Get Rid Of Avantgo Initial Ad Pop

[Darren Behan]

I'm guessing that virtually everyone who uses PIE & AvantGo has been annoyed by the ad that you have to get through in order to get to the real stuff particularly since it doesn't redirect you correctly half the time. If you have set your home page to be AvantGo, here's how to get rid of it:

Using a Registry Editor change the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Internet Explorer/Main/Start Page

From file://windows\agdefault.htm (or something similar) to avantgo://avantgo/home (edited, sorry about the mistake :roll: )

**As always, edit the registry at your own peril**

If you use the default home page, copy that file to your desktop (I believe it's different for each machine but shouldn't be too hard to locate) and edit the link from file:\//agdefault.htm (or something similar) to avantgo://avantgo/home.htm. Save and copy the file back to your PPC and the link to AvantGo should now bypass the ad.
Admittedly, this is a minor thing but for frequent users of AvantGo, it gets rid of one small annoyance. Special thanks to Glohamar and Dave Beauvais who were kind enough to give me the location of the registry key.

Hope this helps.

db

[Steven Cedrone]

Hmmm...

Not sure how to respond to this. For one thing, that "minor annoyence" helps Avantgo stay afloat. For me, I really don't have a problem with checking "No Thanks" when I start Avantgo. Another thing to consider: since you are not sending these answers to adverts back to Avantgo, will they kill your service? I am almost sure that by bypassing that startup screen you are in violation of their license agreement, so they would have every right to do so...

Steve

[Darren Behan]

I see your point but have to say that I respectfully disagree. For one, there is no shortage of ads on the AvantGo home page as it is. For two, I really look at this in the same light as a pop-up blocker.

As for blocking my service, I doubt it. If I just didn't use it for a while, which I am prone to do, they wouldn't be getting the ad feedback either and my account is still working fine.

In your role as moderator here I guess you can edit or remove whatever you want but I hardly think that this post merited that. Since I (and anyone who would want to implement this tweak) is never going to click yes on the ad to begin with it doesn't effect AvantGo's bottom line in the slightest.

I respectfully submit that your response is a bit of an overreaction.

db

[Jacob]

Whether people who would remove the ad would click on it or not is somewhat irrelevant though.

The point is that you're likely violating the agreement you agreed to when you decided to use AvantGo.

[iPAQFanatic]

When you get to where you want to be in AvantGo set that as your home page and then everytime your start PIE you'll be there instead of where you don't want to be. (trying to be vague)

[Darren Behan]

IPaqFan,

That doesn't work. It sets the home page as a redirect which pops the ad first hence the need or desire rather for the work around.

db

[iPAQFanatic]

I have my home page set to avantgo://formsubmit/ and that loads directly to all of my channels I never see the pop up ad.

[Darren Behan]

Having read the terms of service agreement (http://www.avantgo.com/company/legal/amiterms.html), there is nothing that I see which relates to this though of course I am not a lawyer. If anyone who objects to this would care to point out where it indicates that I am not allowed to modify my ppc (not the AvantGo software in anyway) please do so. For that matter if you can point out any passage in the agreement that indicates that I must receive AND view these advertisements that would be even better. The presumption that this is a violation of the agreement and the subsequent censoring of the post is what I am objecting to here. Did anyone actually read the agreement first?

It seems to me that there is a bit of a rush to defend AvantGo here which again, I think is a bit of an overreaction. I like the service, I use the service, I don't want them to go out of business. It is interesting though that this site posts reviews of DVD encoding software which is in clear violation of the DMCA by the authors own admission but censors a post on skipping an ad. Seems we're a bit selective about what we defend.

db

[Darren Behan]

IpaqFan

Well done & saves the work of hacking the registry but I suspect that your post will be censored shortly. Sorry about that.

db

[Jacob]

Well, the DMCA is only law in the US - there are many people who are not in the US on this forum so reviewing such software is valid - albeit only really valid to the people who aren't in the US.

The AvantGo license can be agreed to by anyone and AFAIK is universal.

That's the difference.

I only said that it was likely that they had it in their agreement - If you can't see any reason in the license agreement to not do this then go ahead :)

I think the moderator should comment on this officially, but I think he was just being cautious.

[Hx4700]

Hi Steve,
I also think you are being hasty here in removing the reg fix.
You state that it is "likely' a violation of the Avantgo agreement.
"Likely' on its face sounds like you are on shaky ground with just an 'opinion'.
dcbehan posted a comment/opinion that looks to be based on some research with some thoughtful conclusion to back up the opinion.
Do you have anything more than just a hunch/gut feeling/or other fuzzy to back up your 'likely' opinion????
Since there is some disagreement from your consituiants on your conclusion, and your resulting actions; this one, more than others you must make at times on removing info, seems to deserve more reseach and contemplation on your part, don't you agree???
Respectfully disagreeing,
Ron...

