By work computer, I mean one that you have very limited control over - can’t install anything, or add extensions, etc.
For example, there used to be a trick where you could run a Bing search of a YouTube URL and the results would include an embed of the video but with Bing’s own video player, and something about that made the ads not work. Which was great - ad free YouTube on a computer I can’t install ad blockers on!
That doesn’t seem to work anymore, but makes me wonder if there are things like that - just little roundabout tricks to make the experience less trash, on a rig where my options are limited to what’s already there.
Asking about any tricks, not just YouTube or ad related ones (but those too if you know any!).
Thanks all!
I used to have to run “portable” apps that didn’t require any permissions to install or run.
https://portableapps.com/about
We got endpoint protection now and I can run way more stuff without jumping through hoops.
Messing with work computer can get you into legal trouble. Best check the policy.
Invidious
You can watch YouTube in DuckDuckGo to the same effect as you mentioned in the description. A boring answer is that you can install basically anything if you can get access to cmd, command prompt, or terminal. You can also install almost anything to user space instead of for all users. On Mac, this is kind of a hidden feature now, but you can make a
~/Applicationsfolder and put apps in there. Generally, if you ask IT, they can be helpful. “Hey, I need uBlock Origin so I waste less of my time at work.” isn’t going to make anyone blink twice.Assuming you’re dead set on getting fired for using corporate resources outside of approved methods, forward port 443 to an SSH server at home, use an SSH tunnel to connect to RDP or Xwin or VLC or whatever remote desktop, and run your home apps via local remote desktop.
If your org is running a well configured layer 7 firewall, they might block this as well.
/c/shittytechtips
if you have an unlimited data connection on your phone, use usb tethering, set the network interface priority to lowest, and configure ssh to tunnel through your phone (run sshd on termux). Use ssh -L from wsl
Make the case for ad and tracker blockers as bandwidth saving and don’t leak data.
I don’t think you need admin rights to install plugins in browsers, have it put Firefox, add the ublock origin plugin yourself. Or sync plugins from your Firefox on another computer.
Oh, they do. We are only allowed to use Edge, and most extensions are blocked.
The user also mentioned this is in a medical setting, not sure I’d be doing personal stuff on that computer at all. Do your work.
Firefox has Enterprise controls that can disable reading plugins or extensions from the user profile.
Use the work computer for work stuff and get your own for everything else. The company has reasons for locking down the machines and mucking about with that can get you into deep doodoo very quickly.
Probably trying to help OP too. In the case of YouTube, I’ve know management who want to know how long people use work computers for YouTube, so it blocks it. Take the hint op. Do personal things on personal devices. Work computer is for work
I can barely use my work computer for work, don’t give me ideas
If they are stupid enough not to install adblockers, their reasons for controlling the computer like that fail to impress me.
Agreed. That doesn’t make mucking about a good idea, though.
Maybe they’re not installing adblockers to discourage people from using it for other purposes?
If you are using it on your home network, you could still use network level adblocking with something like adguard or pihole. That won’t work if you are hybrid or fully in the office, but I share your pain. Windows is hell from the first login all the way through to the “these apps are preventing the computer from shitting down” screen.
As for watching YouTube, an alternative frontend like invideous may help. Alternatively, you might try duck duck go. I think they relay the video through their own server.
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A second computer? Maybe a tablet or so. A holder for your phone.
If all you want to do is watch or listen to stuff while you work that might be easier.
In my case, not an option. Healthcare setting, patient info is all over by our work stations, so having personal devices out will get you accused of a HIPAA violation in a hurry - even if it doesn’t have a camera, people get paranoid.
People do still use personal devices at work, but I see em get burned for that semi-regularly.
May I suggest an iPod shuffle; there isn’t even a screen to interface with.
Heh, humorous. The last time I was in the ER the doc was watching something about world of warcraft on youtube. I seriously debated slipping him a note about the various other ways to access it.
I’ve actually played on a private server alongside an anesthesiologist! We both grew up on Vanilla WoW and the earlier expansions, and both developed the same animosity to Blizzard for the finger they gave to that original target audience. The WoW itch is still real; but Blizzard won’t get another cent from me.
I’ve been desperately trying to get a friend who has played since vanilla to try a private server, but he just refuses on the basis that the progress made “isn’t real.” It’s incredibly frustrating.
You’ve probably tried this approach already, but just in case: “You don’t play videogames to make progress, and you don’t make progress by playing videogames. You play videogames to have fun and pass time, and those are driven by the experience brought on by the game’s content, not by the name of the game’s host. Also, fuck Blizzard.”
Don’t underestimate how much liberty you can get if you just install it via Microsoft store.
There’s portable Firefox (lots of apps actually) packages also, no install necessary in the first place. Bummer if they are only allowed to run pre-approved applications. In this case OP would have to live with the ads. Although I’d question why such a locked-down environment wouldn’t block ads via firewall in the first place.
Because legit ads aren’t malware. The edge protection devices actually filter and monitor the ad traffic like any other Internet traffic, scanning for known or heuristic attacks.
Blocking ads at the Enterprise is more expensive than it’s worth. When legit traffic is blocked, it makes work for the team, and avoiding that makes the filters too permissive to be useful.
Portable apps will get you fired, don’t use them if you’re not authorized.
There’s portable Firefox (lots of apps actually) packages also, no install necessary in the first place.
I’m sure we went through a phase at the day job where the (windows, ugh) machine was unable to execute apps not in the approved (unwritable) locations; local admins can execute a file saved specifically in C:\windows\tmp or so, just for installs. I’m not sure that’s still in-place after the 10->11 downgrade, but I wouldn’t be surprised. We’re pretty locked-down, and while we can request exemptions for work-derived stuff, we have a large agreement confirming we never use the work gear outside of work stuff so I haven’t needed to test the boundaries lately.
I work remotely and there’s no such reg covering side-gig or home gear used for day-job stuff; can’t be, if you think about it. So I KVM the pretty monitors and comfy keyboard over to the work box in the 9-5 and leave it absolutely untouched outside of that. It’s even in its own DMZ because we’re a small section of a larger shitbag global exploitation company and they could demand some whackadoo spy shit on us without us knowing, until we find out and tell the union.
So.
- you maybe can’t run third-party apps without a local admin account
- KVM switch. I use the one also available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DNS4RRY1 as HDMI is my floor tech level, but there are myriad variations to choose from.
That’s it. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk, and hit the merch table in the lobby.
Many companies will allow ad blocking extensions if you just ask.
If you’re at home, set up pihole or use an content-blocking DNS on your router. But then if you’re home, you should be using a personal device for non-work stuff. There are also a bunch of alternative (and some sketchy) front-ends for various websites.
I’ve honestly given up on getting around corporate controls and just completely separate personal stuff from work devices, especially nowadays when companies are going full big brother because of people using AI tools/agents and the chances of someone accidentally uploading stuff that shouldn’t be out there is getting increasingly common. So they are locking down stuff more and more, and increasing monitoring/surveillance.
Laptop is probably on a VPN, which will bypass your local DNS.
portable apps might work and also if the screen saver comes on outside your control you can fullsize a video or a presentation and then put something over it.
Running portable apps is a good way to get a call from the security team when endpoint protection blocks the unauthorized executable.
that would be the flip side of might.
