Remove Google Ads

All the Google text ads seem to come from the address pagead2.googlesyndication.com. If we place that name in the Windows Hosts file and point it to a dummy address then the Google ads will not appear.

First though, we need to locate the hosts file. Here is the usual location for the major Windows versions:

Windows 9x, ME: C:\WINDOWS
Windows NT (and some 2K): C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\etc
Windows 2K, XP, 2003: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc

The Hosts file is simply called "HOSTS" and has no file extension.

It's a simple text file and must only be changed with a plain text editor like Notepad and never a word processing program such as MS Word.

First, we need to open the Hosts file in Notepad. If you don't know how to do that then locate the Hosts file in Windows Explorer and right-click on it. Select "Open" and then check "Select the program from a list." You'll then be presented with list of programs; select Notepad. You should now see a simple text file.

Go to the first blank line at the bottom of the file and type in this entry:

127.0.0.1 pagead2.googlesyndication.com

Make sure you leave no blank lines before this entry.

Just save the file and you are finished.

NOTE! Saving this change may spark an alert from your anti-spyware software but it's OK, just approve the change.

The same technique can be used to block other advertising servers, malicious spyware or sites containing inappropriate material. In fact a number of folks offer free downloads of Hosts files containing thousand of entries of such unwanted sites.