How to change home page?

[Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM]

It is confusing I know, maybe this will explain correct & incorrect?

In IE 6: Tools > Internet Options > General > Address
Shown is: http://www.att.net/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regardless, when I open Internet Explorer I get this "default" web page:
http://my.att.net/s/s.dll?spage=cg/news/inter_31708.html
The AT&T Internet Service PROVIDER Home Page has changed.
The new URL is http://my.att.net
Please update your Internet Browser Home Page immediately.
Click the link below to reset your home page to http://my.att.net.
The home page setting will be automatically reset
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUT I can not make this change because when I open IE
Automatically http://my.att.net opens the same web page:
http://my.att.net/s/s.dll?spage=cg/news/inter_31708.html

And The - IE: Tools > Internet Options > General > Address
has reverted back to: http://www.att.net/ NOT http://my.att.net

Notice from AT&T states I must change to: http://my.att.net = CORRECT
But IE defaults back to the now inoperative http://www.att.net/ = NOT
CORRECT
I can not access the Internet it is locked out by this (WEB PAGE NOTICE)
from
AT&T!

Reads like a cookie problem. Most pages that let you customize their site
store the information in a cookie. If you are not allowing cookies or are
deleting them later then your customizations will always be lost.

 

[Sudy Nim]

Reads like a cookie problem. Most pages that let you customize their site
store the information in a cookie. If you are not allowing cookies or are
deleting them later then your customizations will always be lost.

Thank you for the reply but it is not a cookie problem Frank. I have not yet
found what is causing it. In the past two days I have repeatedly deleted all
cookies and temp files (with software) and manually. AT&T is changing my
registry home page. I can make a registry change but it’s undone when I open the
IE browser.
Sudy Nim

 

[Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM]

Thank you for the reply but it is not a cookie problem Frank. I have not
yet
found what is causing it. In the past two days I have repeatedly deleted
all
cookies and temp files (with software) and manually. AT&T is changing my
registry home page. I can make a registry change but it’s undone when I
open the
IE browser.
Sudy Nim

It might be a security program blocking Registry changes. A few, but not
all, of the programs now doing this are:
Ad-aware's Ad-Watch
IBM Access Connections
Kaspersky
McAfee VirusScan and/or Antispyware
Norton AV
Spyware Blaster
Spybot> Tools> IE Tweaks
Spybot- Teatimer
Spysweeper
Spyware Doctor
Windows Defender
Zone Alarm (free) 6.5 Reported to be fixed in later versions.

In the case of Zone Alarm 6.5 or Norton 2007 it actually has to be
uninstalled. Make sure the Windows Firewall is turned on until you
reinstall Zone Alarm.

Boot into Safe Mode with Networking and try the change.

 

[Sudy Nim]

That fixed it! After several hours trying to find the problem I was convinced
AT&T was changing the registry. As it turned out it was not re-installing a
registry change it was preventing it. I'm not certain which program was at fault
as I have Ad-Aware's Ad-Watch, Spybot> Tools> IE Tweaks, Spybot- Teatimer and
remnants of Zone Alarm.

I shut down all of these programs, did a restart in safe mode, entered the new
address and that cured it. Thank you all, David, PA Bear, Don and
Frank. Another, vast problem with a simple solution through the help of
those that have the answers.

It might have been nice when I first called AT&T support had they told me about
this instead of the brush off; "call Microsoft they are the ones that do not
support w98".

Sudy Nim

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Hallelujah!

 

[David Morgan \(MAMS\)]

That fixed it! After several hours trying to find the problem I was convinced
AT&T was changing the registry. As it turned out it was not re-installing a
registry change it was preventing it. I'm not certain which program was at fault
as I have Ad-Aware's Ad-Watch, Spybot> Tools> IE Tweaks, Spybot- Teatimer and
remnants of Zone Alarm.

I shut down all of these programs, did a restart in safe mode, entered the new
address and that cured it. Thank you all, David, PA Bear, Don and
Frank. Another, vast problem with a simple solution through the help of
those that have the answers.

It might have been nice when I first called AT&T support had they told me about
this instead of the brush off; "call Microsoft they are the ones that do not
support w98".

Sudy Nim

Excellent.

Odds are, you're stuck with the IE banner still reading AT&T or Yahoo...
but that ATT software needed to go away at any rate; and you might
consider whittling down your mal & spy ware protection to the least
invasive one. Sorry about the AT&T runaround... they *want* their
software in your PC, but it comes at a great cost in privacy.

Cheers,

DM

 

[Sudy Nim]

Excellent.

Odds are, you're stuck with the IE banner still reading AT&T or Yahoo...
but that ATT software needed to go away at any rate; and you might
consider whittling down your mal & spy ware protection to the least
invasive one. Sorry about the AT&T runaround... they *want* their
software in your PC, but it comes at a great cost in privacy.

Cheers,

DM

Yep the banner reads (AT&T - Microsoft Internet Explorer) but Internet access
has been restored. I'm running without any spy software for now. When I first
installed DSL I understood their modem (or service) provided a firewall, we'll
see. Appreciate your help, Sudy Nim.

