Windows 8 Automatically Launches Browser on Network Connection

I am experiencing a rather frustrating problem with Windows 8. Any time that I connect to a network, Windows 8 automatically launches my default web browser. I cannot find a way to disable this, and it has happened with both IE and chrome, depending on which one I have set as default.

I've got a fresh install of Windows 8, and have tried everything that I can think of to make this stop. I've uninstalled and reinstalled my browsers, checked every single setting I can find, and no one on the internet seems to know how to solve this. Surely I'm not the only one that gets annoyed by this "feature."

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

I think it's because, in setting up Win 8 you opted to sign on with a Live account rather than a local account. Change that and normality will resume. You need someone else to explain how though as I avoided that when setting mine up and wouldn't be sure now how to reverese it.

 

THIS looks promising. Haven't read it though.

 

I'm not using a live account to get in to it. I've had a local account since I installed Win8. Thanks though. Any more ideas?

 

So has it always done this, or just recently?

 

Another question - is it opening the full screen browser app or the desktop version?

 

Random though, but some wireless networks around here, ie free portals will cause a browser window to open so you can agree to there terms and use there wireless. Any chance your connecting to a free or hosted hotspot that might be doing this?

 

I use a live account on two different machines and do not have a web session launch on login or connection to network.

 

Answering several questions at once:

1) It's always done this as long as I've had Windows 8.

2) It's the desktop version.

3) The network is the campus network here. There's no terms to agree to. I've used this network many times across lots of different computers, and all you have to do is connect and log in via Cisco NAC Agent. On any other, non-Win8 computer, the browser doesn't pop up.

 

Try a different network maybe? Just to rule out something with the cisco nac agent and windows 8.

 

Been there, done that with the network at a friend's apartment. Same results.

 

Just out of curiosity, what do you have for c:\users\%username%\appdata\roaming\microsoft\windows\start menu\programs\startup?

Or

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp

These two places always launch apps in them when you log into them. Windows 8, 7, and maybe even vista.

 

The second one you may have access denied. Just copy and paste.

 

Okay, I understand your train of thought on this one, but I have a question. Since the browser only launches upon network connectivity (not start up), is there a similar folder structure that detects network connectivity as opposed to detecting the start up process? Or is that buried down inside the start up files somewhere?

And to answer the original question, if I understand the end goal of your inquiry, I've not got the browser listed as a start up process or anywhere near the start up folder. I can turn the computer on a hundred times, and as long as there's no network in range, the browser won't automatically launch.

My biggest problem with the browser automatically launching is that I most often do things on the internet that aren't through my browser, and, as it stands right now, after I connect to a network, I have to wait for my browser to launch, wait for it to load, close it, and wait for it to close all the way (otherwise it flips out, as Windows machines are prone to do). It's getting really, really obnoxious.

 

Is there anyone else experiencing this issue? Surely I'm not the only person that owns a Win8 machine that's acting like this.

I'm hoping that providing some more info for the people working on this will make finding a solution easier. As such:

I've installed Win8 (Pro) twice. The first one was an update from Win7 Home Premium, and the second time was a clean install. The browser issue occurred in both installs of Win8 (which is why I decided to try a reinstall), and occurred with various versions of both IE and Chrome, with the default browser being the one that launches on network connection.

I got the Win8 Pro install from MSDNAA (now Dreamspark; the student version of MSDN), the same place that other people on my campus got their Win8 Pro from. I have yet to hear any complaints as to similar behavior on their machines.

Specs:
Toshiba Sattelite P755-S5120
Intel i7-2670QM, 2.20 GHz
8GB RAM
Intel integrated 3000 graphics
OCZ SSD, 256GB.
Win8 Pro 64-bit

--bought within the last 8 months
--originally came with Win7 Home Premium 64-bit
--installed Win8 roughly 3 months after purchase

 

I don't think anyone thinks that your browser is in your startup, but there is probably software in your startup that is launching it. List what programs you have installed in add/remove programs. I know you aren't running 100% clean.

