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Topic: Default to home page |
Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 24 Aug 2009 7:06 am |
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Lately this happens quite a bit. I may be scrolling down a topic on the forum and my computer suddenly
defaults back to my home page. It happens on other
sites also. It's particularly aggrivating when I'm composing an e mail, although I can recover my draft
by reopening . Any ideas?
_________________
LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 24 Aug 2009 10:23 am
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Clyde;
Please tell us what browser make and version this is happening with. Also, your OS and service pack level, if applicable.
If this is happening on a Windows computer, in Microsoft's Internet "Exploder," your browser may have malware installed behind your back. This browser is known for allowing all manner of bad things to happen, due to its use of ActiveX Controls and BHOs (Browser Helper Objects).
Further, if you are logged in with Administrator level privileges, anything that slips in through a vulnerable entry point can take complete control of your computer. Users logged into a Limited, Standard, or Power Users account are less impacted by malware attacks, unless they are tricked into installing a Trojan using Run As - Administrator.
If you have anti-malware applications on the computer, update them and scan for threats. If you don't have any effective malware detection tools, I recommend that you download and install MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM). Instructions to get you started are on that page. MBAM will remove most of the current crop of malware and browser hijackers.
You should run MBAM from each account on the affected computer, by logging out of cleaned accounts and into dirty ones. Often, you will have to reboot into Safe Mode With Networking to completely disinfect your PC (all accounts, including "Administrator").
If MBAM finds malware and can't remove it, please visit the Bleeping Computers malware removal forum, register for a free account, then post a new topic with a request for assistance. Read the instructions and rules before hand. Do not interject your problem into an existing topic. A trained malware removal assistant will be assigned to your case. Follow the directions of your volunteer assistant to the letter.
I also suggest that you download the latest version of the Firefox web browser, install it, import your Favorites and Cookies from IE, then browse with Firefox, as it does not recognize ActiveX Controls or BHOs (common infection methods in IE). Then, use Internet Explorer for manual Windows/Microsoft Updates only.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 24 Aug 2009 11:54 am
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Thanks Wiz. I am not savvy enough to answer all the questions. I am running Windows XP, my server is
Suddenlink and I am browsing with Google standard.
I do keep getting notices on youtube that I must soon update my browser. I have administrator
priviledges on two sites, but I always log out after
going there, never jumping to another site without closing.
Oh, and it does only seem to happen if I'm scrolling.
_________________
LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro |
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John Cipriano
From:
San Francisco
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Posted 24 Aug 2009 8:29 pm
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| What kind of mouse is it? |
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Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 24 Aug 2009 8:54 pm
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Thanks John. The mouse says Dell on the top. The
sticker underneath reads:InteliMouse 1.3A. PS/2
compatible. Also my AVG 8.5 shows no malware.
_________________
LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 24 Aug 2009 9:03 pm
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Hmmm. Ok. Intellimouse is a Microsoft licensed product that uses the Intellimouse pointer software made by/for Microsoft mice. Some of the functions available as options have to do with the pointer jumping to the default selection in question boxes, or hovering over a titlebar causing a Windows to receive "focus." I wonder if one of these options has been selected and is causing the odd behavior?
Otherwise, if the mouse is wireless it has batteries that wear out. Replace the batteries!
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 25 Aug 2009 4:47 am
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The mouse is hardwired. Thanks for sticking with me on this. I haven't turned on any different options as I know of. It didn't do it yesterday or today.
_________________
LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro |
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John Cipriano
From:
San Francisco
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Posted 26 Aug 2009 12:50 am
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Yeah I asked about the mouse because sometimes with the fancier ones there are buttons for that. My Logitech mouse has settings for each program, sometimes I might forget and sometimes the settings get messed up too.
Anyway if it's not that then we're back to the BHO problem as Wiz mentioned. You should download and install MalwareBytes Anti-Malware, he gave a link in his earlier post.
Also the administrator privileges Wiz mentioned have to do with the user that's logged on to the computer. XP makes everyone an administrator by default so if you're not sure then chances are you have them.
The YouTube notices are because you are running Internet Explorer 6. It is recommended that you upgrade at least to IE7. IE8 is the newest.
Here is the download link for 7:
http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/details.aspx?familyid=9AE91EBE-3385-447C-8A30-081805B2F90B
and 8:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=341c2ad5-8c3d-4347-8c03-08cdecd8852b
I linked both because I prefer 7 and some people on the board prefer 7 too. I don't think 8 has any extra features that make it safer although it does have some changes that improve how it handles itself during a crash. Wiz might correct me on that though as I'm really not sure.
Anyway my advice is to do a scan with MalwareBytes and let it fix everything it finds. It may ask you to do another reboot and scan again, this is normal. Then I would upgrade to at least IE7. Or use Firefox as Wiz mentioned above. There are a lot of reasons why I consider Firefox to be superior to IE, I won't get into it now but I would at least consider using FF over IE. You should update IE no matter what though.
If all that doesn't fix it, and it's not a mouse feature, then I'd really be stumped  |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 26 Aug 2009 8:56 am
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Clyde;
I just noticed that you wrote that AVG showed no problems. Don't take that to the bank. AVG Free is basically an anti-virus program, not an anti-malware hunter-killer, like MBAM. Further, AVG is updated automatically, (tada, drum roll...) once a day! It sure is going to know a lot about yesterday's "virus" threats, not not today's and not most fake AV and Botnet executables.
OTOH, MBAM, when paid for and registered, is unlocked to allow automatic checking for updates on whatever interval you choose. Considering that they often publish new definitions 6 to 12 times a day, I would set it to hourly. That also includes real time monitoring for anything it knows about trying to sneak in and prevention of Trojan installations.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 27 Aug 2009 12:21 pm
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The problem has not occurred in four days now after
previously having happened twice or more a day.
Could this have been a problem with my internet
provider?
_________________
LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro |
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John Cipriano
From:
San Francisco
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Posted 27 Aug 2009 9:54 pm
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Not really. Sometimes ISPs will redirect you on a bad DNS query (a typo or website that doesn't exist) but they don't have control over what's in your browser. Basically you ask them to fetch stuff and they fetch it.
If it comes back, or even if it doesn't, I definitely recommend upgrading to at least IE7, or switching to Firefox. |
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Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 27 Aug 2009 11:55 pm
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I am using the providers home page as my home page. Does that matter? Thanks
_________________
LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro |
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John Cipriano
From:
San Francisco
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Posted 31 Aug 2009 12:52 am
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| That shouldn't matter. If you had a different home page it would just go back to that one instead. |
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