Root AdFree

[Trollatoppan]

Hi, I have tried AdFree on my rooted Hero for some time now.

The app has only once managed to remove the ads. After I updated the app (updates comes out quite often) it isn't removing any ads.

And its pretty hard to sucessfully "Download & Install Hosts" quite often I got an error. However if I keep trying I'll get it installed with the message "Your device should now be ad free, however you might neet to reboot to clear your DNS cache". However even if I reboot the ads still comes up.

 

[defkorn]

Which apps are you still seeing ads in? I've been using AdFree for months and have never had an issue, I'm surprised to hear other people are having trouble. . .

 

[Trollatoppan]

Which apps are you still seeing ads in? I've been using AdFree for months and have never had an issue, I'm surprised to hear other people are having trouble. . .

Every app on my phone that uses ads.

 

[corbinator]

I noticed that it wouldn't update now that I'm on Gingerbread. getting a Java error. need to find the dev website and see if this is a known issue but this might be your problem.

Edit: here is the website
http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-bigtincan-android-adfree-zxC.aspx
have a fix but haven't tried it yet.

 

[Trollatoppan]

I noticed that it wouldn't update now that I'm on Gingerbread. getting a Java error. need to find the dev website and see if this is a known issue but this might be your problem.

Edit: here is the website
AdFree Android ~ Android Application v0.6.3 By BigTinCan.com | Tools
have a fix but haven't tried it yet.

Hmmm there is no fix. Its just a link to the app.

 

[Xyro]

I noticed that it wouldn't update now that I'm on Gingerbread. getting a Java error. need to find the dev website and see if this is a known issue but this might be your problem.

Edit: here is the website
AdFree Android ~ Android Application v0.6.3 By BigTinCan.com | Tools
have a fix but haven't tried it yet.

I was getting the same thing on gingerbread yesterday, but the most recent market update seems to have fixed it.

Make sure to uninstall your old version before installing the new one.

 

[Trollatoppan]

I was getting the same thing on gingerbread yesterday, but the most recent market update seems to have fixed it.

Make sure to uninstall your old version before installing the new one.

I just tried to un-install and re-installed the latest version, however didn't make any difference

 

[Mohsin]

I don't have any problems using this, it blocks my ads just fine.

 

[corbinator]

the link yes is to the Dev's download website. But if you scroll down there is a comment section where one nice individual posted this.

by Chris the 1/18/2011

Update in market. Then, in app, hit REVERT. Then hit Download Host. I had to hit it twice before it went through, but it did and I'm working great.

I didn't get the chance to try this as while updating it froze and I had to do a battery pull. Which some how fixed it. FM. Any way try this, if it doesn't work try a battery pull (I have an OG Droid so this is possible, I don't know if you can pull your battery or not but worth a try) or try a reboot.

 

[Trollatoppan]

the link yes is to the Dev's download website. But if you scroll down there is a comment section where one nice individual posted this.

by Chris the 1/18/2011

Update in market. Then, in app, hit REVERT. Then hit Download Host. I had to hit it twice before it went through, but it did and I'm working great.

I didn't get the chance to try this as while updating it froze and I had to do a battery pull. Which some how fixed it. FM. Any way try this, if it doesn't work try a battery pull (I have an OG Droid so this is possible, I don't know if you can pull your battery or not but worth a try) or try a reboot.

I have tried the so-called fix, and didn't make any difference.
The "funny" thing is that it looks like the app installs the ad block successfully, however all ads are still there. (have rebooted and revert) Same ol'.

 

[corbinator]

Hmm well lets see. Do you have TiBu, and if you do, do you have an old backup of adfree? Try reverting to the older backup(restore app+data), and open the app. It should tell you there is an update, update it and it should download the new hosts. That's what worked for me.... Well I say it worked for me in that it locked up my phone, had to do a battery pull, and once it rebooted I opened AdFree and it worked fine and I don't have adds anymore. That being said it doesn't block ALL adds and in some cases it leaves the little window that the ad used to be in.

If that doesn't work, then I don't know. I'd go to the Dev's website and add your phone to the bitch list. I mean glitch list.... uhh support forum.

