IE Homepage resets to msn.com

[zadrian]

Hello, I need help.

I have 2 systems, one Windows XP Pro and a Windows 2003 Server Enterprise Edition

My IE Homepage resets to msn.com after certain process such as installing windows patches, using windows updates or adding new users (for the new users).

I have set the default home page for the "default user" to be for example, yahoo.com.sg

Is there registry settings to make the IE default to be what I want or a blank page instead of msn.com or microsoft.com everytime I do an update ?

Are these setting located in the user profile settings so that I can change these settings for users without having to login ?

Thanks

[GaryRouth]

It's true that msn.com is the default home page for IE upon it's first use, especially for a new user. Of course this can be changed easily in the Control Panel's applet "Internet Options" (also available from the "Tools" menu of IE itself). Under the "General" tab, in the "Home Page" section, simply type in the home page of your choice.

That choice should stick, once it's been changed. Spyware and Adware, as well as other browser hijackers, can change the homepage as well - but they don't usually change it to msn.com. A spyware scan and an antivirus scan should let you know if you have any unwanted visitors onboard -- might as well scan, just to be sure.

Strangely enough, if you are using the Windows Antispyware (now called "Windows Defender"), it has been known in the past to change the home page back to msn.com --- http://www.oreillynet.com/windows/bl...age_hijac.html
But this behavior only happens when it detects that the homepage has *already* been hijacked - it simply reverts to default.

If you wish to use Group Policies to control detailed aspects of user environments, you can do that on your Server machine. Here's a good starting point if you wish to learn about that --- http://technet2.microsoft.com/window...p/default.mspx

If you wish to lock down Internet settings without bothering with Group Policies, several freeware/shareware titles can do this: one of the most popular is SpyBot.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[zadrian]

Originally Posted by GaryRouth It's true that msn.com is the default home page for IE upon it's first use, especially for a new user. Of course this can be changed easily in the Control Panel's applet "Internet Options" (also available from the "Tools" menu of IE itself). Under the "General" tab, in the "Home Page" section, simply type in the home page of your choice. That choice should stick, once it's been changed. Spyware and Adware, as well as other browser hijackers, can change the homepage as well - but they don't usually change it to msn.com. A spyware scan and an antivirus scan should let you know if you have any unwanted visitors onboard -- might as well scan, just to be sure.

The choice does not seems stuck as after a windows update, the home page changes to some microsoft website.

Theres should be some key that sets the default or initial IEwebpage.

[zadrian]

By the way, am I wrong to say that there do not seem to be a homepage setting on Windows 2003 policy setting ?

[zadrian]

BTW, is there a shortcut key to set homepages ?

[rjfvillarosa]

Are you sure it is going to msn.com and not a rogue site masquerading as msn?
I would strongly reccomend that you update all of your antivirus and malware scanners and scan for problems, try http://housecall.trendmicro.com for an online scan.

[zadrian]

Originally Posted by rjfvillarosa Are you sure it is going to msn.com and not a rogue site masquerading as msn? I would strongly reccomend that you update all of your antivirus and malware scanners and scan for problems, try http://housecall.trendmicro.com for an online scan.

if you try a windows update on your XP machine, at times due to security changes etcl, it will reset the default homepage to msn.com ot mocrosoft.com

[rjfvillarosa]

Originally Posted by zadrian if you try a windows update on your XP machine, at times due to security changes etcl, it will reset the default homepage to msn.com ot mocrosoft.com

I have several machines in my home running XP and dozens of customers running XP, one of the machines in my home has been running XP since it was first introduced and I have never had a single machine have it's homepage changed to msn.com or microsoft.com. The only abnormality I have seen is the clock time changed during a Microsoft Office update and that little problem only occured for about two months a couple of years ago.
I strongly suggest you check your machine for spyware and trojans by carrying out a free online scan at http://www.ewido.net/en/product/

[zadrian]

I have so far narrowed down 3 actions that will cause it :
1) Installation of Service pack for XP (SP2) or Windows 2003 (SP1)
2) Creation of new users

As for which particular update, I cannot confirm yet as it would take a long time to install patch by patch.

[Panama Red]

If you are running some anti-spyware like Ewido or Windows Defender or the older MS AntiSpyware, I believe they have settings to prevent your home page from changing. It may be that type of program you installed that is returning your home page to the default MSN page. Are you running anything similar? Even Norton Security Suite and McAfee have similiar settings.

[GaryRouth]

Hi again

Perhaps the easiest way to lock the settings on a machine by machine basis is to use SpyBot. You start SpyBot in Advanced Mode, go to "Tools" on the left toolbar, then to "IE Tweaks". You can lock the hosts file, lock the home page, etc.

If you have many settings you wish to have locked across several users in either a multi-user computer, or across a domain, there's a discussion of trying this with SpyBot over on NTCompatible. It's a bit of a read - with several tactics discussed. http://www.ntcompatible.com/How_do_I...rs_t31513.html

I've seen mention of setting the homepage across a domain with Windows Server 2003 using Group Policies as part of "InteliMirror Configuration Management Technologies" (which I believe basically means you're using Active Directory & Group Policies in a Windows 2003 Server based environment). http://technet2.microsoft.com/Window...c460f1033.mspx
While that shows the mention that it's possible, it's doesn't give the details as to exactly how to go about it. The answer is likely somewhere in all those pages upon pages at TechNet, but I wasn't able to find it at first glance. Seasoned Network Administrators are probably familiar with this sort of thing, so a quick answer should be around somewhere.

. . . Gary

[zadrian]

will look into it, thz

[zadrian]

Hmmmmm....some corrections.

The its the 1st IE page opened after installing some patches such as SP1 or SP2.
The IE automatically goes to microsoft.com.

Its not a spyware or malware.
Very diffcult to control when using Terminal Servers.
Wanted to get the registry key to get rid of this.

[glc]

There's a good chance even if you do find the registry key, the next patch install may just set it back anyway. Very annoying.