCarter

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
There's also Brave browser that has ad-blocking built in - or if you want the Chromium experience without Google, then Microsoft's Edge Chromium is a passable alternative.
 

abenn

Member
Just been reading standard.co.uk this evening, and there's no ads whatsoever, so Adblock Plus must be working its magic on my PC. And my wife hasn't complained about the iPad this afternoon either, so it must be doing the job there too! Thanks guys.

I'm happy with Google Chrome, Tonycarter, so I'll stick with it. I use it on my Android phone too, so lots of data is shared seamlessly.
 
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