GUIDE: Adblocker for IE8 (from adblock plus) (list updated regularly)

Temi_D · 19 Jun 2010 at 12:54

Update: This filter is fully compatible with IE9 beta

Not many people know this but IE8 has very powerful built-in Adblocking capability. It is called InPrivate Filtering. It can detect and block ads by itself but you can also add a list of items to block.

I have created such a list from the fanboy adblock list (http://www.fanboy.co.nz/adblock) that firefox uses and would like to share it with everyone and also a guide on how to use it for those who don't know. The list will also be updated regularly.
If you already know what to do and just want the latest filter list, the link is in my second post :http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?p=16784084

There are 2 steps to setting it up:

1. Enable InPrivate filtering

2. Import the filter list

Step 1:

InPrivate filtering isn't enabled by default so It needs to be enabled first.

1. Open Internet explorer 8

2. Under the safety tab, tick 'Inprivate Filtering'. If its the first time, there will be a popup message click 'block for me'

3. Download and extract one of the following files:

-For IE8: http://cid-83edeb637d37824c.office....ers for IE8/InPrivate Filtering Always on.zip
-For IE9: http://cid-83edeb637d37824c.office....for IE8/InPrivate Filtering Always on IE9.zip

It contains a file enables InPrivate filtering automatically. It cannot harm your computer in any way.

4. Double click the extracted file and select yes/ok when prompted to do so. And its done.

Step 2:

1. Download and extract the latest filter list from: http://cid-83edeb637d37824c.office....Adblock filters for IE8/filter 2011-01-09.zip

2. Open IE8, Click the safety tab again, and click Inprivate Filtering settings. This time click Advanced settings

3. Under Advanced settings, click Import and browse to the location where you stored the extracted files. And select the one that begins with 'filter...' and open it.

4. You should now see the filter list loaded. Thats all. I update the filter once a week on usually on saturday

Note: if you have more than one user account, you need to do this for each user account

If you find things that should be blocked and aren't or things that shouldn't be blocked that are blocked, please let me know.

Temi_D · 19 Jun 2010 at 12:54

I would like to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to SiriusB for saving me from having to copy 10000+ entries each time I updated the filter

This filter has been tested and is fully compatible with IE9 beta

Please remember to delete the old filter before importing the new one

Latest filter - updated 2011-01-09: http://cid-83edeb637d37824c.office....Adblock filters for IE8/filter 2011-01-09.zip

To enable inprivate filtering by default in IE9, please extract and run this: http://cid-83edeb637d37824c.office....for IE8/InPrivate Filtering Always on IE9.zip

Mattus · 20 Jun 2010 at 00:57

So you have to update the filter manually?

That's a chore, and people will inevitably forget. I'm not sure I see the point when Firefox and Chrome have adblockers which automatically update.

SiriusB · 20 Jun 2010 at 01:40

Not everyone wants to use Firefox or Chrome.

And Temi-D, you are welcome

Destination · 20 Jun 2010 at 09:26

Excellent, good work here m8.

Kainz · 20 Jun 2010 at 09:43

I am forced to use IE8 at work thanks to the MoD, so this filter would be hugely valuable cheers. After a month with the browser I still can't get used to the pos :/

Antar Bolaeisk · 20 Jun 2010 at 09:43

Still use it for my laptop but that's mainly because none of the Linux distros will run on it (at least that I've tried anyway) and it would crawl into a corner and cry if I tried to run Vista or 7 on it.

Main PC is 7 though.

robinbredin · 20 Jun 2010 at 12:35

I am forced to use IE8 at work thanks to the MoD, so this filter would be hugely valuable cheers. After a month with the browser I still can't get used to the pos :/

You cant blame the MOD, as IE8 is a lot more secure than FireFox and Chrome.

Broken Hope · 20 Jun 2010 at 13:43

robinbredin said:
You cant blame the MOD, as IE8 is a lot more secure than FireFox and Chrome.

You'd have a hard time convincing us it's more secure than Chrome considering at the last pwn2own competition they didn't even bother to try and exploit Chrome because they couldn't.

http://arstechnica.com/security/new...-browser-left-standing-in-pwn2own-contest.ars

Kainz · 20 Jun 2010 at 15:27

robinbredin said:
You cant blame the MOD, as IE8 is a lot more secure than FireFox and Chrome.

Yes it's so secure because half the sites I go to either don't render right, or throw up java script errors in the bottom left corner. Hell even Google mail/calendar doesn't even work :/

robinbredin · 20 Jun 2010 at 15:33

Yes it's so secure because half the sites I go to either don't render right, or throw up java script errors in the bottom left corner. Hell even Google mail/calendar doesn't even work :/

I use IE8, and never had that problem. What sites do you go on, I'll see if it happens to me.

Kainz · 20 Jun 2010 at 16:04

Well Google Calendar for starters just displays a message stating it is unavailable for use and for me to check my browser settings. Google mail does the same. Google maps just displays a script has stopped working dialogue box, which baffles me.

www.anandtech.com doesn't render correctly, and many sites are the same. Everyone around our office seem to be having the same issues. Some have taken to running portable FF off a usb stick lol

Destination · 20 Jun 2010 at 16:25

How very odd, gmail works fine here, as does anandtech.com, just jumped there to try it out, and all seems to render perfectly well.
What else is installed on your machine? Have you an actual version of java installed?

Kainz · 20 Jun 2010 at 16:39

It's a work pc, some cripped HP Pentium 4 thing running XP :/ No idea if Java is on it because it is locked down heavily by our IS department. Very irritating using the web after using FF for many, many years. The amount of ads out there is just horrendous.

Temi_D · 20 Jun 2010 at 17:24

Mattus said:
So you have to update the filter manually?

That's a chore, and people will inevitably forget. I'm not sure I see the point when Firefox and Chrome have adblockers which automatically update.

I dont update it myself, all I do is take the adblock plus one and convert it to xml format which can be used by IE8. and that only takes 30 secs.

I can use firefox or chrome but i prefer IE8

ukSleek · 20 Jun 2010 at 17:39

Brilliant thx!

robinbredin · 20 Jun 2010 at 17:53

It's a work pc, some cripped HP Pentium 4 thing running XP :/ No idea if Java is on it because it is locked down heavily by our IS department. Very irritating using the web after using FF for many, many years. The amount of ads out there is just horrendous.

Just thinking, there may be a conflict of interest with the MOD own security software. I have never worked for them, but being a government department, there bound to have some sort of security firewall. As for that web address and Google, I had no problems viewing my gmail or viewing that web page.

theheyes · 20 Jun 2010 at 18:24

Heavily locked down yet can run executables off USB sticks?

If I had to take a wild guess with very little facts I would say FF is going around a proxy (which may be causing the issues with IE8, because websites render fine for me)

Anyway nice work Temi_D

heather · 28 Jun 2010 at 08:59

Thanks for doing this

Frapple · 29 Jun 2010 at 10:08

Just trying this on a few PCs here, the guy next to me says IE locks up for 5-10 seconds with huge CPU usage when on the following site, but is fine afterwards.

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/