How to install AdSweep for Google Chrome

by David Gilbert

Update 12-Feb-2010: Now that Chrome more fully embraces extensions, I’m using the AdBlock extension.

Update 16-Nov-2009: Looks like Chrome 4 is not yet supported by AdSweep. In addition it looks like AdSweep was abandoned by the original author, and has been taken over by someone else, and the AdSweep site itself has been turned over to low-life advertising. At this point, I’d recommend not using AdSweep. I have not yet found any good alternatives – let me know if you find anything.

There have been numerous ways to block ads in Google Chrome for a while now. The more popular is Privoxy which has the side effect of being a pain to get running, and affecting all web traffic on your machine. Well, there is finally an ‘easy-to-install’ way of ad-blocking in Chrome.

Be aware that this version of AdSweep is itself early in development, so there is no UI, nor any auto-update mechanism.

At the moment you need to be running the 2.0 development version of Chrome. Full instructions are here, but in summary:

  1. Download and run the Google Chrome Channel Changer.
  2. Click the “Dev” radio button, and click Update to save your choice.
  3. Click Close.
  4. In Google Chrome, click the wrench menu and choose About Google Chrome.
  5. Click Update Now to install the current channel’s release.
  6. Close Google Chrome (don’t bother restarting as we need to do some more steps).

Next, download and install AdSweep .

  1. Download and save AdSweep for Chrome, specifically the .crx file. (Save to a temporary directory.)
  2. Find out where Google Chrome is installed – easiest way is to right-click on the Chrome shortcut icon, choose Properties, and look at the Target. For some reason that seems to be:
    C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\Application
    Whilst you’re looking at the Chrome shortcut, add “–enable-extensions” to the end of the Target, so you end up with something like:
    "C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --enable-extensions
  3. Open a DOS prompt (goto the Start menu, Run, and type cmd), and from the Chrome directory run this command line, replacing the “path\to\temporary\directory” with the path you used in step [1]:
    chrome.exe --install-extension="path\to\temporary\directory\adsweep.crx"
  4. Verify that the extension was installed by visiting AdSweep – you should see a red flag in the top right. (Alternately see what extensions you have installed by visiting chrome-ui://extensions/.)

That’s it. You now have Chromized ad-free surfing. Note that AdSweep does download the ads, but simply hides them in the browser. This is a double edged sword – it means your downloading the ad, so no imporvements in download times, but it also means the site gets some credit for you ‘seeing’ the ad, which is a good thing.