# Every time I go to a new page here, my computer downloads a new html file **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 18, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159 "2012-10-18T20:07:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/1 "2012-10-18T20:07:04Z")
Never had this happen before, don’t know what to do. I started browsing here a few minutes ago, and every time that I go to a new page, my downloads folder pops up - each file is “dk-#.html” The # started at 1, and I’m now up to 13. Help!! ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/2 "2012-10-18T20:37:25Z")
Same thing happening to me. Not every time but fairly regularly. First noticed it a few days ago but only happened a couple times and thought it was an aberration. Now it is definitely the SDMB adservice. Opera file notification reads: Name: dk.html Type: Opera Web Document From: [optimized-by.rubiconproject.com](http://optimized-by.rubiconproject.com) ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/3 "2012-10-19T01:41:37Z")
Rubicon is one of the ad providers for The Straight Dope and is actually legit. ---
**Author:** ![Astral\_Rejection](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@Astral\_Rejection](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astral_Rejection)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/4 "2012-10-19T02:43:30Z")
Sometimes my iPad will report “Safari can’t download files of this type” instead of opening a thread. I’m guessing it’s a similar issue? ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/5 "2012-10-19T07:16:16Z")
IDK, but legit or not I am confused why it comes up as if I am attempting to download a file. Either Rubicon is doing something that confuses Opera or their code is broken or something on some page loads. I’ll just ignore it. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/6 "2012-10-19T13:29:45Z")
I’d be curious what the header of the html file looks like. That might explain it. E.g., this page (from “View source” in Opera) is: ```auto ``` The most important part is the content="text/html part. If that part is wrong, then some browsers in some settings don’t know what to do with an html file and a default behavior might be to save it rather than render it. Assuming it is renderable at all and isn’t some non-html gibberish with an html extension. ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/7 "2012-10-19T16:25:15Z")
The last time it happened I noticed the in-line ad that normally appears between the first and second post didn’t load. Maybe it is an issue with the ad html? Haven’t had it happen today yet but if/when it does I’ll inspect the header and post it. ---
**Author:** ![tap4154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ba0ec/32.png) [@tap4154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tap4154)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/8 "2012-10-21T16:16:36Z")
I began getting the dk.html dialog window every time Drudge refreshed, after upgrading from Opera 11 to Opera 12.02. I removed Opera 12 and went back to Opera 11, and it’s no longer happening. So it seems like Opera 12 and Safari have something in common causing this. I’m not savvy in computer code, so have no solutions, but just wanted to add this to the mix for the experts to consider. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/9 "2012-10-21T17:15:35Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > Rubicon is one of the ad providers for The Straight Dope and is actually legit. Uh…isn’t Rubicon the guys that have been serving up ads filled with malware? ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/10 "2012-10-21T18:32:47Z")
> [@Trepa\_Mayfield](#): > > Uh…isn’t Rubicon the guys that have been serving up ads filled with malware? Not that I’m aware of. No legitimate ad server will deliberately deliver malware to its customers; they’re as injured by this as their customers. ---
**Author:** ![SubaRhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@SubaRhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SubaRhubarb)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/11 "2012-10-21T20:16:25Z")
Well, as Rubicon owns Sitescout, it IS beneficial for them to serve up malware. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/12 "2012-10-21T21:02:14Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > Not that I’m aware of. > > No legitimate ad server will deliberately deliver malware to its customers; they’re as injured by this as their customers. I didn’t say anything about deliberately. We know that people have been getting malware from ads, in significant proportions, from the SDMB ads. We know that Rubicon is the primary ad server for the SDMB. Therefore, I’m not about to trust Rubicon. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/13 "2012-10-21T21:45:09Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > Not that I’m aware of. > > No legitimate ad server will deliberately deliver malware to its customers; they’re as injured by this as their customers. You are well aware that they are, as it’s been reported repeatedly. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/14 "2012-10-21T21:47:37Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > You are well aware that they are, as it’s been reported repeatedly. Deliberately? I think that’s the operative word in TD’s reply. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/15 "2012-10-22T14:15:13Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Deliberately? I think that’s the operative word in TD’s reply. She claims not to be aware Rubicon are serving up malware. That was the part of the claim I found… surprising. It’s not so much that they are deliberately doing it as not caring whether they do or don’t, as long as they’re getting paid. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/16 "2012-10-22T15:59:59Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > She claims not to be aware Rubicon are serving up malware. That was the part of the claim I found… surprising. > > It’s not so much that they are deliberately doing it as not caring whether they do or don’t, as long as they’re getting paid. That is not what I said. I said The Rubicon Project is a legitimate company. At one time or another all of the ad providers have served up malware. I can’t speak to their degrees of diligence but certainly no company serves up malware deliberately; it’s bad for business. When malware gets into the system the ad providers are victims just like everyone else. It’s happened to every ad company out there, not just Rubicon. I do note that Rubicon took the situation so seriously that they acquired a malware detection company. [Magnite Press Room | Latest News & Media Coverage in Ad Tech](http://www.rubiconproject.com/press-releases/the-rubicon-project-acquires-seattle-based-malware-security-company-sitescout/) ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/17 "2012-10-22T21:29:08Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > I do note that Rubicon took the situation so seriously that they acquired a malware detection company. [Magnite Press Room | Latest News & Media Coverage in Ad Tech](http://www.rubiconproject.com/press-releases/the-rubicon-project-acquires-seattle-based-malware-security-company-sitescout/) A pessimist might view that as Rubicon having so much trouble trying to police malvertising in their business model they were forced to acquire outside expertise. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-time-i-go-to-a-new-page-here-my-computer-downloads-a-new-html-file/638159/18 "2012-10-23T05:41:43Z")
Sounds like a broken ad. Both Chrome and Firefox should list the URL in question. That URL needs to be sent to Rubicon so they can check and see what’s going on. I believe the usual procedure is either to paste it here or email it to Tuba, and, either way, she will forward it to the appropriate person to get it to Rubicon.