Help me remove Live Search instead of 404 error!

[toysareforboys]

This is really starting to get me upset.

First, my ISP (Rogers) started redirecting 404 errors to their ad filled
result page. Going into the options and setting it not to do that too you to
an even worse fake 404 error page that masked the misspelled URL! Finally
fixed that (for any rogers customers that don't want their 404 search page,
manually specify your DNS server to the Rogers alternate of 64.71.255.202).

Now that I fixed that, a misspelled URL takes me to the even more retarded
Live Search results. I've seen info on how to change your default search
provider in IE7 (but I don't think that's the exact solution anyway), but no
info on IE6.

Please, God, I just want my 404 error page back!

Any ideas? XP Pro OEM SP2 64BIT, IE6, no live search toolbars, no live
anything installed.

THANKS IN ADVANCE!

-Jamie M.

 

[Peter Foldes]

Please, God, I just want my 404 error page back!

I got to tell you that request is a first on me. Must have some very interesting Ads on that page

When was the last time you checked your system for any malware. Just out of curiosity

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

IE Tools | Internet Options | Advanced | Search from the Address bar | Do
not search from the Address bar (check)

 

[toysareforboys]

As soon as I seen all the ads on my 404 error page (the Rogers one) the first
thing I did was run full scans with everything known to man (I run Eset Smart
Security on my computer as protection. Tried their online scanner, Trend
Micro, Bit Defender. Ran HiJack This, rootkit scanners, you name it). Squeaky
clean cept a few cookies.

The only page that has ads is the default rogers one. The Live Search one
doesn't have an ad other then asking me to register whatever domain it is
that doesn't exist. I just HATE it because with a normal 404 error page, I
just look at the URL, correct the mistake, hit enter, boom, takes me right to
the right page. Now, I have to remove all of the search.live.com prefix plus
all the %2f, +, etc to get back to the actual URL and correct it! So insane!!!

Check out these screen shots.

1. A week ago, all of a sudden the standard 404 error page disappears and
this page starts showing up:
http://www.toysareforboys.com/iesucks/defaultrogers404error.jpg

2. After calling Rogers and them telling me to click on the Options link
(way at the bottom of the screen after 100 non-relevent results), and setting
it to disable, brings up this fake 404 rogers error screen:
http://www.toysareforboys.com/iesucks/afterrogersdisable.jpg

(notice the rogers link at the bottom, and the URL is totally changed to the
Rogers page! This page doesn't show me any hint of what URL I was trying to
get to!!! WTF!?)

3. After calling Rogers again and explaining to four different technicians
and finally a manager why I don't want their "amazing search and re-direction
correction referrer" (nice name idiots) and that I want my old 404 error page
back, they tell me to change my DNS server to their alternate one which has a
non-hacked 404 page (address in 1st post), then I get this page now:
http://www.toysareforboys.com/iesucks/livesearch.jpg

Notice how it totally screws the URL in the address bar too. AND NO, IF I
WANT TO CORRECT THE MISTAKE I DON'T WANT TO CORRECT IT IN YOUR SEARCH BOX AND
THEN SEARCH FOR IT, JUST GO DIRECTLY TO IT DAMNIT! Damn stupid search box.

I've been a computer tech for 12 years and this has got to be the most
retarded thing I've ever seen.

PLEASE EVERYONE (That's Rogers, Microsoft, all you spyware companies,
everyone else who has ever or is thinking of...), PLEASE QUIT HIJACKING MY
404 ERROR PAGE USING DNS REDIRECTS!

-Jamie M.

 

[toysareforboys]

My option was set to "Just got to the most likely site":
http://www.toysareforboys.com/iesucks/options.jpg

I changed it to "Do not search from the address bar". OK'd it. Checked,
still goes to the Live Search page when a non-existant URL is entered:
http://www.toysareforboys.com/iesucks/livesearch.jpg

I rebooted. Tried IE 32bit and 64bit, still same problem.

Firefox works fine, standard 404 page with URL in tact.

Any more of this and I'll have to uninstall Windows and install Linux.

-Jamie M.

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

My option was set to "Just got to the most likely site":
http://www.toysareforboys.com/iesucks/options.jpg

I changed it to "Do not search from the address bar". OK'd it. Checked,
still goes to the Live Search page when a non-existant URL is entered:
http://www.toysareforboys.com/iesucks/livesearch.jpg

I rebooted. Tried IE 32bit and 64bit, still same problem.

Firefox works fine, standard 404 page with URL in tact.

Impossible. If you are giving a non-existent host name there is nothing
to respond 404. I suspect you are being content to see a fake 404 response
possibly generated by Firefox itself.


BTW if you have really disabled search from the Address bar
I think that it should also ignore an explicit search from there and
not just the implied ones that you are giving it to do.
E.g. what happens if you enter instead:

? www.testtestthisdoesnotexist.com/space in between all these words


Good luck

Robert Aldwinckle
---

 

[toysareforboys]

That link gives me the same Live Search page.

I don't mean the 404 error but you know, the "page can't be displayed" page
(with correct URL in tact in the address bar). I've been seeing it in I.E.
for 12 years.

Is this not some registry thing about autosearching or something? I've tried
Live Searching it but live search is about as useful as the auto results
provided on the Rogers page.

-Jamie M.

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

That link gives me the same Live Search page.

Did you miss the point? The whole thing, especially the question mark-space
would test whether you have really disabled search from the Address bar.
It is not a "link"--neither is the stuff that you are entering but because there is
support in the Address bar for partial URLs that should be interpreted as links
it is understandable that it might be treated differently; otherwise because a DNS
lookup fails, both strings should be treated as search expressions for your default
search provider. BTW what happens if you change your default search provider;
surely you don't see Live Search being used any more then? ; }

I don't mean the 404 error but you know, the "page can't be displayed" page
(with correct URL in tact in the address bar). I've been seeing it in I.E.
for 12 years.

Ok. Thanks for clarifying that you are expecting to see that result.
Then in order to avoid the ambiguity of an implicit search (because of
the multiple words implied by the spaces) see what happens if you enter just:

www.testtestthisdoesnotexist.com/space

Is this not some registry thing about autosearching or something? I've tried
Live Searching it but live search is about as useful as the auto results
provided on the Rogers page.

If search from the Address bar is still in effect and Live Search is your default
search provider, then what you are seeing is perfectly understandable and expected.

BTW I'm not even certain that with the presence of spaces if there is a DNS lookup
tried for a substring that looks like it might be an HTTP host. You would have to do
a packet trace (e.g. using netcap and formatting with Ethereal) to see if that was actually
the case.

FWIW I just tested that on IE8 with

www.google.com where does this go?

Well, clearly if a lookup had been done my default search provider
would have been overridden; so it looks as if the spaces in the query
determine that the string being entered is to be treated only
as a search expression.

Hmm... when I try to make the overriding host more explicit
e.g. by just prefixing http:// to that search I get the page you want
but the "URL" generated looks a bit odd:

http://www.google.com where does this go/?

E.g. why did IE insert that / *before* my trailing question mark? ; )


HTH

Robert
---

 

[toysareforboys]

Problem solved!

I uninstalled Internet Explorer and deleted c:\progra~1\Internet Explorer
(had to do it booted in DOS, Windows said the folder was in use).

Firefox for me from now on. Maybe Linux is next.

-Jamie M.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

You may have disabled access to IE but you *cannot* uninstall it.

Chances are that the IE program folder and its contents will reappear when
you reboot (if you can reboot successfully).

You could have switch to FF as your default browser without doing any of
this.