Can't change homepage in IE6

I have a problem changing the homepage in Internet Explorer 6. By default it is set to a Microsoft website, and have been trying to change it.

I tried changing it from IE/Tools/Internet Options/General, but it doesn't seem to register and keeps bringing me back to the same Microsoft homepage.

I tried to modify the Registry Key by running Regedt32 <HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Internet Explorer/Main/Start Page (REG_SZ)>, but whenever I do that a message pops up which says "Error Editing Value: Cannot edit Start Page: Error writing the value's new contents."

Is there another solution to this?

 

You could try a freeby called StartPageGuard if it is still around. I used it successfully when I used IE. Have since gone over to Opera

 

Hi

Are you running any security applications suchs as windows defender (which you should be). These applications sometimes lock the homepage and other internet settings to prevent them being maliciously changed by malware.

Matt

 

right click on the ie icon, then change the home page from there

 

Hi Matt/Robert, thanks for your advice. I use Webroot's SpySweeper. It has a lock on the homepage. But even if I turn SpySweeper off, I can't seem to switch my home page.

Anyone has any other suggestions?

 

Do you have any firewalls installed? Like ZoneAlarm?

BTW, is this xp home or pro?

 

Does spysweeper have a option to change the page in itself ? Perhaps when you start spysweeper again its reverting it to what spysweeper thinks it should be bacuse it thinks something has changed it maliciously.

I know windows defender has something like this where you need to tell it what the default pages are so if they are changed it can revert them. Perhaps spysweeper is the same ?

Matt

 

yes, all the IE shields (homepage and search page) in SpySweeper are set to Google sites, but whenever I start up IE (after homepage has been changed while SpySweeper is disabled) it still brings me back to MS. I do however use ZoneAlarm (the free version) and McAfee (but only its VirusScan). I've tried changing IE's homepage with all these programs disabled, but it still doesn't work. When I try to change the homepage, it seems as if the HDD is write protected, but it is not, because I can make modifications to other program preferences and save data on to the HDD.

 

Which specific page does it goto on microsofts site. Are you an administrator user or limited user ?

Matt

 

I'm an administrator and the default URL seems to be:
http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&pver=6&ar=msnhome
which eventually brings me to http://www.msn.com