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what add on is this? https://www.google.com/afs/ads?q=

  • 4 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 15 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

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Trying to browse Overstock.com which I have used for years. NOw when I'm clicking an item or department to see more, I come up with this: https://www.google.com/afs/ads?q= which brings me to a blank page and won't let me view items on Overstock. I can't figure out if it is an add on and if so, which one. When I use Firefox in safemode which disables all the add ons I don't have the problem, so it must be an add on causing the trouble? I want to get rid of it. Can someone tell me? Thank you so much.

Trying to browse Overstock.com which I have used for years. NOw when I'm clicking an item or department to see more, I come up with this: https://www.google.com/afs/ads?q= which brings me to a blank page and won't let me view items on Overstock. I can't figure out if it is an add on and if so, which one. When I use Firefox in safemode which disables all the add ons I don't have the problem, so it must be an add on causing the trouble? I want to get rid of it. Can someone tell me? Thank you so much.

All Replies (4)

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It looks like a broken attempt to serve you ads instead of your desired content, so it might be adware you accidentally installed.

I don't have a specific answer for you, but while you wait for someone who does (it could take a while, there are lots of adware add-ons out there, and many of them try to serve Google ads), try disabling all of your add-ons and then enabling them one by one, checking each time whether the issue comes up. Whichever add-on triggers the issue to start again is probably the culprit. Make sure to also check with all the add-ons disabled (outside of Safe Mode) - some adware will take effect even then (in which case they might not be add-ons, or might be add-ons that refuse to be disabled), while being blocked by Safe Mode.

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thank you, already tried all those things. Why would it have anything to do with adware?? It's not letting me see the products I"m looking at. Doesn't have anything to do with google ads.

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The URL you shared looks like a broken attempt to deliver a Google ad or Google search, at least to me. I could be wrong. Based on what you described, it looks like an add-on or adware is trying to redirect your legitimate queries to advertisers' sites, but is failing, giving you a blank page instead.

Most of the time that a different webpage shows up (successfully or not) than what you clicked on, some form of adware or malware is at fault. The problem with such adware is that it's often not just a simple add-on that you can remove. Have you tried doing a malware/adware scan to see if anything is detected, just in case?

It would help others help you if you included a list of your currently installed add-ons. It's much easier to say "it's probably that one" or "it's probably not any of these, but something other than an add-on" than it is to make a reasonable guess with so little information to go on.

There was an option to automatically add such information when you initially posted the question (you have to click a button, the information isn't added without your consent). Whenever you post a question about add-ons, it always helps to include a full list of your add-ons. Since you can't go back and add that information, could you please include a list of your current add-ons in a reply?

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If you use extensions (Firefox menu button/Tools > Add-ons > Extensions) that can block content (e.g. Adblock Plus, NoScript, Flash Block, Ghostery) then make sure that such extensions aren't blocking content.

If it works in Safe Mode and in normal mode with all extensions (Firefox menu button/Tools > Add-ons > Extensions) disabled then try to find which extension is causing it by enabling one extension at a time until the problem reappears.

Close and restart Firefox after each change via *"3-bar" menu button > Exit (Power button)

  • Windows: File > Exit
  • Mac: Firefox > Quit Firefox
  • Linux: File > Quit