Can't get rid of MSN as home page in IE

[Guest]

Since performing the latest Windows Update that was available a couple months
ago, Explorer sets the MSN page as the default home page. I change it every
time to Google, but after the next disk cleanup, MSN is back as default home
page. Have never had a similar problem before, and it's only begun after that
Windows Update.
Suggestions anyone?
NOTE: I am sure I have no virus, adware, spyware or other malware!

 

[RWS]

Since performing the latest Windows Update that was available a couple months
ago, Explorer sets the MSN page as the default home page. I change it every
time to Google, but after the next disk cleanup, MSN is back as default home
page. Have never had a similar problem before, and it's only begun after that
Windows Update.
Suggestions anyone?
NOTE: I am sure I have no virus, adware, spyware or other malware!

 

[Guest]

"RWS" skrev:

Since performing the latest Windows Update that was available a couple months
ago, Explorer sets the MSN page as the default home page. I change it every
time to Google, but after the next disk cleanup, MSN is back as default home
page. Have never had a similar problem before, and it's only begun after that
Windows Update.
Suggestions anyone?
NOTE: I am sure I have no virus, adware, spyware or other malware!

 

[john]

Very interesting. At the company I work for a handful of people have
noticed this over the last couple of weeks. Our ghost configuration is
XP SP2, running Office SP1. The only changes we have made to the
desktop over the last few months are the security patches. (We're
rolling out Office SP2 in January).

To recap:

- only occurs to a few.
- only occurs at boot time.
- even then only intermittently. Whilst I have a few users who seem
to get it quite often, I've only had it the once, personally.

We've pretty well exhausted KB 320159. Looking at HiJackThis shows
nothing of interest al all.

I have a side-bet that another couple of rounds of security updates and
the problem will evaporate of its own accord.

Any other insights or glimmerings of madness?

 

[Beth N]

Very interesting. At the company I work for a handful of people have
noticed this over the last couple of weeks. Our ghost configuration is
XP SP2, running Office SP1. The only changes we have made to the
desktop over the last few months are the security patches. (We're
rolling out Office SP2 in January).

To recap:

- only occurs to a few.
- only occurs at boot time.
- even then only intermittently. Whilst I have a few users who seem
to get it quite often, I've only had it the once, personally.

We've pretty well exhausted KB 320159. Looking at HiJackThis shows
nothing of interest al all.

I have a side-bet that another couple of rounds of security updates and
the problem will evaporate of its own accord.

Any other insights or glimmerings of madness?

I started seeing this over the past couple of weeks - to me it happens
consistently after reboot, my IE start page is reset to MSN. I only
installed various MS security updates, nothing else changed. No
insights, sorry...but I am going slightly mad myself.

 

[Guest]

hello Beth & Thomas,

i'm experiencing the same problem as you.
have you found the solution ?

thank you in advance..

 

[john]

We seem to have a candidate solution for this. At startup there is GPO
option to "synchronise" the desktop - i.e. wait until all the scripts
have started finishing before presenting the desktop. So far this
alleviates the problem.

The theory is that, by default, all the scripts are dispatched
asynchronously. Our scripts include starting II (yes, I know we
shouldn't, it is a long tawdry saga with our internal communications
group). For some users, notably those with ost's, there seems to be
enough background work that we guess the are startup parameters are
being applied after IE has started - so the default is applied. By
using the GPO, IE isn't started until all scripts have finished - and
all our parameters are applied.

Anyway, so far, so good.

 

[john]

We seem to have a candidate solution for this. At startup there is GPO
option to "synchronise" the desktop - i.e. wait until all the scripts
have started finishing before presenting the desktop. So far this
alleviates the problem.

The theory is that, by default, all the scripts are dispatched
asynchronously. Our scripts include starting II (yes, I know we
shouldn't, it is a long tawdry saga with our internal communications
group). For some users, notably those with ost's, there seems to be
enough background work that we guess the are startup parameters are
being applied after IE has started - so the default is applied. By
using the GPO, IE isn't started until all scripts have finished - and
all our parameters are applied.

Anyway, so far, so good.