Maxthon inserts graphic advertisements on Google Search page


Recommended Posts

You probably all noticed that newest versions of Maxthon, when you search something in Google - will display graphic-bloated ads on Google Search page:

 

 

post-3083-0-84170800-1435015160_thumb.pn

 

post-3083-0-05549000-1435015235_thumb.pn

 

post-3083-0-50810500-1435015250_thumb.pn

 

Don't worry. You don't have any virus or malware on your computer (even though it looks like you got one!).

No. 

 

It is also not Adblock Plus fault - it works perfectly fine and removes all ads as always.

 

It is Maxthon itself. Yes. New versions of Maxthon have this suspicious extension called "Search" (to confuse you - it has nothing to do with search at all).

 

I am really sorry about that, but it's official: Maxthon is no longer freeware software. Maxthon is now adware

 

post-3083-0-41747400-1435015414_thumb.pn

 

Your graphical advertisements that show on Google Search page are inserted by this extensions. Not only that - those are inserted AFTER the page is loaded (that's why AdBlocker Plus is not removing this ad) and also those ads are not contextual - they show up independently of what you are searching for.

 

Original Google search ads are contextual and never ever graphical.

 

So what to do? Simply go into Extensions settings (about:extensions) and ... click "delete" on this "Search" extension

 

 

Why does Maxthon have this extension build in to make you wonder if you have spyware/malware on your PC?

I have no idea!!! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

Sorry for your inconvienceSome users are questioning about our search engine, since it turns out to be google cse. It is a optimization of our searching settings in our new version. Our Maxthon does not force our users to adjust it. If you want to change it ,you can upgrage to our latest version http://forum.maxthon.com/index.php/topic/15475-maxthon-cloud-browser-for-windows-v4453000-officially-released/ and change it in settings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i had not realised it was a Maxthon extension that did this so looked for other solutions - assuming the search extension is useful adding the following to the host files blocked the ads - whether all are needed i know not but i have seen no problems after adding them

 

127.0.0.1 pagead.googlesyndication.com
127.0.0.1 pagead2.googlesyndication.com
127.0.0.1 adservices.google.com
127.0.0.1 ssl.google-analytics.com 
127.0.0.1 www.google-analytics.com
127.0.0.1 imageads.googleadservices.com 
127.0.0.1 imageads1.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 imageads2.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 imageads3.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 imageads4.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 imageads5.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 imageads6.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 imageads7.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 imageads8.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 imageads9.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 partner.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 www.googleadservices.com
Tony     -  Vivaldi 4 on Windows 10 64Bit
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Hi,

Sorry for your inconvience. Some users are questioning about our search engine, since it turns out to be google cse. It is a optimization of our searching settings in our new version. Our Maxthon does not force our users to adjust it. If you want to change it ,you can upgrage to our latest version http://forum.maxthon.com/index.php/topic/15475-maxthon-cloud-browser-for-windows-v4453000-officially-released/ and change it in settings.

 

 

1. Extension "Search" has nothing to do with "Search setting" that are customizable through Maxthon settings > Search Engine > Search Engine Management

 

2.The addon (and also unnecessary adware advertisements) showed up after installin newest Maxthon version that you are linking to, which is MAxthon 4.4.5.3000 official.

 

So yes - Maxthon is no longer freeware. It has officialy became "adware" license with that version (and maybe few versions before)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Extension keeps reinstalling everytime I close Maxthon.

 

This is ridiculous, I'll be switching to another browser.

delete it from C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxthon\_AppData\Maxthon3\Public\Addons

and from C:\Users\***\AppData\Roaming\Maxthon3\Public\Addons

sigmax2.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't it possible to deliver a maxthon version WITHOUT this crap??

 

I mean, many of your users will not try to understand where these ads are coming from, they will delete maxthon and use another browser...

 

Why Maxthon has became adware????

