home page 1

[lisabennett]

Hi,
I have a work station and the home page is set fot msn. everytime the computer is rebooted or someone logs off, the home page gets set to a sex site. I can set the default and its good for the day but as I said when restarted it goes back to taht site. I have reloaded sp6 and checked for virus's and there are no virus's. I'm looking to not having to reformat.
The user has internet and email.
Any suggetions?
Thanks.... Lisa

 

[rtaylor]

If this is a business, I would question why this user is going to porn sites. These pages don't get set by themselves magically...they self-impose a home page after someone visits a porn site.

To change this, when you log into a profile with that home page, just browse on the net to the site you want as a home page and set it. If you don't want a home page, just set the home page to:

about:blank

 

[lisabennett]

I have set it to blank and set the default which is msn. but everytime the computer is restarted it is set back to the porn site.
I know that a reformatt will do it but that is alot of work if I don't have to.
Lisa

 

[johncurtis]

First check the following registry keys for any dodgy entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Anything in here will run each time you login.

If there's nothing funny there, check out the free program Startpage Guard from

http://pjwalczak.com/spguard/index.php

which can often fix this problem.

hth
John

 

[TheLad]

You could search the registry for the dodgy URL?

(and then sack the employee for gross misconduct!) -----------------------------------------------------
"It's true, its damn true!"
-----------------------------------------------------

 

[kpetursson]

Do you have virus scan software? I have had a similar problem and, after installing Norton, found I have a virus. The virus was downloaded while surfing the net. The newer ASP web pages automatically download stuff to your machine when they are loading, an so getting a virus is not difficult.

Hope this helps!

Kevin Petursson
---
There is never egough time to do it right, but there is always enought time to do it over!
---

 

[chrmc]

Have you tried Addd\Remove Programs?

 

[Stiddy]

try opening regedit and browse to HKCU\software\microsoft\internet explorer\main\Start page


What is it set to. Check this also for HKLM.

I will be curious as to your findings. Hopefully your porn site is there.

 

[anth]

there are some sites which downloads some software and makes their page the home page, you can check if some thing like that is there, no matter how many times you change it, it will revert back to that site.

editing the registry might work, but looking for the exe that's doing it is the only way to remove it permenently.
you might find the path to the exe that's doing his in the registry itself.

good luck hunting!

 

[gnosis13]

Like kpetursson, I had an undetected virus (running McAfee) that kept changing a registry setting. Installed Norton and it found the virus. I had to manually change a registry setting....I think it was in:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main

You might want to check it out.

Hope this helps... A+, N+, MCP

 

[lifegard2]

Another option could be that IE has been set to use a configuration script. Check in Tools>Internet Options>Connections>LAN Settings and see if anything is in the "Use automatic configuration script" field. This can automatically reset the homepage to whatever is in the config script. The script can also set the interval at which to check itself. I run one here that autosets the homepage to our Intranet site every time all browser windows are closed and then reopened.

Ryan
Network Administrator

 

[chrmc]

lifegard2:

I would looove to get a sample of your configuration script. My users keep changing their default home page. Is it a Vb script? or more like an .ADM file? and where do you run it from?

throw me a line!

 

[lifegard2]

I'm not sure if you can create it with a text editor, I don't see why not. I used the Microsoft IE Administrator's Kit (IEAK found at

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ieak/default.asp).

It allows you to create a custom version of IE for your company. It also comes with a little utility to create a config script. I like it because if you need to make a global change to your organization's web browser, you can. For instance, I changed the user agent string to remove the Inc from our name when we were recently purchased. You can also use the script to setup favorites, links, security settings, and other goodies.

You put the script on a web server somewhere and then point IE to it. I imagine you could probably even put it in a share, but I've always just posted it online.

I pasted my current script below. With the IEAK, most of these params are set with a GUI that's much easier to interpret. There are a few params that the GUI won't set, but I don't recall which they are.

