search page?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dave Hardy
  • Start date Start date
D

Dave Hardy

What is a "Search Page"?

why? When I type in www.anything.com or .net I get a
dialog box that states:

Internet Explorer could not find search page > OK

When I click OK I normally just get a blank screen at
that point.

HOWEVER:

If I type google and then hold down the control button
and press ENTER it will go to Google. And the address in
the address box will be http://www.google.com

NOW:

If I will type http://www.google.com it will take me to
the google home page.

BUT:

If I tpye just www.google.com (as I am so accustomed to
doing) it will give me the dialog box that states:

IE Could not find search page> OK

sometimes when I click OK at this point it will give me a
blank page with this crap in the address box:

http://vrape.hardlove.com/top/seach.php?id=28s=?%
20www.google.com

I have never visted this web site but somehow it has its
self to my system and messed up some of my settings.

Can anyone tell me what to do to resolve this problem?

Thank you,
Dave
 
And after checking the registry per Frank's suggestion, seeing the "alternate" search page you mention, I would also check your system for spyware/malware...

Use Ad-Aware or Spybot Search & Destroy to remove it.

Ad-Aware: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
Spybot: http://security.kolla.de/
(Good site on how to install and use Spybot - http://www.tomcoyote.org/SPYBOT/)

More information here:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/Darnit.htm
http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/ - runs a little script when loading page to check for common parasites

If no joy, in IE go to Tools...Internet Options...Advanced tab, Browsing section, uncheck "Enable third-party browser extensions", click Apply, click Okay, reboot. If that solves your problem, then more troubleshooting is needed to find out exactly which program, or Browser Helper Object (BHO) is causing this problem. You don't want to leave it at that, as some BHOs are useful or necessary - like Adobe Acrobat for reading .pdf files or an essential component of Norton AV. Get BHODemon - http://www.definitivesolutions.com/bhodemon.htm - read all about BHOs. Disable all items, and then gradually replace one or two at a time to narrow down the culprit.
 
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