Blocker.swf

[cgill75]

The message is back! I went to http://www.ebaumsworld.com/ and it re-appeared. Only way to get rid of the message is to turn off Ad Blocker. It seems to come and go. Maybe something to do with the type of adds on that web page that day.

[Jasmine]

Is the problem still happening in latest 11.7.37 and 11.7.38?

[place]

Is the problem still happening in latest 11.7.37 and 11.7.38?

Build 31 gave the popup. Build 39 seems to be okay. Though I've only been using it for an hour. But the popup didn't appear on a page that it always does appear.

[Refugee]

The current version of Avant should not have a imgs folder, it was changed to res a while ago.

I have done this check and found blocker.swf in the res folder and no img folder.
I renamed them in both Avant and IE6.
Then i restarded Avant and checked with my Google test (also works in other search boxes like here in the message topic search).
The test still failed to produce a search result and the egg timer stayed there for ever.
It has not yet gone completely!!!!
Search for anything else and it is fine.

I was never able to get the "Google test" to fail. Searching for blocker.swf worked with no message box or egg timer. It could not get it to fail even when the imgs folder was in the Avant folder.

I have just installed 11.7 B39 and done the google and search box tests and the results come through perfectly.
It is fixed

[André]

Can anyone else confirm?

[johnsmithbisley]

Unfortunately, it's not completely fixed in 11.7 build 39 running on Vista Home Premium. The one site I find it occurs is www.telegraph.co.uk. It varies enormously, some pages cause the blocker message and some do not. Today, this one causes it, whether going to it via a link from another page or pasting the address into Avant directly:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/fash ... r-men.html

This does not happen in IE 8, going to the page using either method, just Avant Browser. The effect can be "switched on and off" by enabling or disabling the Ad blocker in Avant so the problem really does seem to be with the Avant Ad blocker.

By the way, I don't think I shall bother with the tights......

[addonsfan]

What site did you add to your black list to block ads on that site? I think a good first step in reproducing this bug, is to get it to actually attempt to block the ads first....

[johnsmithbisley]

No changes were made to the defaults that are set up on installation of Avant Browser for Ad Blocker, either for black list or for exceptions. If I click on the link in my last post, to the article on the Telegraph site, it opens without an error message. However, If I right click and select "Open in new window" then the blocker error message appears. Hopefully this will be a clue to someone who knows about the deep, dark, mysterious workings of Avant.

I am certain that the Telegraph site is hastily put together and contains many errors: duplicated links, links that do not work, links that misdirect and so on. It is also heavily suffused with advertisements of all sorts. However, I am equally certain that there is an adjustment within Avant Broswer that needs to be made so that this error message is as rare as it is in IE8 (to my knowledge, non existent).

[ucandoit]

The latest build didn't solve this problem in the site:
http://www.hydepark.co.il/
(That site contains hundreds of forums, and the "Intertnet Explorer can't download blocker.swf from localhost" error msg is realy bother and annoying...

(I'm using Avant 11.7 build 39, IE 8, Windows XP)

Thanks in advance for fixing this bug!

uCanDoIt.

[kudos]

Try replacing your blocker.swf file with the one attached.
Unzip the file to C:\Program Files\Avant Browser\res\

[tree]

Ok guys. I've been following this, sorry to disappoint you good guys at AB.
I have IE8 on XP pro SP3 and AB 11.7B39
The bug has NOT been fixed.
I get it consistently when I access www.marketwatch.com when Enable Ad Blocker is enabled.
I do NOT however get the error message when I enter blocker.swf in the search window
Do not seem to get the error directly under IE8 (with pop-up blocker enabled).

[tree]

Try replacing your blocker.swf file with the one attached.
Unzip the file to C:\Program Files\Avant Browser\res\

THANK YOU. Finally a patch.

Yes - the dummy blocker.swf file (a 1 byte hex'00' file) eliminates the error message for the test site: www.marketwatch.com

Here's what I did:
I renamed the original to blocker_.swf and replaced it with the dummy file - error message gone.
Renamed back to the original 29-byte file - error message reappears.
I cycled this test several times - the difference is positively consistent.

