How to get rid of those banners on ICQ messages!

[SonOfZeuz]

Heres my edited NO Banner ICQCore.dll for version 2000b v4.60 build 3278
ICQCore.dll


Remember - make sure auto update is set to "no" in your registry

 

[techg7]

if its just as basic as html i shouldnt have a problem, if you get some time it would probably help many people if you could write out all the instructions, thanks again

 

[techg7]

wooooooooohoooooooooo the pain and torture finally ends, ive sucessfully removed all the banners thanks to taligent. truely wonderful work.

 

[Slikkster]

And props to SonofZeuz for identifying the file in question and the editor to do the job. That, in my view, was key.

 

[techg7]

agreed... it was due to much colaboration between several other contributors, including yourself slikkster. As the originator of this thread, I feel as though I should thank everybody who helped out one way or another.

 

[Haribo]

????

The Hack doesn't seem to work on ICQ 2000a (Build 3143)
I turned of AutoUpdate, Transaction = No on both Partner and reader in the register didn't delete the url's though cause that caused ICQ to crash. And hacked the ICQCore.dll according to SonOfZeuz description.

It worked perfectly for about 30sec then the bloody window apeared again!!!
And If I overwrite the file again it doesn't work at all anymore?

And If I edit the "changed" file, I find that it hasn't changed... my changes are still there?

F_CK !!!
I hate the frigging "ICQAteBrowser version 1.0" window!!!

please help.

Have I Missed something?

 

[SonOfZeuz]

Haribo,
You must have done something wrong, I have auto update set to "no" Transaction = yes on both Partner and reader. I used reshack to modify icqcore.dll as posted by taligent (nice job tali) and now have no banners at all. i posted a link to my edited icqcore.dll but that is for 2000b 4.60
Perhaps you could send your (unedited) icqcore.dll and i will edit it.

 

[Haribo]

My ICQCore.dll original and edited should be in your email box very soon.

 

[SonOfZeuz]

Haribo,
I sent you an Edited ICQCore.dll

Make sure Auto Update is "No" and you delete the following files
icqateima32.dll (removes advertisement downloading)
icqateimg32.dll (removes the loading of images)
icqateres.dll (removes part of the advertisement function)

Then replace your icqcore.dll with the edited one

 

[Taligent]

For those of you modifying ICQCore.dll from 2000b 4.63 Build 3279, the following dialog boxes need to be edited:

2066 - ICQ Global Directory - Contact List Wizard
2503 - Incoming Action Type Event
2507 - Send Message
2511 - Send ChatDirect Request
2512 - Send FileDirect Request
2513 - Send Online/Offline URL Message
2514 - Sending External Application Request
2543 - Send Contacts
2560 - Birthday Reminder
2566 - Initiating Message
4501 - Receiving/Sending File(s) To/From

The Birthday Reminder dialog box is even more annoying in 2000b than in 2000a - AOL created no less than three separate ad spaces in one very small window. You'll need to zero out the dimensions of the ad spaces as with the other dialog boxes and then change the y position value of each component of the dialog box - two of the ads are place at the top of the dialog box, so changing the y position by -26 or so for each of the components will bring the text and buttons back to their original locations.

Sample code for moving dialog box components:

2560 DIALOG 0, 0, 234, 89
STYLE DS_SETFONT | WS_MINIMIZEBOX | WS_POPUP | WS_CAPTION | WS_SYSMENU
CAPTION "Birthday Reminder"
LANGUAGE LANG_ENGLISH, SUBLANG_ENGLISH_US
FONT 8, "MS Sans Serif"
{
CONTROL "Send &Message", 1000, BUTTON, BS_PUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 69, 28, 76, 14
CONTROL "Send &Greeting Card", 1001, BUTTON, BS_PUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 147, 28, 76, 14
CONTROL "Visit the ICQ &Birthday Center ", 1002, BUTTON, BS_PUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 69, 47, 154, 14
CONTROL "&Remind Again in", 1013, BUTTON, BS_PUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 91, 68, 59, 14
CONTROL "", 1007, COMBOBOX, CBS_DROPDOWNLIST | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_VSCROLL | WS_TABSTOP, 160, 69, 74, 140
CONTROL "&Close && Dismiss", 1, BUTTON, BS_PUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 6, 68, 57, 14
CONTROL "", -1, STATIC, SS_BITMAP | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, 2, 3, 20, 20
CONTROL "[USERNAME] has a birthday", 6577, STATIC, SS_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 69, 3, 154, 8
CONTROL "", -1, STATIC, SS_BLACKFRAME | SS_SUNKEN | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, 10, 63, 224, 1
CONTROL "birthday date is [DATE]", 6578, STATIC, SS_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 69, 16, 154, 8
CONTROL "", 1067, STATIC, SS_BLACKFRAME | SS_SUNKEN | WS_CHILD | WS_GROUP, 0, 86, 0, 0
CONTROL "", 1066, "{9F9012BA-E55B-11D3-ADE7-0090270D8F00}", 0x50000000, 0, 88, 0, 0
CONTROL "", 1069, "{9F9012BA-E55B-11D3-ADE7-0090270D8F00}", 0x50000000, 68, 2, 0, 0
CONTROL "", 1070, "{9F9012BA-E55B-11D3-ADE7-0090270D8F00}", 0x50000000, 155, 2, 0, 0
}

 

[SonOfZeuz]

Taligent, See if there is anything you think should be added to the following:

STEPS FOR ELIMINATING BANNER BOXES ON ICQ

Make sure ICQ is not Running.

