IE refuses to give up update.microsoft.com as it's home page

I've never had a website be so darn persistant to be my homepage. Every time I open IE

http://update.microsoft.com/microsof....aspx?ln=en-us

comes up as my home page. I never set this as my home page. Google.com has always been my home page.

This happened after having my computer off the internet for a few months, and then when I turned it back on, I downloaded all the critical updates (and have even gone back and downloaded the non-critical ones to see if the thing would stop bugging me). It still insists on being my number one.

To try and correct this problem, I have since turned off automatic updates. I have cleared my history, cookies, etc., and nothing worked. I first had IE 6, but have since downloaded the new beta and it does the same thing. When I go to Tools>Internet Options and check there for my home page info, it says "Google.com".

Hmmm....

I don't know if the two are related, but it also will not allow me to open certain pages sometimes - i.e. will let me log into my account on half.com, but will not allow me to go deeper into my account (like the "sell my books page"). Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't - usually for two days or more at a time. My roomate's computer (in the same room, sharing the same connection) will allow me to do it during the times mine will not. Then it goes back to normal without me doing anything to it after a couple of days or so. I have also tried it after lowering my security and privacy settings to no avail.

I have Win XP w/ SP2 on a Dell Dimension 4500. This occured with both IE 6 and the 7 beta which I am currently using. I have run all the tests (except HJT but I have the program if that is what is needed, I just can't personally translate it.)

Thanks- you guys are awesome.

 

What security applications do you have installed on your system? Often times, the homepage will be locked by antispyware apps to prejent hijacks.

 

Oh, yeah, sorry, forgot to mention that! I have avast! on my system, but like I said, it was working fine, and then all of a sudden it just switched my home page...so unless there was an update to avast that changed it, I don't think it was my AV program. I also run Spybot's Teatimer on my system, but it has never caused this problem either.

 

Next question: Do you receive any errors while trying to change the homepage? Other users have had problems with permissions to the registry key that stores the homepage URL.

 

No error messages, it accepts everything just fine when I type it in, or the other option of going to google's site and then clicking the home button in the taskbar to make the current page my home page. It seems to go through ok, records the information I put in, but then, I open a new page, and there it is again. One interesting thing...perhaps...is that in the new beta, when I open a new tab after the initial browser window is open, the new tab just comes up with a blank page as my home page, but I'm pretty sure it's not the about:blank virus or whatever, since I have scanned for all that.

 

The home button in the taskbar doesn't make the current page your home page..... or perhaps I have read that wrong.

Matt

 

Please follow the instructions in the malware removal thread.

 

Yeah, you read it wrong...in the new beta, you can click on the button to create a new home page or you can use tools>internet options like in the older versions of IE.

I will check the malware section, although I believe I have already done most of the steps in this section.

 

Well, I tried to go through all the steps, but got stuck on it letting me scan my computer with the Pandascan - and I have the latest version of Java. However...do you really think the problem is malware? It seems to be stemming from Microsoft's website, it just keeps trying to give me the latest updates.

I'll keep trying, but the Pandascan is not working.

 

Ok, I went through all the steps, except the Panda scan (never got it to work). The C-scan (I think it's called) found 4 items of malware hiding on my computer, which were taken care of, but IE is still using the update page as its home page. I can post any logs, let me know if that would help.

 

I'm at work, but I will give those ideas a try in a little while when I get home, and let you know how it works! Thanks...