Hijacked homepage

[Jeceris]

Please, please can anyone tell me how to stop my customised home page reverting a different version, in which the local map, weather and news gadgets are reset to completely irrelevant locations. Who is it that thinks I am in California? It happens every few days, not necessarily coincident with Updates either. It's driving me mad!

 

[richc46]

Lets make sure the problem is not due to a virus
Run a full anti virus scan
Download and make a full scan with malwarebytes

 

[wither 3]

I have time warner cable and the things you're talking about always revert to the home base for my time warner cable provider a few days after I've changed the default location. It may be you need to talk with your service provider, if you have one. I don't mess with TW because I never seem to be able to get a problem resolved.

 

[Jeceris]

Lets make sure the problem is not due to a virus
Run a full anti virus scan
Download and make a full scan with malwarebytes

I've run a complete Norton virus scan. Nothing found.
Are you advising a malwarebytes scan as well?

 

[richc46]

Yes, this sort of problem is most likely to be picked up by Malwarebytes. Make sure you update it first and make the full scan.
Be sure to download the free version

 

[Jeceris]

Hi Richard: Malwarebytes found nothing either.

 

[Yard Dog]

What browser are you using ?

 

[Jeceris]

IE9/iGoogle

 

[Yard Dog]

When you select Tools, Internet Options , General Tab , make home page as current page, have it on the site you want as home page first , then click apply , then click ok. If it does not show your home page on restart of the IE, then you would want to go to Tools, Internet Options, Advanced Tab, on that screen, select the Reset to default button , apply, ok, then restart IE , make your home page again, and see if this stays.

 

[Jeceris]

When you select Tools, Internet Options , General Tab , make home page as current page, have it on the site you want as home page first , then click apply , then click ok. If it does not show your home page on restart of the IE, then you would want to go to Tools, Internet Options, Advanced Tab, on that screen, select the Reset to default button , apply, ok, then restart IE , make your home page again, and see if this stays.

From the responses I've had it appears this is not a widespread problem with a known cause.
As suggested, I have set up my home page as I want it and specified current page as my home page default..
I will now have to wait a while before I know if this is retained or gets hijacked as before.
Previously my setting will last several days before being changed.
I will keep the site posted.
Thanks for the advice from everybody.

 

[Yard Dog]

I do not use IE on a regular basis, so, in looking at your issue, i set mine up with a homepage and will monitor mine also. Just remember that if it happens again, to go to the Advanced tab and reset it to default and try again. Sometimes , it seems as if IE will need to be reset for some strange reason .

 

[Jeceris]

Many thanks for now.

 

[Jeceris]

When you select Tools, Internet Options , General Tab , make home page as current page, have it on the site you want as home page first , then click apply , then click ok. If it does not show your home page on restart of the IE, then you would want to go to Tools, Internet Options, Advanced Tab, on that screen, select the Reset to default button , apply, ok, then restart IE , make your home page again, and see if this stays.

From the responses I've had it appears this is not a widespread problem with a known cause.
As suggested, I have set up my home page as I want it and specified current page as my home page default..
I will now have to wait a while before I know if this is retained or gets hijacked as before.
Previously my setting will last several days before being changed.
I will keep the site posted.
Thanks for the advice from everybody.

After trying all the useful suggestions, I've been ok for three weeks. But now it's happened again. Something has decided that my map should be of Southern California and that my weather should show North West England, among other things. When I look at the default option under Internet Options/.... it shows as www.google.com/ig, which it should be, only my customised version, not this corrupted one. Am I really the only person in the world to whom this is happening? To recap, there is no virus, no malware
The last Windows Update was

Definition Update for Windows Defender - KB915597 (Definition 1.119.1683.0)
Installation date: ‎10/‎02/‎2012 07:01
Installation status: Successful
Update type: Important
Install this update to revise the definition files used to detect spyware and other potentially unwanted software. Once you have installed this item, it cannot be removed.
More information:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/about/overview.mspx
Help and Support:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=52661

So what can be causing it?

 

[richc46]

Sounds like one of two reasons
Either its the homepage, itself that reverts to another setting
or
A problem with cookies.

To find the answer. Try with another computer, set it to the home page that you want and see if it reverts, if not
Its a problem with your cookies. Some software is deleting the cookie setting. Can be:
anti virus, reg cleaners, software such as ccleaner that deletes cookies. We can only lead, you must be the detective. We can, and do, however wish you luck.

 

[wither 3]

Did you notice that it says it installed the update in 10\2012? Sounds like your system clock is screwed up.

 

[richc46]

Hes in Europe, they put the day first.
For us it is 2/10/2012
for him
10/2/2012

 

[wither 3]

Yep. I was out having a smoke and thought of that. I just got back and was intending to scratch my comment but, as usual, you're right on top of things.

Thanks.

 

[richc46]

Hey, one of the assets of the Forum is while helping others we learn too. The best way to learn is to teach. I learned so very much from reading the comments of others. Hope all is well with you.

 

[Jeceris]

Hello again, and thanks for clearing up the update date thing while I've been away.
I can say that there are no registry cleaners or similar, unless Norton could be responsible?
What I have noticed is that although my tab settings are set to always use my google/ig customised home page, when I tab to another copy of IE, I get a blank google homepage inviting me to customise it, instead of my first homepage. I wonder if this is the same or a different problem?