Category adblock
Description of the issue:
Brave creates a folder in c:\program files\chrome_url_fetcher…
Or
c:\windows\temp\chrome_url_fetcher…
and fails to remove the folder and they accumulate to the detriment of the system
Steps to Reproduce (add as many as necessary): 1. 2. 3.
click a few block lists in brave://settings/shields/filters such as fanboy’s annoyances and easylist cookie
Actual Result (gifs and screenshots are welcome!):
open brave and go to a page with ads on it and let it run for a day
Expected result:
explorer search for chrome_url_fetcher* folders will result in 5-10-20 folders a day.
Reproduces how often:
Within a week there can be thousands of these folders
Operating System and Brave Version(See the About Brave page in the main menu):
Windows 10, windows 7
Additional Information:
Using time correlation the files downloaded to temp folder were moved to
C:\Users***\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\component_crx_cache
The files have a long numeric-text name with no extension
the first few charactars are cr24 which is a signed zip file.
Open them with 7z as a zip file. The content is:
“description”: “Brave Ad Block Updater extension”,
“key”: “M_deleted_AB”,
“manifest_version”: 2,
“name”: “Brave Ad Block Updater (Fanboy’s Annoyances + uBO Annoyances (plaintext))”,
“version”: “1.0.13288”
}
[Adblock Plus 2.0]
! Checksum: AnXCxij6HG3Jo698d0ayyA
! Title: Easylist Cookie List
! Updated: 2025-03-17 13:15 UTC
! Expires: 9 days (update frequency)
! License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
! Please report any unblocked content or problems by email or in our forums
! Email: [email protected]
! Homepage: https://easylist.to/
! Forums: https://forums.lanik.us/
!
! easylist_cookie_general_block.txt
-consent-banner-
-consent-banner.
-cookie-banner-$script
and it goes on.
So brave is downloading these updates for each checked option and maybe more at a frequency of 3 per hour x 24 hours is 72 per day (not exactly an hour).
The temp folder is created the content downloaded (3 files on mine) and immediately after download the files are moved to the above folder and it does not remove the temp folder.
So in one month the temp folders on the order of 2160 folders accumulate. This slows down the system as it must search past 2160 folders to get to the target temp file or temp folder.
The folder needs to be removed after the updates are moved.
The frequency of updates does not follow the expiration date in the downloaded files which is in the header of list.txt.
The crx file has no extension,
has a headar cr24 and if renamed to zip shows the content of list.txt a json file and a folder with another json file in it.
The folders are not created when brave is not running and when background ops are disabled. Brave is responsible for these folders. Current fix
search for folders beginning with chrome_url_fetcher*
Remove all.
Sometimes admin permission is required to remove the last few folders but they are all shown as empty upon search results.
Future fix requested: Track folder name and remove after moving the updated adblock files.
In an infrequently maintained computer I have found 10-20thousand of these folders.
After removal of the empty folders a notable improvment in system performace was noted, some programs were pausing a while before opening onto the desktop.