I can't change my IE homepage and I don't think it's spyware related

[Barbara]

I mostly use Google as a home page because it loads quickly. However, I installed Firefox on my home computer and only use IE for pages that don't work properly in Firefox. In this case it's the website of a takeout/delivery place.

So I wanted to change my homepage to that but in Tools/Internet options the buttons for that are grayed-out. So I noodled around with the security settings and allowed it to reset some of my settings to default.

Well, that changed my homepage to MSN (which I hate with the heat of 10,000 suns) and now I can't change it back.

Does anyone have any clue what could be causing this?

[Chicago1871]

Gremlins.

[MikeLastort2]

Is it a PC on your work network? I've seen things where network admins setup default home pages in a login script, and won't let you save changes you might make no matter how hard you try.

[Barbara]

Is it a PC on your work network? I've seen things where network admins setup default home pages in a login script, and won't let you save changes you might make no matter how hard you try.

No, it's my home computer.

Anyway, I am what passes for a network admin at my company. It's a really sorry state of affairs.

At work I don't have that problem but then I haven't installed Firefox yet, either.

[sarabella]

I had this problem thanks to ad-aware. It blocks browswer hijacks, which includes changing your homepage. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to allow it to change my homepage. Only happens in IE, not Firefox.

[Barbara]

I had this problem thanks to ad-aware. It blocks browswer hijacks, which includes changing your homepage. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to allow it to change my homepage. Only happens in IE, not Firefox.


Oooh.... good thinking. I'll check it out when I get home.


Edited to add that I just checked my Ad-aware settings at work and there's a settings tab for Ad-watch on which all the options are gray-out. One of the settings is "block all possible browser hijacks."

Is Ad-watch something you have to pay for? Yes, yes it is.

[Barbara]

Oooh.... good thinking. I'll check it out when I get home.


Edited to add that I just checked my Ad-aware settings at work and there's a settings tab for Ad-watch on which all the options are gray-out. One of the settings is "block all possible browser hijacks."

Is Ad-watch something you have to pay for? Yes, yes it is.


Okay, it wasn't Ad-Aware causing the problem, it was Spybot S&D causing the problem. I changed a setting and now everything is groovy.


Thank you, sarabella.

[sarabella]

Excellent, glad to at least point you in the right direction.

[Scarecrow]

Okay, it wasn't Ad-Aware causing the problem, it was Spybot S&D causing the problem. I changed a setting and now everything is groovy.


Thank you, sarabella.


Have either of you used HijackThis?

If not, I do recommend it even if you are using Ad-Aware and Spybot.

I will have to go on my other computer later and post a link to where you can post your log file and have it read through.

[Dave_M]

[QUOTE=scarecrow19d]Have either of you used HijackThis?

If not, I do recommend it even if you are using Ad-Aware and Spybot.
[QUOTE]

I dunno if i downloaded the same tool as you. Lot of tools by that name came up when I looked. I found it to be a bit risky though. It just points out possible problems, and when I ran it on my machine suggested a couple of legitimate processes were spyware - not good :)

Microsoft have a tool in Beta at the moment over at:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=321cd7a2-6a57-4c57-a8bd-dbf62eda9671&displaylang=en

Youll need to validate your copy of windows to download it, so pirates need not apply, but its shaping up to be quite the nifty bit of kit.

[Scarecrow]

[QUOTE=scarecrow19d]Have either of you used HijackThis?

If not, I do recommend it even if you are using Ad-Aware and Spybot.
[QUOTE]

I dunno if i downloaded the same tool as you. Lot of tools by that name came up when I looked. I found it to be a bit risky though. It just points out possible problems, and when I ran it on my machine suggested a couple of legitimate processes were spyware - not good :)

Microsoft have a tool in Beta at the moment over at:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=321cd7a2-6a57-4c57-a8bd-dbf62eda9671&displaylang=en

Youll need to validate your copy of windows to download it, so pirates need not apply, but its shaping up to be quite the nifty bit of kit.

When I run it, I usually post the log file to Tech Forum site and they have admins who actually parse the file and give recommendations as to what to kill and what to keep. It says in the readme that it will pick up legit programs, including Ad-Aware.

[servotron]

You may have a "Browser Helper Object" installed that you didn't know about.

Get out there and find a nice little program called "BHO Demon" and install it. It will let you pick and choose what programs infiltrate your IE, and chances are, you've got at least one or two that Spybot and such didn't grab.

BHO Demon has saved me on many occasions, on many machines!

[Sinko]

Microsoft have a tool in Beta at the moment over at:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=321cd7a2-6a57-4c57-a8bd-dbf62eda9671&displaylang=en

Youll need to validate your copy of windows to download it, so pirates need not apply, but its shaping up to be quite the nifty bit of kit.Just downloaded this yesterday and thus far am very happy witht the results.

It actually found a trojan that my AV had not.

[Scarecrow]

[QUOTE=scarecrow19d]Have either of you used HijackThis?

If not, I do recommend it even if you are using Ad-Aware and Spybot.
[QUOTE]

I dunno if i downloaded the same tool as you. Lot of tools by that name came up when I looked. I found it to be a bit risky though. It just points out possible problems, and when I ran it on my machine suggested a couple of legitimate processes were spyware - not good :)

Microsoft have a tool in Beta at the moment over at:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=321cd7a2-6a57-4c57-a8bd-dbf62eda9671&displaylang=en

Youll need to validate your copy of windows to download it, so pirates need not apply, but its shaping up to be quite the nifty bit of kit.

Thanks for this info, nice tool. I did not have to validate in order to download it though