IE 6 jumps from address bar to search bar

[Guest]

All,

Recently Windows XP Service Pack 2 was installed (not updated). Every time I
open IE 6 and begin typing something in the address bar, it jumps to the
search window instead. While I'm sure this a "feature", it annoys me
immensely. What switch do I have to turn off to make it stop this annoying
behavior?

Thank you.

 

[PA Bear]

Help with Hijackware
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm
http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/Darnit.htm
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/

 

[Guest]

Thank you PA Bear, however, I can assure you this is not hijacking. We deal
with that in our user community every day as well. This is something on the
msn homepage. I can change my home page to something else and not have this
issue. It appears as though Microsoft has set something in the page code so
that when you begin to type, it immediately goes to the "MSN search bar".
This is default, out of the box Windows XP with the default IE 6 included. If
my homepage looks like http://www.msn.com and I open a new browser window, my
cursor is placed in the MSN "search the web" bar on the homepage by default.
If you click in the address bar adn begin typing too quickly, it goes back to
the MSN "search the web" location. This is nothing more than a "marketing
annoyance" which I can rectify by changing the home page. I'm simply
wondering if there's a "option" or "switch" in options to shut this behavior
off that I'm unaware of.

Thank you for your reply...

 

[Guest]

You really should get your winxp sp2 updates you didn't say how recently you
installed but there have been both security/critical and other important
updates in the last couple of weeks. I do use msn although not to often but
have never had your experience unless I had a spyware or hijacker issue.
Lisa

 

[PA Bear]

Please define, then, "MSN search bar" and "search window".

The behaviour you describe is the default for IE's AutoSearch (search from
Address Bar) feature with MSN Search as the default:

Find Stuff Fast with Search (Use AutoSearch)
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/using/howto/basics/search.mspx

More: http://snipurl.com/da98

 

[Guest]

Lisa,

I do have all the latest patches (installed SP2 as part of standard
install). Further, I have done all Windows XP updates, Office updates, etc. I
have also installed and ran the MS Beta Anti Spyware and have since tested it
with Hijack This as well as SpyBot and others just for grins, all run
cleanly.But thank you for the friendly warnings.

PA Bear,

When I open http://www.msn.com, within the body of the webpage (top center)
is <MSN Logo> "Search the Web:" <Place to enter text> <Search Button> on one
line. The standard IE address bar is at the top (where the "go" button would
be at the end of the line if it were enabled).

When I open a new browser window (with the home page set to
http://www.msn.com), the cursor focus immediately goes to the "search field"
located in the body of the web page as described above. I can click in the IE
"address bar" as described above and begin typing my URL. If the page hasn't
stopped loading yet, the cursor focus is again returned to the "search field"
in the web page body.

First, I want the default cursor focus to be in the IE "address bar" NOT in
the "search field" located in the body of the web page. Secondly, I don't
want it to "jump" to the "search field" in the body of the web page unless I
click in it.

I hope that makes the statement a bit clearer and thank you again for the
replies...

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

Lisa,

I do have all the latest patches (installed SP2 as part of standard
install). Further, I have done all Windows XP updates, Office updates, etc. I
have also installed and ran the MS Beta Anti Spyware and have since tested it
with Hijack This as well as SpyBot and others just for grins, all run
cleanly.But thank you for the friendly warnings.

Be suspicious of *all* third-party software, not just known malicious ones,
as sources of interference. For example, others have reported
having related symptoms stop by removing a third-party background
utility called MotiveSB.exe


YMMV

Robert Aldwinckle
---

PA Bear,

When I open http://www.msn.com, within the body of the webpage (top center)
is <MSN Logo> "Search the Web:" <Place to enter text> <Search Button> on one
line. The standard IE address bar is at the top (where the "go" button would
be at the end of the line if it were enabled).

When I open a new browser window (with the home page set to
http://www.msn.com), the cursor focus immediately goes to the "search field"
located in the body of the web page as described above. I can click in the IE
"address bar" as described above and begin typing my URL. If the page hasn't
stopped loading yet, the cursor focus is again returned to the "search field"
in the web page body.

First, I want the default cursor focus to be in the IE "address bar" NOT in
the "search field" located in the body of the web page. Secondly, I don't
want it to "jump" to the "search field" in the body of the web page unless I
click in it.

I hope that makes the statement a bit clearer and thank you again for the
replies...

....

 

[Guest]

Did anyone ever find a solution to this problem? When using the MSN home
page my cursor automatically jumps from the address bar to the feature on the
MSN page entitled MSN Search. I would like the cursor to stay in the address
bar. This is not hyjack software, unless it is Microsoft doing the
hyjacking.

Thanks

Willy