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

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.

anyone found a way to remove startup loading ads?

PS>.\HD-Adb.exe shell
* daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037 *
* daemon started successfully *
error: no devices/emulators found

And when I try the normal adb using the 5735 port -

PS>adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.bluestacks.s2p

Exception occurred while executing 'disable-user':
java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Unknown package: com.bluestacks.s2p
        at com.android.server.pm.ComputerEngine.getApplicationEnabledSetting(ComputerEngine.java:5294)
        at com.android.server.pm.IPackageManagerBase.getApplicationEnabledSetting(IPackageManagerBase.java:342)
        at com.android.server.pm.PackageManagerShellCommand.runSetEnabledSetting(PackageManagerShellCommand.java:2360)
        at com.android.server.pm.PackageManagerShellCommand.onCommand(PackageManagerShellCommand.java:274)
        at com.android.modules.utils.BasicShellCommandHandler.exec(BasicShellCommandHandler.java:97)
        at android.os.ShellCommand.exec(ShellCommand.java:38)
        at com.android.server.pm.PackageManagerService$IPackageManagerImpl.onShellCommand(PackageManagerService.java:6179)
        at android.os.Binder.shellCommand(Binder.java:1049)
        at android.os.Binder.onTransact(Binder.java:877)
        at android.content.pm.IPackageManager$Stub.onTransact(IPackageManager.java:4313)
        at com.android.server.pm.PackageManagerService$IPackageManagerImpl.onTransact(PackageManagerService.java:6163)
        at android.os.Binder.execTransactInternal(Binder.java:1285)
        at android.os.Binder.execTransact(Binder.java:1244)

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

(instructions here)

I figured I'd mention: as of Bluestacks 5.22.100, as far as I can tell, it seems to be aware that it's been tampered with and will terminate the android instance for "security reasons". Even reverting the hosts file edit won't fix this, requiring a full clean uninstall and reinstall. In my experience anyway.

EDIT:
Updated to add that this does seem to work on the MSI App Player, which is Bluestacks-based, and as of this post is on 5.22.75. This may indicate that either the "tampered" check is a new addition to Bluestacks, or that the MSI version just doesn't care. It did work, however, as their custom app-store believes it's been disconnected from the internet while everything else works fine.