1)- Download Reshack from http://www.rpi.net.au/~ajohnson/resourcehacker/

2)- Look for Auto Update in your registry HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mirabilis\ICQ\DefaultPrefs
And set the value to "No"

3)- Delete the following files from your ICQ folder
icqateima32.dll (removes advertisement downloading)
icqateimg32.dll (removes the loading of images)
icqateres.dll (removes part of the advertisement function)

4)- Open ICQCore.dll in Reshack.

4a) Go through each of the Dialogs till you see one with
a banner box.

4b) Click the banner box and it will highlight the control
for that box.

4c) Change the last 2 numbers in that control to 0, 0 Example;
CONTROL "", 1070, "{9F9012BA-E55B-11D3-ADE7-0090270D8F00}", 0x50000000, 1, 158, 260, 38
Becomes
CONTROL "", 1070, "{9F9012BA-E55B-11D3-ADE7-0090270D8F00}", 0x50000000, 1, 158, 0, 0

4d) Change the main dialog box size coordinates (at the top of the script) to
ad box y coordinate +1. Example(for above control you take the 158
then change the main dialog box y coordinate to 158+1 (159) So;
2503 DIALOGEX 0, 0, 262, 196
Becomes
2503 DIALOGEX 0, 0, 262, 159

NOTE The last four digits are position/size coordinates - first set is x,y position, the second set is x,y size.

4e) Compile the script

4f) Repete for all dialogs with banner ads then save the file (Have a backup of ICQCore.dll just in case something goes wrong)

 

[Elledan]

I find it surprising that so many people have problems removing those annoying banners and Ate browser box.

If anyone is interested, I offer the critical parts of ICQ (core and some folders plus misc. .dll files) for download. Just contact me and I'll send you the files you want

I'm running ICQ 2000b Build #3278 (on Win2k, BTW).

 

[Twizitd]

i have edited my icqcore.dll removed all ads, not just the messgae box ones.. all of em if u need version ICQ 2000a (Build 3143) of the core email me anghell@mybc.com

 

[cheapass]

techg7
SonOfZeuz
Taligent

You guys are truly valued members of the anandtech community. Thanks man!

You ROCK! Don't know how you did it, but keep up the good work!

 

[chendol]

Yeah me too got hit with the banner thing. It sux big time

And thanx to techg7, SonOfZeuz, Taligent efforts we now have banner free icq. Thanx for the info guys. Very much appreciated

 

[Ploucos]

Guys .... just one thing .... you are AMAZING !!
Anandtech really really rocks, everyday I realize more and more how this anandtech community is just unbeleivable ....
I've been looking everywhere for a solution to those ugly ads and I even considered not using ICQ anymore because it pissed me off so much ...
SonofZeus I have to say you really are a genius, way too cool what I've just learned in a few minutes of reading your posts

Thanks all, thumbs up and keep on the good work !
Ploucos

 

[Twizitd]

found another ad, in the pref/security/in tabs in ignore user and invisible, when u click on add user, theres a banner at the top.......

 

[Taligent]

I just noticed that Add User ad yesterday. AOL didn't want to make it too easy...so here are the additional files to to edit for complete removal of the remaining ad boxes:

File: ICQPlug.dll
Dialog box: 8007

File: ICQSearc.dll
Dialog box: 2008
Dialog box: 2066

File: ICQSMS.dll
Dialog box: 159
Dialog box: 171

File: ICQVoice.dll
Dialog box: 138

Edit: The above modifications are for ICQ 2000b 4.63 Build 3279.

 

[Twizitd]

hmm i fixed it without deleting anything.. i just found the boxes dialog in the icqcore.dll

 

[aolj]

This is cool! With that program, I could actually, make ICQ look like the way I want too! Thanks ya all.

 

[Oda]

Thanks a lot for the hack.
It's my birthday on the 10th and this is a wonderful pressie

Oda

 

[NaughtyusMaximus]

Excellent info guys.

 

[DarkMajiq]

Woohoo! I love you guys! Tagilent, SonOfZeuz, techg7, Elledan (and anyone else who came up with solutions that I've forgotten), you ROCK!

 

[chuckieland]

how do i kill the "icqatebrowser version 1" box

 

[Gorgonzola]

now if a coder could make a little prog that will do all those changes automatically we'd be set