That should point you in the direction of a fix for the next build.
Thanks again

[tree]

Just found and tested the the solution to error message found in another post:

Replace the 29-byte \Program Files\Avant Browser\res\blocker.swf with a 1-byte dummy file (containing a hex zero).

[kudos]

Thanks for confirming. I suspect that the problem is that Avant tries to execute the original blocker.swf Flash file, calling up the Flash plugin to do so. This takes some processor time which adds up on pages which have many such objects. It also explains why not everyone (including myself) have never seen this error - we have fast or optimised computers for which this delay is not a problem. With the "dummy" file the delay should be minimised, until the development team can properly fix it.

[tree]

Hmm - timing problems - as a retired firmware/software developer myself, I know all too well that those 'hit-and-run' buggers are a pain to pin down.

So here's some more feedback on the specs of my machine's config (on which I confirmed that the 1-byte dummyfile replacement consistently works), though you're unlikely to find it very useful:

I'm running is a meticulously virus- and malware-free AMD Althon 64X2 4200+ (2.2ghz) 1GB, with AVG and Kerio pfw and resident procs streamlined to minimum under Xp pro sp2 w/IE8 & AB11.7b39. Thought nothing to brag about, it can't be considered a "vintage" system (I'd say that's about midway down the line of typical systems out there at this time), so I'm surprised this error isn't occurring on far more systems for many more ad-prone sites.

Wild guess: AVG processing time degradation may be exposing the error.

cheers

[kudos]

Why XP SP2 and not SP3? Yes, maybe AVG and KPF interrupt the Flash ActiveX module startup.

BTW I have a 1Ghz Celeron, 256Mb RAM, XP SP3, IE8 with AB 11.7.39 and I have never seen the problem...

[tree]

Sp3 has confirmed issues with certain AMD and/or HP-configed systems; on my machine specifically it screws up the Fax (virtual printer) support which I can't do without. Restoring to SP2 (as suggested by others who experienced the same problem) restored functional XP Fax support. A dozen or so SP3 problems (some even with Intel chipped systems) are well known and as far as I know not yet fully resolved (not to mention more WGA shenanigans).

[addonsfan]

Wouldn't that mean it's a problem with Flash?

[tree]

According to Avant rep "Kudos" the problem is an ideosynchornous timimg issue related to flash opening of many simultaneous objects. I renamed \Program Files\Avant Browser\res\blocker.swf to blocker_.swf and replaced it with a 1-binary-zero-byte file as a temporary workaround. Avant may address and resolve this issue shortly, perhaps in the next build. Meantime - try to access:
www.marketwatch.com
Do you get the error message?
After replacing blocker.swf - does it disappear (as it did for me)?

Attached: the zipped patch file in case you don't know how to create it yourself

good luck

[tree]

====>
====> For those of you following this thread on the 'blocker' error message, who want a temporary workaround and have skipped to the last posts on this topic ... you can try the patch in the attachment, unless Kudos or some other rep recommends, following this post, that it is unadvisable. It seems to work safely and reliably for me so far.

According to Avant rep "Kudos" (see above posts if you want to read his own text) the problem may be an ideosynchornous timimg issue related to attempting to open many simultaneous objects.

I renamed \Program Files\Avant Browser\res\blocker.swf to blocker_.swf and replaced it with a 1-binary-zero-byte file as a temporary workaround (this was suggested earlier).

Now that Avant staff has a concrete lead on this messy bug, they may be able to address and resolve this nagging issue soon; meantime - try this benchmark (test):

Access www.marketwatch.com

Do you get the error message on your system?

After replacing blocker.swf as suggested above - does it disappear (as it did for me)?

Attached: a zip with the temporary replacement file (in case you don't know how to create it)

Tip: always log any changes you have made to original distributions as they can get in the way in the future and may need to be undone; this is a temporary patch and has not been formally sanctioned.

good luck