Internet Explorer home page

  • Thread starter Thread starter Larry Schwartz
  • Start date Start date
L

Larry Schwartz

When I hit the Internet on my desktop or startup list,
instead of getting the home page I want(Time Warner Road
Runner-Capital District, N.Y.), it always goes to
"about:blank" No matter what I do, it ends up there with
phoney spyware error messages on top of it. I do not know
how to fix this problem, so am using another browser where
I don't have the problem. Anyone have any ideas on what's
happend that causes this and how I can fix it? I am not a
techie, so please try and write to me in plain English
rather than technical terms. Appreciate it.

Larry Schwartz
 
Please visit the Internet Explorer experts in the Internet Explorer newsgroup:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6.browser

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| When I hit the Internet on my desktop or startup list,
| instead of getting the home page I want(Time Warner Road
| Runner-Capital District, N.Y.), it always goes to
| "about:blank" No matter what I do, it ends up there with
| phoney spyware error messages on top of it. I do not know
| how to fix this problem, so am using another browser where
| I don't have the problem. Anyone have any ideas on what's
| happend that causes this and how I can fix it? I am not a
| techie, so please try and write to me in plain English
| rather than technical terms. Appreciate it.
|
| Larry Schwartz
 
You have been hijacked.

First. Make sure of these settings and nothing will install without you
answering YES. (Except what may install as part of some other software.)
Don't click YES if you don't know/trust the source.

Start | Settings | Control Panel | Internet Options | Advanced tab |
Make sure both of these are NOT checked.

 Enable Install On Demand (Internet Explorer)
[[Specifies to automatically download and install Internet Explorer
components if a Web page needs them in order to display the page properly or
perform a particular task.]]

 Enable Install On Demand (Other)
[[Specifies to automatically download and install Web components if a Web
page needs them in order to display the page properly or perform a
particular task.]]

Apply | OK

 Enable Install On Demand (Other)
Is part of the driveby downloading of unwanted programs. i.e. Scumware or
whatever will install w/o you even being aware of it.
=====

Second. If you need a scan right now.

Follow the instructions!
THE PARASITE FIGHT QUICK FIX PROTOCOL
http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.php

=====

Third.
It is known as scumware. Visit these sites. 1, 2, 3 and 4 are really good.
Download, install, run, update and run again; one or all. They are all
good, FREE utilities. Make sure you update every program, even if you
just downloaded it. You must have the latest updates. Without updates,
you have a gun without ammo.

1) CWShredder direct download:
http://216.180.233.163/~merijn/files/CWShredder.exe

2) SpywareBlaster
[[SpywareBlaster doesn't scan and clean for spyware - it prevents it from
ever being installed.
The most important step you can take is to secure your system. And
SpywareBlaster is the most powerful protection program available.]]
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

3) Spybot S & D (More for the advanced user)
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?lang=en&page=download

4) HijackThis (some other stuff that may be of interest also)
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html

4a) HijackThis (direct download)
http://aumha.org/downloads/hijackthis.zip

5) Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner v1.13
http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/index.html?source=appvisit

6) ToolbarCop
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/toolbarcop.htm

7) Ad-aware SE Personal
http://www.lavasoft.de/support/download/

=====

MVPS HOSTS file is a free download from:
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/

Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

=====

Problems uninstalling? Here's some advice.
http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/uninstallproblems.phtml

Additional information & instructions.
A wealth of information here, boys and girls.

THE PARASITE FIGHT QUICK FIX PROTOCOL
http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm

THE PARASITE FIGHT
Finding, Removing & Protecting Yourself From Scumware
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm

Bugs, Glitches & Stuffups
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/Darnit.htm

Dealing with Unwanted Spyware and Parasites
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm

Unexplained computer behavior may be caused by deceptive software
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;827315

Spyware and Deceptive Software
http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/twc/privacy/spyware.mspx?gssnb=1

What you should know about spyware
http://www.microsoft.com/security/articles/spyware.asp

Cleaning Up XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_c.htm#cleanup
 
Back
Top