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Thread: Browser Hijacking

  1. #1
    Senior Member Spyrus's Avatar
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    Question Browser Hijacking

    I am not sure if this is a form of a browser hijacking or not but I have tried googling this and cant find a solution..

    What happens is whenever I try to type a webpage name in my address bar without the www. or the .com and I hit enter this is what happens

    address bar: google

    I get http:///?%20google

    before it would do a search and go to the default or best answer. now I get that http:///?%20 crap and then I get an error 404 page not found.. Has anyone ran into this before and what do you recommend to fix it

    Thanks
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  2. #2
    Senior Member tampabay420's Avatar
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    %20 means the space character " "


    so "i am cool" would equal "i%20am%20cool"
    yeah, I\'m gonna need that by friday...

  3. #3
    Senior Member Spyrus's Avatar
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    even if %20 means space then why would it do that if I completely highlight the address bar and type it with no spaces around it.... for some reason if I dont do the www. it defaults to that dang http:///%20 junk

    any idea why it would be reading spaces?
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  4. #4
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    Your address bar can default to search engines when you put in a url that is not correct(no www or .net|.com|.whatever). Usually when you install certain software like the google toolbar it sets your browser to use this functionality.

    The ?%20google is most likely an attempt to post that information to the default search engine, but it seems as if the location of the post is missing. Could you have deleted a browser plugin recently or manually made some changes to your browser?
    That which does not kill me makes me stronger -- Friedrich Nietzche

  5. #5
    AntiOnline Senior Member souleman's Avatar
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    Not sure what browser you are using, but someplace in the preferences there is normally a place to tell the browser what to do on an invaild address ( ie no ending extension or if it needs to add www or whatever). Wherver that value is, it is probably set to send a search to google.com. For some reason, a space was added to that value at the start so instead of sending it to http://google.com, it is sending it to http:// google.com. Check your browser preferences and make sure you remove any leading space from that value.
    \"Ignorance is bliss....
    but only for your enemy\"
    -- souleman

  6. #6
    Senior Member Spyrus's Avatar
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    I am using internet explorer v 6.0.2600
    this is not necessarily going to google everytime, I think souleman is on the right track, i just cant find where it has this setting.. either way, it happens with every website

    If I typed it antionline and hit enter it will bring me to (edited see below)

    and so on and so forth any idea where in ie 6 i could change this

    edit: I am sorry I do get the ? just like this

    http:///?%20antionline
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  7. #7
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    so you do not always get the '?' you showed in your first post?
    That which does not kill me makes me stronger -- Friedrich Nietzche

  8. #8
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    I don't know if anybody else is noticing, but let me break down what Spyrus is getting.

    http:// <- this is default
    www. <- what he wants.
    /?%20 <- what he's getting (notice the / before the question mark)


    I just find that interesting that there are three backslashes, to make the address bar:

    http:///?%20antionline.com


    ...I have no cure for this thus far :|
    ...This Space For Rent.

    -[WebCarnage]

  9. #9
    Senior Member Spyrus's Avatar
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    well i found half of the answer... it seems as if something has messed up my settings, but I found a cure on google's forums


    You have to do the following:

    enter the following (NOT including the dashed lines) into Notepad and
    save as: RestoreSearch.reg, then double click on the saved file to
    restore your default search settings.

    ----------------------------

    REGEDIT4

    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
    "Do404Search"=hex:01,00,00,00
    "Search
    Page"="http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&ar=iesearch"
    "Search Bar"="http://search.msn.com/intl/searchpane/en-au/prov2.htm"
    "Use Custom Search URL"= dword:00000000

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search]
    "SearchAssistant"="http://ie.search.msn.com/{SUB_RFC1766}/srchasst/srcha
    sst.htm"
    "CustomizeSearch"="http://ie.search.msn.com/{SUB_RFC1766}/srchasst/srchc
    ust.htm"

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
    "Default_Search_URL"="http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&ar
    =iesearch"
    "Search
    Page"="http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&ar=iesearch"

    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\URLSearchHooks]
    "{CFBFAE00-17A6-11D0-99CB-00C04FD64497}"=""

    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl]
    ""="http://home.microsoft.com/access/autosearch.asp?p=%s"
    " "="+"
    "&"="%26"
    "+"="%2B"
    "#"="%23"
    "?"="%3F"
    "="="%3D"

    [HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
    "Search
    Page"="http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&ar=iesearch"
    "Search Bar="http://search.msn.com/intl/searchpane/en-au/prov2.htm"


    ---------------------------
    I have tested this and it does work, if anyone knows enough about the registry to change this so I could have it auto go to the website or auto search google let me know...
    Duct tape.....A whole lot of Duct Tape
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