How to : Remove ads on HTC Legend

cryshop · Jul 2, 2010

I know this tutorial is everywhere on this forum. But with HTC Legend, it's a little different.

Read the tutorial here : http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=695411

Now I'll make it simple, just do this :

Your Legend must be rooted!

Step 1 : Download host file from the attach at the end of the post and unzip it to get the hosts file

Step 2 : Copy hosts to ADB folder (in my case : C:/android/tools) download Android SDK here

Step 3 : reboot your Legend to recovery mode (Install Rom manager on Market, Flash recovery, than reboot into Recovery mode)

Step 4 : Open Command window (Start menu > Run > cmd (windows xp) / Start menu > cmd (windows 7))

Step 5 : point to your adb folder
In my case :

cd\
C:\cd android\tools

Step 6 :

C:\android\tools\adb shell mount /system (Enter)
C:\android\tools\adb push hosts /system/etc/hosts (Enter)
C:\android\tools\adb reboot (Enter)

Step 7 : Done.

Note : This hosts file was updated long time ago, so it might not work with new apps. But it will disable most of the apps.

snakehult · Jul 4, 2010

Very nice!

chinmoykanjilal · Sep 5, 2010

Does this work? It did not work on my Legend. I just cant get into shell when in recovery.
Precisely, "adb shell" gives an error!

stegg · Sep 5, 2010

"an" error!

BTW the file hosts works for me, and not a single ad is shown on my cell

JonasDroid · Sep 6, 2010

Isn't our recovery just pressing volume down + power then go to recovery and wait for the "!" ? cause if I try adb shell then, it tells me:

Code:

-exec '/system/bin/sh' failed: no such file or directory (2)-

am I in the wrong recovery?

it is saying I'm in recovery when asking for the "adb devices" command

EDIT: found what I was doing wrong, didn't know you needed to run the recovery-windows.bat file first

EDIT 2: still having adds

(in astro)

qzem · Sep 9, 2010

Does this thing removes adds out of free aplications, that usually have them?

cryshop · Sep 11, 2010

I updated the instruction, I hope it's easier for you to follow every steps.

Does this thing removes adds out of free aplications, that usually have them?

It blocks the apps from connecting to the ad server. And yes, it does remove every single ad from free applications.

@Jonas : please follow the new instruction.

BlaY0 · Sep 17, 2010

If you would use this MOD, you would be able to write to system partition thus installing AdFree from market would be possible.

parker09 · Sep 19, 2010

I get..

Code:

C:\Users\parker\Downloads\android-sdk_r06-windows\android-sdk-windows\tools>adb shell mount /system
- exec '/system/bin/sh' failed: No such file or directory (2) -

NVM read above posts; ran Windows-recovery.bat - pushes the host.txt to the phone, now rebooting to see if it removes ads.

edit II: removes ads out of Advanced Task Killer but it keeps trying to load the ads so would that mean that its still pinging a server because that could use up a lot of data couldn't it if it keeps running?

BlaY0 · Sep 20, 2010

parker09 said:
...so would that mean that its still pinging a server because that could use up a lot of data couldn't it if it keeps running?

Nope. Did you even look what's inside of that hosts file? There are adresses of ad servers pointing to localhost (that's your phone itself)...

parker09 · Sep 21, 2010

BlaY0 said:
Nope. Did you even look what's inside of that hosts file? There are adresses of ad servers pointing to localhost (that's your phone itself)...

Oh okay I see now, thanks for that.

Sietan · Oct 22, 2010

awesome thanks

cryshop · Nov 8, 2010

Updated a really big hosts file (blocks almost every ads)

knnhzx · Nov 10, 2010

when i press C:\android\tools\adb push hosts.txt /system/etc/hosts (Enter)
it tells me theres no hosts.txt
the file i downloaded is just host there is no .txt
so what do i do?

knnhzx · Nov 10, 2010

how would i know whether i have succeeded or not?

knnhzx · Nov 10, 2010

This is what i did:

C:\>cd\androidsdk\tools

C:\AndroidSDK\tools>adb shell mount /system

C:\AndroidSDK\tools>adb push hosts.txt /system/etc/hosts
cannot stat 'hosts.txt': No such file or directory

C:\AndroidSDK\tools>adb push hosts /system/etc/hosts
1246 KB/s (0 bytes in 1236506.000s)

C:\AndroidSDK\tools>adb reboot

"host.txt" did not work so i tried just "host"
is it correct?

cryshop · Nov 10, 2010

knnhzx said:
This is what i did:

C:\>cd\androidsdk\tools

C:\AndroidSDK\tools>adb shell mount /system

C:\AndroidSDK\tools>adb push hosts.txt /system/etc/hosts
cannot stat 'hosts.txt': No such file or directory

C:\AndroidSDK\tools>adb push hosts /system/etc/hosts
1246 KB/s (0 bytes in 1236506.000s)

C:\AndroidSDK\tools>adb reboot

"host.txt" did not work so i tried just "host"
is it correct?

Yes, change hosts.txt to hosts. When I wrote this tutorial, the file was hosts.txt but then I changed a better one (block more ads) : hosts

how would i know whether i have succeeded or not?

Open the app with ads and see the difference...like Angry Birds or Advanced Task Manager,.etc...

chinmoykanjilal · Nov 14, 2010

The only working method is in my signature link. Replace mtdblock4 with mtdblock3.

cryshop · Nov 14, 2010

chinmoykanjilal said:
The only working method is in my signature link. Replace mtdblock4 with mtdblock3.

This tutorial was being something about changing "mtdblock4" to "mtdblock3". But then I figured out we don't need that complicated command.

Just do

Code:

adb shell mount /system

is enough for our legend.

Rapier · Nov 17, 2010

What's the benefit in having ads removed besides them not showing up and less net traffic (even if the traffic is not so high due to this)? The apps still have that space for ads even if they're not showing up, plus I got frequent restarts of the application. After one day trying this, I've deleted the hosts file, at least now the apps ARE working. And finally if one doesn't like ads there's allways the option for buying/donate...that is also supporting development

How to : Remove ads on HTC Legend

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