What is changing my IE browser starting page?

J

Jack

P

PA Bear [MS MVP]

If you change the homepage to www.msn.com, does the setting stick when you
close/reopen IE? When you reboot?
========================
You've crossposted to an IE6-specific newsgroup. Those with IE7-specific
questions or comments are asked to post to and seek support in this
newsgroup: microsoft.public.internetexplorer.general

On the web:
http://www.microsoft.com/communitie...?dg=microsoft.public.internetexplorer.general

In your newsreader:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.internetexplorer.general
 
F

Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM

Jack said:
Hello,
For the second time in a week my IE (ver.7) starting page has changed to:
"Sign up for Windows Live Hotmail" page.
The address displayed:
http://bl102w.blu102.mail.live.com/...e.com/mail/TodayLight.aspx?n=62637975&gs=true

I had my browser starting page set to some other address.
Now, it looks like this:
http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&pver=6&ar=msnhome

I did not authorize that change, neither installed any new software which
could do that.
Any thoughts?
Jack
Click to expand...

It might be a security program blocking the Registry change it needs to
make. 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.
 
G

Gregory Strike

Does anyone know why the defaulthomepagefor IE6
(http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&pver=6&ar=msnhome) now goes
to aWindowsLiveHotmail login screen? Why doesn't it go to MSN anymore?
This confused some of my customers.
Click to expand...

A. Nony Mouse,

Same here. We have been experiencing the same issue (Users' homepages
pointing to the Windows Live sign on). It seemed to me that Microsoft
had redirected where that link (http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/
redir.dll?prd=ie&pver=6&ar=msnhome) goes, however, when pasting that
link directly into the web browser we get the expected homepage
(MSN.COM). The only other thing I can think of is if I pushed out a
Windows update to their computers using WSUS that is causing this,
however, I haven't been able to track it down and no one really has
anything posted on Google about this yet.

Greg
 
A

A. Nony Mouse

My experience is that even when I manually open that URL in IE, it goes to
the Windows Live sign on page. Occassionally, it goes to the MSN home. I
haven't figured out the rhyme or reason for it. I don't know why MS hasn't
noticed it.
 
E

E.Dub

I know this has to do with MSN, but, by chance, do you have
'Automatically check for Internet Explorer updates" ticked in
Tools|Internet Options|Advanced Tab| Browser catagory??

I usually untick that 'feature' , but for some reason I reticked
it last week... getting download page for Silverlite as my Home
page when first opening IE7. I unticked that 'update' feature
and no more "ads" from MS.
 
D

David Morgan \(MAMS\)

E.Dub said:
I know this has to do with MSN, but, by chance, do you have
'Automatically check for Internet Explorer updates" ticked in
Tools|Internet Options|Advanced Tab| Browser catagory??

I usually untick that 'feature' , but for some reason I reticked
it last week... getting download page for Silverlite as my Home
page when first opening IE7. I unticked that 'update' feature
and no more "ads" from MS.
Click to expand...


Offhand... it's interesting how much information just 'happens' to be
vented outward of one's computer when using IE7.
 
A

A. Nony Mouse

"Automatically check for Internet Explorer updates" is not checked.
Incidentally, when I initially opened my browser, it went to the MSN home
page. Closed it and re-opened it, and it went to the Windows Live Sign In
page.
 
L

Leythos

pcbutts1 said:
Use my IE Reset tool. Download it here
Click to expand...
Is your site still filled with that nasty pornographic material you so
proudly claim to have created?

Why would anyone want to download something from your filthy site?
 
L

Leythos

pcbutts1 said:
That should be my Homepage Fix/Reset tool
Click to expand...
Is your site still filled with that nasty pornographic material you so
proudly claim to have created?

Why would anyone want to download something from your filthy site?
 
A

A. Nony Mouse

I've already checked my own IE settings and there is nothing out of the
ordinary. My browser hasn't been hijacked, nor have the numerous other
systems I checked. It's a problem with the redirector URL that is the default
home page for all clean installations of IE6:
http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&pver=6&ar=msnhome

I looked at your homepage fix and found a number of mistakes. Here's a
corrected version of iefix.reg based on IE6 (since this is the IE6 forum).
Note that variables should be expanded by a batch script in the creation of
this reg file; do not use this reg file directly:

REGEDIT4

;Reference (IE6): http://support.microsoft.com/kb/895339

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control
Panel]
"HomePage"=-

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control
Panel]
"HomePage"=-

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy
Objects\LocalUser\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel]
"HomePage"=-

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy
Objects\LocalUser\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel]
"**del.HomePage"=-

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoSaveSettings"=-

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy
Objects\LocalUser\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoSaveSettings"=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\URL\DefaultPrefix]
"Default"="http://"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\URL\Prefixes]
"www"="http://"

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search]
"CustomizeSearch"="http://ie.search.msn.com/{SUB_RFC1766}/srchasst/srchcust.htm"
"Default_Search_URL"="http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&ar=iesearch"
"SearchAssistant"="http://ie.search.msn.com/{SUB_RFC1766}/srchasst/srchasst.htm"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"HomeOldSP"=-
"Search Bar"=-
"Default_Page_URL"="http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&pver=6&ar=msnhome"
"Local Page"="%SystemRoot%\\System32\\blank.htm"
"Default_Search_URL"="http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&ar=iesearch"
"Search Page"="http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&ar=iesearch"
"Start
Page"="http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd={SUB_PRD}&clcid={SUB_CLSID}&pver={SUB_PVER}&ar=home"
;Note: The above Start Page doesn't appear to work

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search]
"CustomizeSearch"="http://ie.search.msn.com/{SUB_RFC1766}/srchasst/srchcust.htm"
"Default_Search_URL"="http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&ar=iesearch"
"SearchAssistant"="http://ie.search.msn.com/{SUB_RFC1766}/srchasst/srchasst.htm"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl]
@=-
"provider"=""

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"Default_Page_URL"=-
"Default_Search_URL"="http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&ar=iesearch"
"Do404Search"=hex:01,00,00,00
"HomeOldSP"=-
"Local Page"="%SystemRoot%\\System32\\blank.htm"
;"RunOnceHasShown"=dword:00000001
;"RunOnceComplete"=dword:00000001
"Search Bar"=-
;"Search Bar"="http://search.msn.com/spbasic.htm"
"Search Page"="http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&ar=iesearch"
"Startpage"=-
"Start
Page"="http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&pver=6&ar=msnhome"
"Use Custom Search URL"=-
"Use Search Asst"=-

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\URLSearchHooks]
@=-
"{CFBFAE00-17A6-11D0-99CB-00C04FD64497}"=""

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Toolbar\WebBrowser\{736B5468-BDAD-41BE-92D0-22AE2DDF7BCB}]

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"Search Page"=-
"Search Bar"=-
"Startpage"=-
"Start Page"=-
"Localpage"=-
"Local Page"=-

;Note: %SystemRoot% should be translated by a batch file as these string
values do not support unexpanded strings.

--ANM
 
J

Jack

Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE said:
It might be a security program blocking the Registry change it needs to
make. 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.
Click to expand...


What change?
 

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