Remove BlueStacks Ads

Remove BlueStacks Ads

# Windows
1. Open Windows Command Prompt
2. Run command
  "C:\Program Files (x86)\BlueStacks\HD-Adb.exe" shell
 
# Within BlueStacks shell
/system/xbin/bstk/su
pm disable-user com.bluestacks.s2p


# macOS
1. Open Terminal
2. Run command:
  /Applications/BlueStacks.app/Contents/MacOS/adb shell

# Within BlueStacks shell
/system/xbin/bstk/su
pm disable-user com.bluestacks.s2p


# Error: device not found
# Kill the server with ADB
# Make sure BlueStacks is running before you try to start ADB and disable the user

# Windows
  "C:\Program Files (x86)\Bluestacks\HD-Adb.exe" kill-server

#macOS
  /Applications/BlueStacks.app/Contents/MacOS/adb kill-server

This is the new method that I used First, you need to install WSL or Linux VM. I used WSL.

Open WSL in C:\ProgramData\BlueStacks_nxt\Engine\Pie64:

cd /mnt/c/ProgramData/BlueStacks_nxt/Engine/Pie64

sudo modprobe nbd
sudo qemu-nbd -c /dev/nbd0 Root.vhd 
sudo debugfs -w /dev/nbd0p1

( If you dont't have qemu-nbd and debugfs, try to install it via apt. )

Now we see, we can edit Root.vhd : type ls:

In debugfs prompt:

cd android
dump ./system/etc/hosts /tmp/hosts

It will dump ./system/etc/hosts of Root.vhd to /tmp/hosts of your Linux machine.

Edit /tmp/hosts:

127.0.0.1       localhost
::1             ip6-localhost
127.0.0.1       coinhive.com
127.0.0.1 adservice.google.com
127.0.0.1 pagead2.googlesyndication.com
127.0.0.1 googleads.g.doubleclick.net
0.0.0.0 cloud.bluestacks.com
0.0.0.0 cloud-api-cdn.bluestacks.com
0.0.0.0 cdn-icon.bluestacks.com
0.0.0.0 cdn-bgp.bluestacks.com
0.0.0.0 bluestacks.com
0.0.0.0 www.bluestacks.com

In debugfs prompt:

unlink ./system/etc/hosts
write /tmp/hosts ./system/etc/hosts
q

Use:

sudo qemu-nbd -d /dev/nbd0

to detach the disk file.

Now we see the ads is removed.

Update:

You can disable its own laucher by running:

pm disable-user com.uncube.launcher3

But before doing it, remember to install alternative laucher ( like Nova ).

I recommend this.

Notice

Why I know those hosts:

I used Http Toolkit to hook https requests of Bluestack launcher app:

Is there an alternative that doesn't require wsl or that is compatible with wsl1?

These exact steps don't work on wsl1 because it lacks the nbd module :(

Okay this isn't exactly an alternative but here's what I did.

I flipped and double checked a handful of configs in C:\ProgramData\BlueStacks_nxt\bluestacks.conf, more specifically these:

bst.feature.rooting="1"
bst.feature.nowbux="0"
bst.feature.nowgg_login_popup="0"
bst.feature.bluestacksX="0"
bst.instance.Rvc64.enable_root_access="1"
bst.feature.auto_upload_nowgg_moments="0"
bst.feature.send_internal_notification_stats="0"
bst.feature.send_notification_stats="0"
bst.feature.send_nowbux_login_boot_stats="0"
bst.feature.send_offer_stats="0"
bst.feature.send_programmatic_ads_boot_stats="0"
bst.feature.send_programmatic_ads_click_stats="0"
bst.feature.send_programmatic_ads_fill_stats="0"
bst.feature.skipNowggLogin="1"
bst.instance.Rvc64.nowbux_signin_completed="0"
bst.instance.Rvc64.nowgg_email=""
bst.instance.Rvc64.nowgg_userAvatarUrl=""
bst.instance.Rvc64.nowgg_userId=""
bst.instance.Rvc64.nowgg_username=""
bst.instance.Rvc64.show_nowbux_rewards_red_dot_onboarding="0"
bst.feature.programmatic_ads="0"

Note: rvc64 is the code for Android 11. I use Android 11 on Bluestacks.

Then I made the file Read-Only to avoid Bluestacks messing with it, then I booted up Bluestacks and installed a launcher of my choice.

Having enabled root with some of the prefs above, I used this apk, UninstallSystemApps to uninstall a handful of things, now.gg packages and the Home launcher mainly.
Bluestacks works a bit better than before now, and the launcher I installed is hyper minimalistic and fast.
If there's anything else to add or improve here, let me know.

android

Did you try the absolute path /android/system/etc/hosts

Okay this isn't exactly an alternative but here's what I did.

I flipped and double checked a handful of configs in C:\ProgramData\BlueStacks_nxt\bluestacks.conf, more specifically these:

bst.feature.rooting="1" bst.feature.nowbux="0" bst.feature.nowgg_login_popup="0" bst.feature.bluestacksX="0" bst.instance.Rvc64.enable_root_access="1" bst.feature.auto_upload_nowgg_moments="0" bst.feature.send_internal_notification_stats="0" bst.feature.send_notification_stats="0" bst.feature.send_nowbux_login_boot_stats="0" bst.feature.send_offer_stats="0" bst.feature.send_programmatic_ads_boot_stats="0" bst.feature.send_programmatic_ads_click_stats="0" bst.feature.send_programmatic_ads_fill_stats="0" bst.feature.skipNowggLogin="1" bst.instance.Rvc64.nowbux_signin_completed="0" bst.instance.Rvc64.nowgg_email="" bst.instance.Rvc64.nowgg_userAvatarUrl="" bst.instance.Rvc64.nowgg_userId="" bst.instance.Rvc64.nowgg_username="" bst.instance.Rvc64.show_nowbux_rewards_red_dot_onboarding="0" bst.feature.programmatic_ads="0"

Note: rvc64 is the code for Android 11. I use Android 11 on Bluestacks.

Then I made the file Read-Only to avoid Bluestacks messing with it, then I booted up Bluestacks and installed a launcher of my choice.

Having enabled root with some of the prefs above, I used this apk, UninstallSystemApps to uninstall a handful of things, now.gg packages and the Home launcher mainly. Bluestacks works a bit better than before now, and the launcher I installed is hyper minimalistic and fast. If there's anything else to add or improve here, let me know.

I did try to modify bluestacks.conf but I saw BlueStack modify it again. I might need more time to research about this.
Anyway, if you need, I can upload a clean vhdx which removed ads to you.