Unable to change homepage in IE from MSN.

Hello fellow forum users

I am having a problem with changing the homepage in IE 6. I have a fresh install of windows, with SP2, and cannot change my homepages from the ones supplied as defualt in IE.

I have tried using regedit, editing the key Start Page in
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main, and when I do, I get the error message Error Writing the values new contents.

I have absolutely no spyware, trojans or viruses. I am coming from a brand new Windows installation on a low-level formatted hard-drive. Can it be possible that something happened when I uninstalled MSN Explorer? I had received some sort of error message when I had uninstalled it through Add/Remove Windows Components. Now, when I try to reinstall it just out of curiosity, I get a prompt asking for the file autoupdate.exe under C:\Windows\ServicePackFiles, but there is no such file there. I think this was a file in SP1, since MSN explorer was available with the Windows XP with SP1. Am I right? I don't even know if this has anything to do with it. Most likely not.

I would really appreceate any help. I don't know how to proceed.

PS. I have very few programs installed as of yet. Just Zone Alarm and AVG Anti-Virus. Nothing that would alter the home page settings. Not even MSN Messenger. Also, I uninstalled Windows Messenger, which doesn't allow homepage edits anyways.

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: Also, it appears as if I can change my homepage through Tools -> Internet Options, since I get no error message when I change the homepage to http://www.google.com, but once I restart Explorer or Windows, the homepage is the same as always.

 

Sounds like you don't have permissions over the registry key. I would expect that one of your security apps have restricted access to the registry. When you navigate to this key, right-click it, and select 'Permissions', what does it say?

Also, have you tried changing this key in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE hive?