 

I would think virus at this point but the fact that the machine is a fresh install raises questions.

Have you copied over anything (files, data, music etc) from the old install or have you retained any files on an external device that you have connected to the PC?

 

I am nowhere near the level of the cyber soldiers helping here, but I have experienced strange things in the past that revolve around software conflicts...like installed software. Could one of the tiles be causing this? The only other thing I can think of is some obscure IE setting.

 

Short answers first, then long ones:

Have I copied anything from the old install or retained any files on an external device?
I kept a single set of pdf files and that was it. But I've had these across 3 different computers, and they come back clean.

An obscure IE setting?
Just checked all of those. No likely suspects.

Software conflict?
Not as far as I can tell. Like I said, the browser issue started the first time I turned on the Win8 machine after installation, before I installed anything else. I've since removed a lot of the items that came preloaded with the install in hopes of removing whatever was causing the browser to automatically launch, but, as you can see, that didn't eliminate the problem.

What's in my start up folder? (The one at C:\Program Data\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\StartUp)
It's completely empty. No hidden files, no nothing.

What's in the start up folder under C:\users\%username%\appdata\roaming\microsoft\windows\start menu\programs\startup ?
Links to:
OneNote 2010 Screen Clipper and Launcher
OpenOffice.org 3.4.1

What's listed in my add/remove programs?
Adobe Reader XI
Advanced Cobat Tracker (an EverQuest2 utility)
Alarm (from Bluefive)
Apple Application Support
Apple Mobile Device Support
Apple Software Update
Bonjour
CCleaner
Cisco NAC Agent
Classic Shell (note that issue was occuring before this software was added)
Compatability Pack for the 2007 Office System
EQ2 Map Updater (an EverQuest2 utility)
EverQuest2
Game Booster 3
gamelauncher-ncsg-live (a Sony Online Entertainment utility)
GDC (GNU Decompiler)
Google Chrome
Google Earth Plugin
Intel My WiFi Dashboard
Intel Processor Graphics
Intel PROSet/Wireless WiMAX Software
iTunes
Java 7 updates 10 & 15
Java SE Development Kit 7 Update 10
League of Legends
Legends of Norrath
Logitech Gaming Software
MS Office Word Viewer 2003
MS Office OneNote 2010
MS Silverlight
MS Visio Pro 2010
MS Visio Viewer
MS Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable (multiple entries)
MySQL Workbench 5.2 CE
Notepad++
OpenOffice.org 3.4.1
PowerISO
Realtek High Definition Audio Driver
Secure Download Manager (MSDNAA-- required to get software from their site)
Skype 6.1
SWI-Prolog
System Requirements Lab for Intel
TeamSpeak 3 Client
Trend Micro Titanium
Ventrilo Client
WinRAR
WinZip

>>Note, most of these programs were not installed when this issue first started happening.

Additional Info: What's listed on the Startup tab of the Task Manager?
(disabled processes not listed)

Cisco NAC Agent UI
HD Audio Background Process
Intel My WiFi Dashboard Server
Intel PROSet/Wireless WiMAX Connection Utility
Logitech Gaming Framework
Microsoft OneNote Quick Launcher
persistence Module (not sure what this is, but it's from Intel)
PowerISO Virtual Drive Manager
Realtek HD Audio manager

___________________________________


Hopefully this helps shed some light on the context of my situation.

 

Cisco NAC Agent UI is your prime suspect.

The distant runners up would be the two Intel startups. I doubt it is those, however.

 

I agree with Adrynaline. Looks like you have a good many possible suspects.

Do you recall using any particular program around the time the problem started?

Also, was your 8 installation over Windows 7 or another Windows version? Could be a setting in one of your programs that was written for another version of Windows is being interpreted incorrectly by Windows 8...in other words a Windows 8 bug...

 

Uninstalled NAC Agent. Also disabled the two Intel startups, even though they weren't on my machine up until a week ago. Same results.