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi guys,

Really sorry for your inconvience. Our product team has fix the problem. There will be no more ads on search result page. I hope you can like it. Many thanks.

thank you so much to take users' voice into consideration !  :)

sigmax2.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, and let's not forget the Google search engine entry that links to a partner ID, that keeps re-adding itself even though i've deleted and changed it many times. 

http://www.google.com/cse?cx=partner-pub-2698861478625135:3033704849&ie=UTF-8

I'd love to know who that partner ID belongs to, and what benefit they get from directing all Maxthon search traffic to it.

 

Between adding advertisements to Google, and this, i'm very concerned about the security of Maxthon. Whose hands are we in while we use Maxthon. How do we know we can trust them? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, and let's not forget the Google search engine entry that links to a partner ID, that keeps re-adding itself even though i've deleted and changed it many times. 

http://www.google.com/cse?cx=partner-pub-2698861478625135:3033704849&ie=UTF-8

I'd love to know who that partner ID belongs to, and what benefit they get from directing all Maxthon search traffic to it.

 

Between adding advertisements to Google, and this, i'm very concerned about the security of Maxthon. Whose hands are we in while we use Maxthon. How do we know we can trust them? 

 

 

+1

 

The next time my search engine is changed silently, I uninstall Maxthon!

I use Maxthon since 2004...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

search.mxaddon  ( = DELETE So it won't reinstalling any more )...

First go to Settings > Extensions  and disable search ( = always turn it of before remove anything )

 

Just delete it from > C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxthon\_AppData\Maxthon3\Public\Addons
and from this folder to > C:\Users\*user name*\AppData\Roaming\Maxthon3\Public\Addons

 

Last go to Settings > Extensions  and disable or uninstall = DELETE the "search" extension.

 

And you can do the same with ABP and Games... ETC. Etc. etc....  If you don't want it at all...

post-327978-0-40446900-1435856930.png

 

post-327978-0-03419900-1435855701_thumb.  <~ Mine Extensions look like this now.

Best Regards Ohke

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, and let's not forget the Google search engine entry that links to a partner ID, that keeps re-adding itself even though i've deleted and changed it many times. 

Yes, that is the problem. It keeps getting back. 

Maybe its time to find a new browser...

 

And yes, i dont have that search.mxaddon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maxthon seems to be pushing google custom search (i.e. http://www.google.com/cse)in an incredibly annoying way.

My default search engine is the local dutch google (i.e. http://www.google.nl/search?q=%us) and I also use the regular .com version (i.e. http://www.google.com/search?q=%us).

I keep removing Google CSE and resetting google dutch to default, but every few days/weeks google custom search is back and more annoyingly set to default as well (might be after update, but I'm almost sure it happens without as well).

I don't want to use CSE, because it's nog giving me the correct search results, so please stop forcing this down our throats.
It's bad enought it gets added to the list without confirmations, but it's downright wrong to also force it as default.

 

For the record I'm using version 4.4.5.2000, but this has been going on for longer.

 

Edit: I have options set to sync, perhaps this is causing it? It would be wrong syncing behaviour though, as I've changed it manually a few times now and you would think the latest change gets synced, not the old information from another PC.

 

Edit 2: I just saw there was an update to 4.4.6.1000, so I just updated and I will keep an eye out for the problem. It's strange though that this update didn't show up when going to 'about', it just said that the browser was up to date (this has happened before by the way).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

+1

 

The next time my search engine is changed silently, I uninstall Maxthon!

I use Maxthon since 2004...

 

 

Search engine modified again today.

 

Maxthon, you take yours users for fools ?

 

Bye bye Maxthon. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maxthon seems to be pushing google custom search (i.e. http://www.google.com/cse)in an incredibly annoying way.

 

 

Same here.

Also I get captcha in Google search. I changed engine to Bing. I prefer Google but for some reason I get  captcha. 

 

 

Search engine modified again today.

 

Maxthon, you take yours users for fools ?

 

Bye bye Maxthon. 

Google cse is back again today  :(

sigmax2.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.