 

[Trollatoppan]

Hmm well lets see. Do you have TiBu, and if you do, do you have an old backup of adfree? Try reverting to the older backup(restore app+data), and open the app. It should tell you there is an update, update it and it should download the new hosts. That's what worked for me.... Well I say it worked for me in that it locked up my phone, had to do a battery pull, and once it rebooted I opened AdFree and it worked fine and I don't have adds anymore. That being said it doesn't block ALL adds and in some cases it leaves the little window that the ad used to be in.

If that doesn't work, then I don't know. I'd go to the Dev's website and add your phone to the bitch list. I mean glitch list.... uhh support forum.

I got TiBu, however I don't have any old backup of AdFree, so....

 

[Gipson]

I have tried the so-called fix, and didn't make any difference.
The "funny" thing is that it looks like the app installs the ad block successfully, however all ads are still there. (have rebooted and revert) Same ol'.

same thing happening to me. isn;t there a way you can manually add your own host file to the system somewhere and just be done with it? how do custom ROMs do it?

 

[Slug]

isn;t there a way you can manually add your own host file to the system somewhere and just be done with it? how do custom ROMs do it?

Root access is required, as the file exists in /etc.

 

[Trollatoppan]

Root access is required, as the file exists in /etc.

Where do we get the host file from and in what folder should it be placed?

 

[Slug]

Where do we get the host file from

It should already exist. However you will have to modify it to exclude the hostnames required.

and in what folder should it be placed?

/etc, as stated above.

 

[Trollatoppan]

It should already exist. However you will have to modify it to exclude the hostnames required.



/etc, as stated above.

Oh I misunderstood you.

Is it only the file "hosts" that needs to be modified?
Since I don't know how to modify it - isn't there a file that is already modified that I can manually copy to the folder?

 

[Slug]

Is it only the file "hosts" that needs to be modified?

Afaik, yes.

Since I don't know how to modify it - isn't there a file that is already modified that I can manually copy to the folder?

It's a simple text file listing IP + hostname pairs, separated by at least one <space> and each pair on a new line delimited by a <CR>. By default the file will be:

127.0.0.1 localhost

Simply add each IP address you wish blocked on a new line e.g

127.0.0.1 localhost
123.45.67.089 localhost
etc

"localhost" is the tcp/ip loopback interface which prevents the IP being correctly resolved, hence blocking the content served from that address.

 

[Trollatoppan]

Yes, I just looked at the hosts file on my phone. And it looks like it should.

Just like this file: http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.txt

Just don't know why none of the ads are being blocked

 

[Slug]

I see I managed to mess the syntax up not once but twice.... nice job, Mod.

Is the file on your handset named HOSTS, with no file extension? The only other thing I can come up with is that it's a file size issue. The file's format is OS-agnostic i.e. understood by everything, it's read whenever an external domain is accessed, prior to the request being sent to the DNS.... it should just work, dammit!

 

[Trollatoppan]

I see I managed to mess the syntax up not once but twice.... nice job, Mod.

Is the file on your handset named HOSTS, with no file extension? The only other thing I can come up with is that it's a file size issue. The file's format is OS-agnostic i.e. understood by everything, it's read whenever an external domain is accessed, prior to the request being sent to the DNS.... it should just work, dammit!

Yes, the file is called hosts with no extension. The size of the file is 217088 (according to Rootexplorer).

 

[boshk]

i'm having problems with adfree on mt3gs rooted cm7. i've installed it, reverted, redownloaded hosts, uninstalled, reinstalled, reverted, re downloaded, reverted, etc (also never received any errors.) and it still shows ads. what am i missing? i've searched around, and cant seem to find if i am missing a step that i was supposed to do.

edit:
does it matter if it is installed on simcard or phone? i had originally installed it on the simcard and then moved it to the phone, but it doesnt seem to make a difference anyways.

also i've reverted and reinstalled with "symlink" checked and unchecked a few times, and it didnt seem to make a difference.


edit:

booted into recovery and opened CMD window:

cd C:\androidsdk\tools
adb shell
# mount /system
# exit
adb push hosts /system/etc
adb reboot

now it works.