l33t websites messing with my settings

[Cloudane]

I get all over the place on the web, and I recently found some sites that like to add themselves or other links to one of
a) My favorites
b) My "Home" page
c) My START MENU!!
All without asking me first!
(indirectly - the offending sites are usually pr0n "sponsor" popups... the same ones that like to open another 5 windows when you close one, and eventually crash the browser)

How on earth do they add themselves to my start menu? More importantly, is there a way to stop them from doing it, without completely disabling Javascript?
I'd have thought by downloading the latest IE service pack (since IMHO it's a HUGE security flaw), but I'm already running IE6 Public Preview...

 

[reghakr]

Cloudane,

Get IE6 Final:

http://microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/ie6/default.htm

Check these startup locations:

go to Start>Run, type msconfig, click the startup tab and check here.


Go to Start>Run, type sysedit. Look over the autoexec.bat for unneccessary lines, click the win.ini and check for programs loading here:
[windows]
load=
run=

Check the Start>Programs>Startup folder for shorcuts.

No way I know of to stop the adding of favorites, but you can do this:

Correct your home page to the one you prefer, then immediately do the following:

Backup the registry and/or export the following keys:
go to Start>Run, type regedit. Navigate to:
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet ExplorerRight-click on the Internet Explorer key, choose new>Key, name it Control Panel. Right-click on the Control Panel, chose new>DWORD value, name it Homepage. Right-click on Homepage, choose modify and type in the number 1.

This should lock your home page, so no other web site can change it.

Then navigate here and verify the homepage is correct:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
look for the Start Page entry.
reghakr

 

[Cloudane]

Thanks for that, a very helpful post.
I didn't realise IE6 was officially released. Bah! I only downloaded the preview version a couple of days ago

 

[reghakr]

Here's a couple tricks to disable those sickening x10 ads and the fastclick ads also:

They say for 30 days, I'm working to make it forever.

http://www.x10.com/x10ads.htm

http://www.fastclick.com/about/opt-out.html

reghakr