Brave was working well on YouTube until this week, so no old topic previously posted applies. I’ve added other adblock extensions to no avail.
I also cannot find the settings which force Brave to open to New Window or disable tabs. I do not want tabs on my desktop; I can open windows simultaneously to compare, so disabling tabs is desirable.
Other Windows OS 7 users running Brave Browser, have recently reported issues; for example:
Possible (temporary?) fix:
Brave crashes after inputting Bing in address bar - #5 by 289wk
Brave Browser installation location on Windows OS
Application “brave.exe”
64 architecture
C:\Program Files\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe
The initial Brave Browser Profile is, by default, named “Profile 1” (unless you change that name → brave://settings/getStarted).
The folder that contains the initial Brave Browser Profile, is the Default folder (a name that you must not change):
C:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\
That path may also be written:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\
If you create 1 additional Profile (aka “Profile 2”), it will be stored in folder Profile 1:
C:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Profile 1\
If you create a 2nd additional Profile (aka “Profile 3”), it will be stored in folder Profile 2:
C:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Profile 2\
IMPORTANT - Replacing Profile folders
When replacing Brave Browser Profile folders:
Folder named Default (including its contents) can only replace its likeness: the folder named Default.
Folder named Profile 1 (including its contents) can only replace its likeness: the folder named Profile 1.
Folder named Profile 2 (including its contents) can only replace its likeness: the folder named Profile 2.
IMPORTANT - Brave Browser Preferences
Some Brave Browser Preferences are stored in the Preferences file:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Preferences
The contents of that Preferences file, are not exactly the contents of, brave://prefs-internals/.
Some Brave Browser Preferences are stored in the Local State file:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Local State
Bookmarks and Bookmarks.bak files:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Bookmarks
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Bookmarks.bak
Cache (folder):
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Cache\
Cookies (file):
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Cookies
History (file - usually lots of data):
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\History
Crash Reports:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\CrashReports\
I don’t have any of those other issues, though. The YouTube issue is the only major one in this thread, but I also do need to find a way to avoid being forced to use tabs or a reduced-size window upon launch. The main issue is the YouTube mess.
Brave Support, re the running battle with YouTube ads:
-Adblock doesnt work - #12 by Mattches
-Youtube videos no longer playing - says "ad blocker"? - #7 by Mattches
My observations - here at the Brave Community - have been:
-
BB users who sign in to the Google-Sphere, report more often than BB users who are guests.
-
Both BB user categories sometimes find that using a VPN -AND- flipping through some of the available VPN connections, manages to restore the “expected behavior” (ie success).
In general, YouTube is more sensitive to adblock issues with Google-Sphere (Google eco-system) members. And Internet browser extensions make such issues more complex.
Extensions testing tips:
Extensions testing
- Disable ALL extensions that you have added
- Quit Brave Browser and Restart the Mac
- Test the issue
Testing extensions
- Enable extensions, one at a time, in order to individually test for issue - no combinations of extensions.
- Leave installation / enabling of extensions that are anti-virus, ad-blocking, for last.
- When installing anti-virus and ad-blocking extensions, install them / enable them, last. Anti-virus definitely at the end of the list.
- (I would leave anti-virus and ad-blocking extensions out of all testing, until the end.)
Combinations of extensions
- Enable combinations of extensions, in order to see which combinations of extensions will work without encountering the issue
Brave Shields tips:
I have more success, with:
- Brave Shields UP
- Either Allow All Cookies or Block 3rd Party Cookies, but NOT Blocking All Cookies
- Allowing JavaScripts from specific sources, but NOT Allowing All JavaScripts
- Trackers & Ads treatment: Aggressive (at first), and then incrementally relaxing that setting
- Fingerprinting (aka footprinting) blocking: Strict (at first), and then incrementally relaxing that setting
I almost NEVER use:
- All of Brave Shields UP
- All of Brave Shields DOWN
Shields Basics
How do I configure global and site-specific Shields settings?
How do I use Shields while browsing?
Chrome/Chomium support for Windows OS 7, ended on Jan. 1, 2023.
Last Brave Browser stable release for Windows OS 7:
Release v1.47.186 (Chromium 109.0.5414.119)
Released January 25, 2023
https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/releases/tag/v1.47.186