 

[mazessj]

I've been following this thread and it sounds like this problem had
nothing to do with AT&T or any ISP-provided software. AT&T wasn't
forcing any home page setting. They simply redirected http://www.att.net
to http://my.att.net/s/s.dll?spage=cg/news/inter_31708.html, a page
with a general notice to any user who's still pointing to the now
defunct home page. It's up to the user to make the change (though they
did provide a link for supported browsers to automatically change your
home page).

As for AT&T's support, Microsoft dropped support for Windows 98 years
ago and many companies have followed suit. At this point, I'd expect
only support for IE6 and Outlook Express. And since many security
problems are tied to the operating system, it's not surprising that
they would refuse to provide any support for Windows 98. And there are
many security programs out there. AT&T can't be expected to support
all of them. They probably only support whatever tools they provide/
sell to new customers. They probably had no idea Ad Aware and SpyBot
were installed.

The fact that Ad Watch contained log entries about the home page
change indicates that it was monitoring it and probably restored it in
accordance with a configured browser hijack prevention rule, probably
established when the security software was first installed. I think
SpyBot S&D also has hijack prevention capabilities, so you should
check its configuration, too. Stopping these security programs
circumvented the problem. If you want to reactivate your security
software, make sure you reconfigure the browser hijack prevention
settings or disable this feature if you no longer want this type of
protection.

BTW, the window title "AT&T - Microsoft Internet Explorer" is correct
and normal. "AT&T" is the title of the web page. Go to another page
and the title changes accordingly.

piz

 

[Sudy Nim]

I agree with you (to a point) now that I understand the problem. But it is
difficult for me not to blame AT&T. When I called, indirectly I was told to
purchase a new operating system w98 was not supported. I'm far from a computer
wizard but how could AT&T programmers not foresee the resultant confusion
initiated with their change? Alerting their Customer Support of the simple work
around for those few of us that would require it would have shown that they
actually did care.
Sudy Nim


I've been following this thread and it sounds like this problem had
nothing to do with AT&T or any ISP-provided software. AT&T wasn't
forcing any home page setting. They simply redirected http://www.att.net
to http://my.att.net/s/s.dll?spage=cg/news/inter_31708.html, a page
with a general notice to any user who's still pointing to the now
defunct home page. It's up to the user to make the change (though they
did provide a link for supported browsers to automatically change your
home page).

As for AT&T's support, Microsoft dropped support for Windows 98 years
ago and many companies have followed suit. At this point, I'd expect
only support for IE6 and Outlook Express. And since many security
problems are tied to the operating system, it's not surprising that
they would refuse to provide any support for Windows 98. And there are
many security programs out there. AT&T can't be expected to support
all of them. They probably only support whatever tools they provide/
sell to new customers. They probably had no idea Ad Aware and SpyBot
were installed.

The fact that Ad Watch contained log entries about the home page
change indicates that it was monitoring it and probably restored it in
accordance with a configured browser hijack prevention rule, probably
established when the security software was first installed. I think
SpyBot S&D also has hijack prevention capabilities, so you should
check its configuration, too. Stopping these security programs
circumvented the problem. If you want to reactivate your security
software, make sure you reconfigure the browser hijack prevention
settings or disable this feature if you no longer want this type of
protection.

BTW, the window title "AT&T - Microsoft Internet Explorer" is correct
and normal. "AT&T" is the title of the web page. Go to another page
and the title changes accordingly.

piz

 

[David Morgan \(MAMS\)]

I've been following this thread and it sounds like this problem had
nothing to do with AT&T or any ISP-provided software.

<cough-cough> ;-)

Nonsense. It started there, but ended in other less suspect software
issues arising from improper access to the OS. In reality, both the
ISP's software and the Mal and spyware programs contributed to
the corruption of the Windows OS.

AT&T wasn't forcing any home page setting.

The "home" page was set by either ATT software of by the user at
the behest (illicitly 'implied' demand) of ATT.

I run into this continually.... OS-es are invaded, corrupted, and often
subjected to serious privacy violations by installing ISP software.

Regardless of the final outcome, both the ISP software *and* the
alleged 'protection' software had taken over elements of the OS
that I would consider as completely unacceptable and overly
invasive.

As for AT&T's support, Microsoft dropped support for Windows 98 years ago...

This is false... Windows ceased *NEW* support measures for Windows
98 less than 2 years ago, making it the longest supported OS in history.
Support --as such-- is still available on the Microsoft Windows update
pages. One can install Win98 today and still obtain every update ever
created for it.


There should be a law against ISP's 'alluding' to the false pretense that
their software "must" be used... but of course that's just my personal
opinion.


Cheers,

DM



--
David Morgan (MAMS)
Morgan Audio Media Service
http://www.m-a-m-s DOT com
Dallas, Texas (214) 662-9901
_____________________________
http://www.januarysound.com