# How do I stop auto-refresh

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-auto-refresh/431664>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 30, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-auto-refresh/431664 "2007-12-30T03:05:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Thin\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Thin\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Ice)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-auto-refresh/431664/1 "2007-12-30T03:05:46Z")

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I’m using WinXP Home and IE7 and I can’t figure out how to stop The Drudge Report, and other sites, from auto-refreshing every few minutes. In IE6 disabling meta refresh does it, but not in 7. I’ve also disabled activeX controls with no success. What am I missing?  
If this has already been answered, could someone please point me in the right direction. Thanks.

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**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-auto-refresh/431664/2 "2007-12-30T03:31:09Z")

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Yes, while we’re at it, I’m on a Mac OS X using Firefox and I can’t get CNN to stop doing stuff. I have to close the CNN tab, because it’s slows everything else. Not to mention those dam ad windows. If it weren’t my favorite website for news I would drop it.

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**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-auto-refresh/431664/3 "2007-12-30T05:53:04Z")

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JavaScript is your culprit; a lot of sites are using that to auto-refresh instead of meta tags. You could disable JavaScript, though that mucks up a lot of websites, unfortunately. I did figure out how to block that specific script in Firefox (Adblock, FTR), but don’t know how to do that in IE.

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**Author:** ![Thin\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Thin\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Ice)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-auto-refresh/431664/4 "2007-12-30T15:05:29Z")

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Thanks, Geobabe, I disabled active scripting and that stopped those annoying refreshes. If it mucks up other sites I’ll just enable it for those. I think I’ll fix Firefox as well. You’re the best. Thanks again.