[Steven Cedrone]

What the heck are you guys talking about? :wink:

Actually, I went back and forth on this one for awhile. The original post clearly details how to circumvent Avantgo's software. Eventually, I decided to take the side of caution and remove the info from the post. Upon thinking about it further, I should have stayed with my original reaction which was to just leave the post alone. O.K., it's official, I have reversed my decision and restored the original post...

Steve

[Kati Compton]

Please keep in mind that the moderators are not paid, and don't always have time to do thorough research on license agreements, etc.

I support Steve's decision to take down the post originally, on the basis that it *probably* violated the user agreement, as well as the decision to put it back up once it became apparent that it did not.

Please realize that we, the mods, just try to do the best we can in the time we have. And sometimes that means erring on the side of caution, though hopefully only temporarily.

[Darren Behan]

Thanks, Steve, for your decision to allow the original post. I appreciate the time and consideration on your part that went into that choice.

Just for the record, I wasn't in any way trying to be controversial with the post nor looking advocate anything harmful to anyone or illegal in anyway. I was just trying to post what I thought was a little tip to add to the community that has provided me with so much of the same and I would not have posted it if I thought it would bring harm to anyone.

I appreciate that the job of moderator is rarely black and white so let me say again that I appreciate your willingness to revisit the issue.

db

[Hx4700]

Steve,
I appreciate your need to initially review and maybe edit the starting post of this thread and I applaud your re-reviewing this particular post.
Now that you have, I appreciate your willingness to listen to other opinions and restoring the 'fix'.
Good job.....
Ron...

[Don't Panic!]

It's robbery, read the ads they're giving you free content so you at least see the ads. This is probably what happened to Mazingo. Some post on how to get free Premium content from them. There was one site that actually did post that Mazingo hack. It's was usually around in the summer. I think it was called www,pocketbeachbum,com or something along those lines. Not that Avantgo is in the same leauge as Mazingo was but still. :roll:

Don't Panic!
Bobby

[Darren Behan]

Comparing the avoidance of a popup ad to stealing premium content is absurd.

db

[Don't Panic!]

db-You may be right. But so far all their popups I've seen are for new content on there site. It's not like they're trying to sell you a viagra perscription or a spy camera or something like that.

Don't Panic!
Bobby

[rock]

I can't get either method to work. The registry change just gives me an error message whenever I start PIE saying Avantgo encountered some error and setting my home page to /formsubmit/ locks up PIE. Any ideas?

[Darren Behan]

The registry hack has to read avantgo://avantgo/home not avantgo://avantgo/home.htm as I originally posted. Sorry about that. I am going to edit the original post to reflect this.

Hope this helps, let me know.

db

[iPAQFanatic]

How I set mine, was, immediately after pressing "No Thanks" and the main page loaded with all of my channels on them, I set that page(the one with all my channels) to my home page. And that's what my home page says......yada yada/formsubmit/ see my previous post...

[Don't Panic!]

Just in case you missed it. :lol: You can increase your account to 3MB by updating your profile.

Updated: This link will take you to Jerry Justianto's Pocket PC eBooks Watch - eBook and beyond (http://cebooks.blogspot.com/) website where the correct link for the survey to upgrade avantgo from 2MB to 3MB can be found in the March 20th posting. Sorry about the mixup. :oops:

Don't Panic!
Bobby

[rock]

^^^Where? I can't find that anywhere.

Nevermind, the link in the other thread worked. I had to e-mail them because my account didn't change automatically to 3 MB. A technician has to manually increase my limit, but they promise it will be done within a few days.

PS - The registry trick takes me to the correct page now, but it doesn't stop the pop-ups. Perhaps they have changed something.

[Darren Behan]

Indeed the popups have reappeared. Will be trying ipaqfan's solution and see how it goes. If you PPC correctly redirects you to avantgo/home (which it is supposed to but in my experience hardly ever does) then you will need to implement it as a registry hack - avantgo://formsubmit/

db

[rock]

The formsubmit link works for me unless I am online. If I am, PIE locks up.

I'm just happy I'll have 3MB soon. ;)

[Darren Behan]

Hmmm. I don't seem to have that problem. I am connecting through activesync though via my work/home network. Are you connecting via WiFi (not that I would know what to tell you if you were).

db

[Empyrean]

Is anyone a paid subscriber of Avantgo? I was tempted when they were having a special but not if I have to see advertisements. Does anyone know if they have ads if you pay?

Thanks,
AJ