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Thread: IE start page locked in strange way

  1. #1
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    IE start page locked in strange way

    My friends start page has become locked in a strange way. Imediatly I knew it had to be a setting in the registry.

    He is useing Windows ME.

    Now when I am at his house, I first go to the site he wants set as the start page. Then I go into Internet Options, and choose Use Current. And I click Apply. Reset the computer, and its back to what it was. Note that it is not greyed out, you could actualy type into it. The start page is currently Rogers.com our ISP. Never hapened before, and mine is not locked.

    I have done some searching and found a way to lock the start page,

    HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Software/Policies/Microsoft/InternetExplorer/Control Panel/Home Page = 0 (unlocked) Home Page = 1 (locked)

    I dont see him for a while, so on my own computer I set it to 1, to lock it. Then in Internet Options My start page is greyed out. Imediatly i know this is not his problem. As his is not greyed out, you can type into it.

    So this cannot be the way his was locked. Now ive been searching and read that some ISPs lock your start page. We both use the same ISP, and have been useing them for more then a year. Also his never used to be locked, it just hapened within the last 3 weeks. The home page it is set to, and keeps reseting to is Rogers.com our ISP.

    I thought maybe spyware, so We used Spybot S&D and did a complete scan and cleaned all that was found. Problem still exists. So the only other thought I have is there is another hidden registry entery somewhere that is doing this, or a program thats starting with his computer is reseting it.

  2. #2
    AO übergeek phishphreek's Avatar
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    I'm assuming that he is an adult, and there are no monitoring programs etc installed.

    I know that IEAK can do this... but that is deployed on a network... not just on a single PC.

    Also, when making a change in the registry, you have to be logged in as Admin. I know I can change a key in the reg on my home computer as power user and then go back into it and it won't be changed. Doh! Have to be admin...

    EDIT: Doh! I didn't pick up on the fact that he is using ME... everyone is admin in ME...

    If its setting it self back, there has to be something running to notice the change. Have you noticed any weird processes?

    Maybe its restoring an old registry? I have seen Win98 do that automagically... I had to delete all the other reg backups to get it to stop... hmm..

    Good question!
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  3. #3
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    Do you need to install software from Rogers (your ISP)? If so, as phishphreek said, it could be running something on boot to switch it back. On ME, you should be able to run msconfig and see a list of startup programs. Otherwise in the registry look for:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    Take a screen shot of either of these and post it. Maybe someone here can point out a program that is making the switch.
    Good luck!
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  4. #4
    AO übergeek phishphreek's Avatar
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    Hmm, I have an idea.

    How about using regmon and filemon from http://www.systernals.com/win9x/98utilities.shtml to find out what is making it switch back? At least you can see what is making registry changes and you will also be able to record which processes are doing what to the HD and reg.

    That is just an idea though...

    It has worked for me on several occasions with other problems.
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  5. #5
    Senior Member RoadClosed's Avatar
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    Xupiter can do that to. But don't go to that site, BLOCK it if you are a network admin.

    Spy software should pick it up though, unless they changes it. What site is it locking too? Then run the site name through a virus database.

    As for ISPs locking a start page? Personally I would find another ISP, that would tend to piss me off.
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  6. #6
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    >>I have seen Win98 do that automagically

    Yea I have Win 98 myself and it pives me off when it does that, I loose all my customizations.

    I am assumeing the reg backups you refer to are C:\WIN\SYSBCKUP rb0001.cab, rb002.cab ? I will try deleteing them, to ensure the registry is not being restored from a previous version.


    There wasnt any software for Rogers we didnt get the CD we were suposed to get, just the drivers for the ethernet card which they dont provide anymore. Plus it never did this on his computer before.

    I looked at the startup list, did not notice any mysterious enterys, but will get a list and see if anyone here can spot anything. Will also try to get a list of registered system procs to see if anything is hideing.

  7. #7
    AO übergeek phishphreek's Avatar
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    I am assumeing the reg backups you refer to are C:\WIN\SYSBCKUP rb0001.cab, rb002.cab ? I will try deleteing them, to ensure the registry is not being restored from a previous version.
    Yep, those would be the ones. Though, I'm not sure I'd delete them... I might just move them to a safe place. I don't like to delete anything until I *KNOW* I don't need them.

    ScanReg creates a new backup of the Registry every time it runs. It stores backups in a five-deep series of Windows CAB compressed files called rb*.cab- rb0000.cab, rb0001.cab, and so on-in C:\Windows\Sysbckup. To restore the backups, boot to the DOS prompt and run scanreg (the DOS version of the program).
    http://www.eosinc.com/spug/wn98util.htm

    Oh, I'd really check out those utilites (mentioned in above post) if that doesn't solve your problem. Just disable active antivirus scanning for the short time or 98% of the log will be your virus scanners activity.
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  8. #8
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    Good thought, I will move the backups to a temporary folder, instead of deleting.

    >>I'd really check out those utilites

    Still confused about how spyware will help, as I am always scaning for spyware and removeing it. As I know Xupiter is a common spyware.

  9. #9
    AO übergeek phishphreek's Avatar
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    nah... my second post... sorry I should have said that.

    Hmm, I have an idea.

    How about using regmon and filemon from http://www.systernals.com/win9x/98utilities.shtml to find out what is making it switch back? At least you can see what is making registry changes and you will also be able to record which processes are doing what to the HD and reg.

    That is just an idea though...

    It has worked for me on several occasions with other problems
    Quitmzilla is a firefox extension that gives you stats on how long you have quit smoking, how much money you\'ve saved, how much you haven\'t smoked and recent milestones. Very helpful for people who quit smoking and used to smoke at their computers... Helps out with the urges.

  10. #10
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    I must have been sleeping, because I looked for another post of yours but must have missed that one. I have those two utilities incidently on my own computer, never ocured to me. They are very powerfull, how could I forget them.

    When i get to his place again, hopefully in 1 to 2 weeks, I will give them a try, as well as the reg backup trick. Thanks for the sugestions, and I will keep you updated.

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