AtlBo -

This is technically my second Win8 install on this machine. The first one was over Win7. Very few things translated well, so I did a clean install of Win8. As far as using any other program around the time the issue started, I didn't have any other software to use the first time this happened.

The series of events was like this:
1) fresh, clean Win8 install
2) boot and setup after install completes
3) connect to network
4) browser (initially IE before I installed Chrome) instantly popped up and has been annoying me ever since (now Chrome).
5) took to installing the software I would need for class and stuff.

 

So I am getting that the software you listed in your 10:46 AM post was either in the Win 8 installation or has been added since the problem started...

Sorry if you have answered this already, but have you tried setting another browser as your default to see what happens?

If it still happens, it would seem to me you likely have a conflict between a driver and something that was installed with Windows 8.

One thing that could help with this investigation would be to download CCleaner and see what it says you have listed as start up programs.

 

Oh...x_z

Someone I think asked which IE 10 was opening, the standard browser or the full screen start screen webkit type browser. I think that might be helpful to know. It occurs to me that perhaps something with your keyboard could be contributing to this behavior perhaps? I don't know which keyboard hot keys open which browser, and your keyboard could have a shortcut to the standard one or the webkit, idk, but just taking a jab to say that maybe the keyboard is involved somehow. Maybe a conflict with your keyboard and the MS keyboard driver?

I guess you could try a different keyboard if you have one around...

 

Software assumption is correct.

IE was my original default browser. Changed my default to Chrome. Whichever is the default is the one that auto-launches. As far as I can tell, the IE version that was launching was the full, standard, desktop (not app) version of the browser. My keyboard doesn't have a hotkey to open the browser. It's got ones to turn the screen, sound, and wireless card on/off, volume controls, and something related to the Toshiba environmental something or other.

The Win8 version of my wireless driver was recently released. Downloaded, installed, didn't help. On that note, all of my drivers are the most recent.

The rig's already been hit with CCleaner. The list of start up programs includes all the entries that showed up on CCleaner.

As a side note, I've ran every sort of registry fixer, malware/virus scanner, and general cleaner that I find reputable. I've been all over the internet trying to find someone who's having a similar problem, and I have yet to find a single similar case, which is really starting to perplex me. This is probably the point in the show where I should say thanks to everyone that's been helping me on this. Hopefully we can find out what's going on.

 

Do you have a spare keyboard? If you do, I would try that with a boot just to eliminate your keyboard as the culprit...

 

Well, I figured out a solution that involved modifying a register value. The key was HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services]NlaSvc\Parameters\Internet\EnableActiveProbing and needed to be set to 0 instead of 1. (idea from http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...e/386e9a25-8149-4ee6-84b4-65332022c2a7?page=2 )

I'm not entirely sure if this was what was originally causing the issue, or if we just managed to plug a leak instead of repairing the pipe, so to speak.

As it is, does anybody know what this key is originally for, and the possible implications/side effects of altering it? The value change seems to have kept the browser from automatically launching over the last day and a half, but I'm wondering if this could cause possible problems elsewhere.

It just strikes me as somewhat odd to have to change a registry value to make this problem stop.

 

Strange that only you are having this problem. I dug around on Google and came up with this on EnableActiveProbing:

http://blog.superuser.com/2011/05/16/windows-7-network-awareness/

The part about EnableActiveProbing is down about 2/3 page. Curious to know if you checked an option to send Microsoft data about your usage patterns when you installed Windows 8...or maybe it was obscurely checked.

For your situation, this looks like it might be worth grasping fully. I didn't myself try to process it all. It does look to me like something wanted to know when your PC is sending Microsoft information. I just don't understand why the same process would cause your browser to open. Has to be a setting in one of the programs installed with Windows 8 or a driver. That leads right back to why only you are reporting the problem...

:confused

I have to say, that was some job finding a workaround for this problem in my opinion...

 

That setting is used to enable or disable network checking (to know if you are connected to the Internet or not).

I'd say you plugged a leaking hole, but didn't find the actual culprit.