AdAware changes your homepage to MSN?

[Heretic Apostate]

Twice now, I've run AdAware, only to find out that my homepage has changed to MSN. I don't want MSN to be my homepage (I much prefer opening to a blank page). I'm pretty sure that it's AdAware doing it (since the only other program I've run, a P2P program, has been run many times, but has never brought up MSN as my new homepage).

Is there a way to prevent AdAware--and all other programs--from doing such things as changing my homepage, adding new links to my Favorites (something that AOL IM does a LOT, when updating; that, and adding new links to my Start menu and my desktop and adding new programs to my Program Files menu...), and so on?

Or should I stop using MSIE and switch to Firefox (or whatever it is; that open-source browser)?

 

[sakkara]

Not sure AdAware is the cause

I have been running AdAware for quite some time now, on a number of different computers, and I have never experienced this...

Web pages themselves can contain code that causes your browser to change it's home page, as does installing some kinds of software.

Just my 2 cents, but YMMV

-Sakkara

 

[pensiv]

um, that's strange. I've never had AdAware do that to me.

As for running Firefox, I reccommend it.

 

[reanjr]

Twice now, I've run AdAware, only to find out that my homepage has changed to MSN. I don't want MSN to be my homepage (I much prefer opening to a blank page). I'm pretty sure that it's AdAware doing it (since the only other program I've run, a P2P program, has been run many times, but has never brought up MSN as my new homepage).

Is there a way to prevent AdAware--and all other programs--from doing such things as changing my homepage, adding new links to my Favorites (something that AOL IM does a LOT, when updating; that, and adding new links to my Start menu and my desktop and adding new programs to my Program Files menu...), and so on?

Or should I stop using MSIE and switch to Firefox (or whatever it is; that open-source browser)?

It's possible that AdAware thinks it actually is an ad. The default homepage for MSIE is msn.com, so that would be the original setting that it might find that it is changed. You can check what things AdAware wants to change whenever you run it, so go through it some time and see if that's one of them.

You certainly shouldn't be using AIM as it installs spyware along with it and insinuates itself in ways like you just mentioned. If you really need to use an AIM account, use Trillian which supports it.

IE has nothing to do with this and you should not use Firefox because of this. If you otherwise are happy with IE, then by all means keep using it. Firefox is pretty much just Netscape with some of the features taken out to cut down on the size and complexity. There are other reasons to not use IE (the recent security hole found in it is pretty nasty), but all products have their flaws (except the one mentioned below).

quick plug:
I personally use the uberbrowser - Opera (it rocks on so many distinct levels, other browsers just seem archaic compared to it)

 

[Joshua Randall]

Sometimes AdAware can get confused and think that settings you have deliberately changed were done maliciously. That could have happened in your case. If you let AdAware re-set your registry to default, you'll end up with the default home page for Internet Explore. So MSN for a lot of people, Dell.com if you own one of their computers, my workplace's intranet page... not that I would ever surf the web from work. *rolleyes*

 

[WingOver]

I run AdAware frequently and its never done that to me.

Did you install the Microsoft IE Popup Blocker or update MSN Messenger lately? If so, those are your likely culprits. But even those offer you the option to not reset your homepage to MSN. (I think it defaults to yes, you have to uncheck it during install.)

There are malicious webpages that reset your homepage, but it seems unlikely one would set it to MSN. There's no benefit in that.

 

[GodPhoenix]

I've had this exact problem.

1) annoying as all hell

2) during some update it decided to call the non msn homepage a 'possible browser hijack attempt' I was pretty sure that my "about:blank" homepage wasn't a malicious thing. I understand though why a change could be considered a hijack...ANYWAY

I just told it to ignore that one thing and have had no problems since. Although it will always ignore that one thing from now on unless you tell it differently.

Oh, and I've double checked with several other programs (like spy sweeper) just to be safe...and everythings groovy.

 

[pensiv]

setting your homepage to about:blank actually is a symptom of Cool Web Search (malware), so I wouldn't fault AdAware for suggesting it as a possible hijack attempt.

 

[xeqi]

Is there a way to prevent AdAware--and all other programs--from doing such things as changing my homepage, adding new links to my Favorites (something that AOL IM does a LOT, when updating; that, and adding new links to my Start menu and my desktop and adding new programs to my Program Files menu...), and so on?

I'm not sure if it is possible to do. However another alternative would be to use a different AOL IM client such as Trillian or GAIM. While not possibly not having all of the cutting edge features, they don't subject you to the tracking cookies or the advertisements.

Or should I stop using MSIE and switch to Firefox (or whatever it is; that open-source browser)?

I'd stop using MSIE. The Department of Homeland Security also recommends you switch. Mozilla's FireFox is a great browser.

Also may I recommend Mozilla's Thunderbird as an alternative to Microsoft outlook if you use that as well.

 

[MythosaAkira]

Or should I stop using MSIE and switch to Firefox (or whatever it is; that open-source browser)?

I'd recommend this just on general principle

And Thunderbird rather than Outlook (also available from mozilla.org).