IE8 Home Default Page

Several times, when I have rebooted my laptop (Toshiba Satellite Pro running Windows XP) I find that IE8 has reset my default home page to both msn and something called "bing" which appears to be Microsoft’s search engine. It has also gratuitously added four folders above my main "Favorites" (sic) folder (“1st Call" so that it should always appear on top). I find this intrusive on Microsoft’s part and would like to know how to stop it.

 

Hi - appears to be a browser hijacking parasite, so I suggest try a dedicated anti-hijack utility like
a-squared HiJackFree
run in safe mode as well as desktop if possible.

 

to peteC :

the OP stated : Several times, when I have rebooted my laptop (Toshiba Satellite Pro running Windows XP) I find that IE8 has reset my default home page to both msn and something called "bing" which appears to be Microsoft’s search engine.


This implied to me that He already reset the homepage and some process hasd changed it back to the ie8 default (?) - but I may have been wrong

to the op, if not aware:
you can nominate your homepage in
tools > internet options > homepage

just open the web page you want as default and then click on "use current "

click 'apply ", click "ok "

close the browser to test as ok - then thereafter if the home page changes,
either you have installed a program that changes the homepage or you have a hijacker parasite resident

 

IE8 Home Page Default

Thanks Tigerbright and PeteC. What you both say is true and those are the remedies I've already tried but MSN still persists (although "bing" didn't manifest itself this time).

Tried the virus detector a-squared whatever but couldn't understand how it was supposed to work as there don't seem to be any "Scan" or "Update" buttons.

I also get four folders added to my "Favorites" - can't remember the exact name but one is MSN links, another is Multimap and the other two are also MSN folders.

It's not life or laptop threatening but Microsoft's intrusiveness really annoys me.

Tom

 

greetings Tom - seems like a parasite then - spoofing the msm site

I shall install a-squared and advise the controls

 

Do you use any programs such as SpywareBlaster that have the option to lock your homepage? If so this setting may be stopping you from changing it. Open the program and undo the protection feature and reset your homepage then go back and lock it.

If malware is suspected.

Follow the directions here;
Malware and Virus Removal / Read this before posting

When done post the required logs here;
Malware and Virus Removal

 

Hello Tom, sorry about that , I would now suggest standard anti-spyware utilities such as
a-squared free 4.5
malwarebytes

I know both of these work well using Windows 7

but first run a manually launched full system scan using your current anti-virus program
after first updating

 

Have followed Whiskeyman's advice, Run DDS and posted the result to the Malware/Virus area. Am awaiting outcome from Administrator. Thanks for your help so far.

 

yes i agree

Hello , yes i think for your issue , whiskeyman is correct but I would still install or run existing effective anti-spyware utilities, at least bundled MS Defender, however in doing so i recommend just removing parasites rated more dangerous than low-risk, as low risk parasites are usually required for smooth page changing of host web sites

 

I have decided to do some testing and experimentation on this fault. I already have AdAware & Spybot to clean out spyware. Avast Antivirus for nasties and RegCure for Registry problems. I also run EasyClean to get rid of the dross. These programs have all been run in the sequence, AdAware; Spybot; Avast; EasyClean; Windows Clean-up and finally RegCure. Nothing has been indicated as potential malware so I’m waiting to see what the DDS analysis comes up with.

With regards to “bing”, yes, I had two tabs but managed to suppress the bing tab by following the advice given by PeteC regarding the “Page” options even though a subsequent reboot let MSN have its wicked way with my default Home page. Uh-oh, on Restart bing is back as a second tab and the first tab (Home default) is
http://www.microsoft.com/uk/windows/internet-explorer/welcome.aspx
The four extra folders are back in favorites and still give me pain! I have identified them as:
MSN Websites
Microsoft Websites
Multimap and
Windows Live.

Repeated PeteC’s remedy; deleted the four folders from favorites and ran the sequence again as described above – it took over 3 hours! Absolutely no virus reported and just the usual spyware, Right Media etc.
Did a hard boot (switch off and back on) and all the Microsoft rubbish came back. Cleaned it all out, deleted the folders and reset the Home Page default to Yahoo and then did a soft boot (Restart) and this time it was OK. Duh!!!

Surely, this is not malware or a virus but something that Microsoft has built into IE8. Or am I just being paranoid about Microsoft?