Choose the right Firefox add-ons

Fix broken links
Broken links can be massively frustrating. It can seem that just when you really need to refer to a site, the server’s down and you get a 404 error. Resurrect Pages 2.0.3 is a handy extension that enables you to get to cached versions of pages when the real deal isn’t available.

Once installed, the extension replaces the standard ‘page cannot be displayed’ message with one that includes buttons that link to the main web cache services, including Google, Coral CDN, Yahoo, The Internet Archive and MSN Live Search. Just click a button to see if that service has a cached version of the page you’re trying to reach.

Sometimes you get a broken link due to typing errors. There’s no foolproof method of anticipating all mistakes, but common ones such as entering .con or .rog instead of .com or .org can be sorted by URL Fixer. This spots obvious mistakes such as this and corrects them before they have the chance to become an irritation.

No ads, please
Just as frustrating as broken links are pages that obscure their content with adverts. Content has to pay for itself, but in-your-face adverts help no-one. To make your browsing experience ad-free, consider installing Adblock Plus.

This automatically blocks content from a number of different subscription services and also enables you to select items that you want to block. It’s not always easy for software to determine what is an advert and what’s legitimate content, which is why this extension includes room for customisation.

When you first install the extension, you’re invited to subscribe to some popular services for ad blocking. It adds a button to the right of the Search bar. Click this to see a list of blockable items on the current page. Click the downwards arrow to the right of this button to see the Adblock menu.

Here you can opt to turn the filter on and off or to disable it on the current page or domain. Spare a thought for webmasters who use unobtrusive advertising to support their sites and consider disabling Adblock Plus on those sites you find genuinely useful. Some well-targeted adverts can be useful, supplementing the content of the sites they appear on ­ – and everyone has to make a living.

Adblock Plus is so effective that some webmasters try to prevent Firefox users from accessing their sites by performing a browser check and redirecting anyone not using Internet Explorer.