[Branding]
Language Locale=en
Language ID=1033
Window_Title_CN=MyCompanyName
Window_Title=Microsoft Internet Explorer provided by YourCompanyName
FavoritesOnTop=1
NoFavorites=1
User Agent=ACC INS File Built 12-27-2001 by RLB
Platform=2
CabsURLPath=

http://inside.YourCompanyName.com/ie

InsVersion=2001.12.27.00
Type=2
ProfMgrVersion=6.00.2600.0000
AutoConfig=1 Quick_Link_1_Name=You... unfurl="true"]http://www.YourCompanyName.com
Quick_Link_2_Name=Inside YourCompanyName.url
Quick_Link_2=

http://inside.YourCompanyName.com

AutoDetect=0
AutoConfigTime=0
AutoConfigURL=http://inside.YourCompanyName.com/ie/acc.ins
Help_Page=

http://inside.YourCompanyName.com/IStrouble.htm

[Internet_Mail]
Window_Title=Outlook Express provided by YourCompanyName
Use_IMAP=No
POP_Server=
SMTP_Server=
Logon_Using_SPA=No
SMTP_Logon_Using_SPA=No
SMTP_Logon_Required=0
IMAP_Root_Folder=
IMAP_Sent_Items=
IMAP_Drafts=
Poll_Subscribed_Folders=0
Use_Special_Folders=0
Welcome_Name=
Welcome_Address=
Default_Client=No
HTML_Msgs=1
Infopane=
Infopane_Bitmap=
Welcome_Message=
[Proxy]
HTTP_Proxy_Server=
FTP_Proxy_Server=
Gopher_Proxy_Server=
Secure_Proxy_Server=
Socks_Proxy_Server=
Use_Same_Proxy=1
Proxy_Enable=0
Proxy_Override=<local>
[Channel Add]
No Channels
[DesktopObjects]
Delete Old Channels=1
DeleteLinks=1
[Internet_News]
NNTP_Server=
Logon_Using_SPA=No
Logon_Required=0
Default_Client=No
HTML_Msgs=0
[Outlook_Express_Global]
Read_Only=0
Disable_Account_Access=0
Service_Name=
Service_URL=
[Outlook_Express]
DeleteLinks=1
Folder_Bar=1
Folder_List=1
Outlook_Bar=0
Status_Bar=1
Contacts=1
Tip_Day=1
Toolbar=1
Show_Toolbar_Text=1
Preview_Pane=1
Show_Preview_Header=1
Show_Preview_Beside_Msgs=0
[Mail_Signature]
Signature_Text=
Use_Mail_For_News=1
Use_Signature=0
[Signature]
Signature_Text=
Use_Signature=0
[LDAP]
FriendlyName=
Server=
HomePage=
SearchBase=&quot;NULL&quot;
Bitmap=
CheckNames=0
Search_Timeout=60
Maximum_Results=100
AuthType=0
[ExtRegInf]
axaa=*,axaa.inf,DefaultInstall
conf=*,conf.inf,DefaultInstall
inetcorp=*,inetcorp.inf,DefaultInstall
inetres=*,inetres.inf,DefaultInstall
inetset=*,inetset.inf,DefaultInstall
oe=*,oe.inf,DefaultInstall
sp1shell=*,sp1shell.inf,DefaultInstall
subs=*,subs.inf,DefaultInstall
wmp=*,wmp.inf,DefaultInstall
[ExtRegInf.Hkcu]
axaa=axaa.inf,IEAKInstall.HKCU
inetcorp=inetcorp.inf,IEAKInstall.HKCU
inetres=inetres.inf,IEAKInstall.HKCU
inetset=inetset.inf,IEAKInstall.HKCU
sp1shell=sp1shell.inf,IEAKInstall.HKCU
subs=subs.inf,IEAKInstall.HKCU
wmp=wmp.inf,IEAKInstall.HKCU
[ExtRegInf.Hklm]
inetcorp=inetcorp.inf,IEAKInstall.HKLM
inetres=inetres.inf,IEAKInstall.HKLM
inetset=inetset.inf,IEAKInstall.HKLM
oe=oe.inf,IEAKInstall.HKLM
wmp=wmp.inf,IEAKInstall.HKLM
[Custom Branding]
Branding=

http://inside.YourCompanyName.com/ie/acc_config.cab,2001.12.27.00,-1,

 

[chrmc]

Thank you, Thank you , Thank you. I wish I could make you understand how much work you have saved me. I am the loly &quot;desktop support&quot; (aspiring MCSA)and my &quot;know it all&quot; Director of I.S. (bumbling wanna be MCSE) told me that there is no way for these settings to be changed without going to each user and making the changes while they are logged in.

I love proving him wrong. I was testing out writing custom .adm files to do this task on my own time (very frustrating)

...I am doing a dance around my desk at the moment...

Hope I can return the favour down the road!

Cheers