How to disable auto.search.msn.com?

  • Thread starter Thread starter joeu2004
  • Start date Start date
J

joeu2004

I have Windows XP Pro on my personal PC at home.

It seems that whenever I enter a URL of the form
google.com, IE goes off to auto.search.msn.com.

How can I disable that?

And what might no longer work if I do?

My understanding is that auto.search.msn.com allows
me to enter "google", and it will find google.com.
If that is the only feature of auto.search.msn.com,
I am happy without it.

However, I want to be sure that "google.com" will
work, even without "http://". Is that built into
IE, or is it auto.search.msn.com that adds the
prefix?

I assume not, since I do not believe I go to
auto.search.msn.com on another XP Pro system, which
was set up on a PC at work by the company's IT folks.

PS: I want to disable auto.search.msn.com for two
reasons. For the short-term, I am trying to
troubleshoot a problem. The fewer variables, the
better. The second long-term reason is more personal.
 
It seems that whenever I enter a URL of the form
google.com, IE goes off to auto.search.msn.com.
Click to expand...

auto.search.msn.com is a common entry found in the hosts file when a
system is infested with malware. Have you scanned the system recently
with a spyware removal program ? Suggest you do so with Show hidden
files, folders, and system files enabled :
http://www.xtra.co.nz/help/0,,4155-1916458,00.html

Microsoft Antispyware Beta1
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

AdAware SE
http://www.lavasoft.nu/support/download/

Spybot
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html


MowGreen [MVP 2004-2005]

==============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============
 
MowGreen said:
auto.search.msn.com is a common entry found in the hosts file when a
system is infested with malware. Have you scanned the system recently
Click to expand...
with a spyware removal program? Suggest you do so with Show hidden
files, folders, and system files enabled :
Click to expand...

I think I did. I will do it again, making sure I include
hidden folders.

But I looked at the hosts file -- if by that, you mean
C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts. It contains only
localhost (127.0.0.1).

It was my understanding that auto.search.msn.com performed
a "useful" service -- at least for some people. For example,
if I type "google", auto.search.msn.com is invoked to
discovered the suffix ".com".

Personally, I don't need the feature, nor do I care for it.
But that is why I did not think this was a case of malware
infestation. I just thought it was a "feature" that I would
like to disable. Wrong?

(But I do realize that some malware mucks with the hosts
file so that IE goes to their IP address when it tries to
resolve the name auto.search.msn.com.)
 
I said:
I think I did. I will do it again, making sure I include
hidden folders.
Click to expand...

I also want to point out that I had run HijackThis. In fact,
I used that to remove references to some malware (Myway).
Could the auto.search.msn.com behavior be a side-effect of
the HijackThis action?

Lastly, I want to clarify my question a little.

It is my (mis?)understanding that IE would not look for
auto.search.msn.com unless it were told to (or because it
is built into the IE design).

__That__ is the behavior that I want to disable, if possible.
 
I also want to point out that I had run HijackThis. In fact,
I used that to remove references to some malware (Myway).
Could the auto.search.msn.com behavior be a side-effect of
the HijackThis action?

Lastly, I want to clarify my question a little.

It is my (mis?)understanding that IE would not look for
auto.search.msn.com unless it were told to (or because it
is built into the IE design).

__That__ is the behavior that I want to disable, if possible.
Click to expand...
 
I also want to point out that I had run HijackThis. In fact,
I used that to remove references to some malware (Myway).
Could the auto.search.msn.com behavior be a side-effect of
the HijackThis action?

Lastly, I want to clarify my question a little.

It is my (mis?)understanding that IE would not look for
auto.search.msn.com unless it were told to (or because it
is built into the IE design).

__That__ is the behavior that I want to disable, if possible.
Click to expand...
 
I also want to point out that I had run HijackThis. In fact,
I used that to remove references to some malware (Myway).
Could the auto.search.msn.com behavior be a side-effect of
the HijackThis action?

Lastly, I want to clarify my question a little.

It is my (mis?)understanding that IE would not look for
auto.search.msn.com unless it were told to (or because it
is built into the IE design).

__That__ is the behavior that I want to disable, if possible.
Click to expand...
 
If you disable "auto complete" it may do what you are looking for. In IE
go to Tools/Internet Options/Content/ and select Auto Complet -- this gives
you the ability to select which functions of auto complete will/will not be
active

Dick
 
Open Internet Options and click the Advanced tab. Under " Search from
the Address bar - When searching ", put a mark next to
" Just go to the most likely site ". Click Apply, OK.
Did that help ?

MowGreen [MVP 2004-2005]

==============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============
 
MowGreen said:
Open Internet Options and click the Advanced tab. Under
" Search from the Address bar - When searching ", put a
mark next to " Just go to the most likely site ".
Click Apply, OK. Did that help ?
Click to expand...

Bingo! Thanks. But I selected "Do not search from the
Address bar". That disables the search. The one you
mention is the way IE was set up, and it enables the
search. But thanks for pointing me to this option.
 
You're welcome. Right place, wrong option, eh ? At least you got the
issue resolved. ;)

MowGreen [MVP 2004-2005]

===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============
 
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