Got a Computer/Internet Question

Anonymous-0 · Jun 16, 2009

I'm having a problem with my computer...happens frequently, but not all the time, and I don't know how to prevent it.

When I enter a URL, often from my Favorites list, many times the computer will appear to be searching for the site...then it switches to Google Images, and tells me it cannot find the site there. Of course not--the site is not within Google Images, and I wasn't searching in Google Images to begin with!

In my high level of frustration with this "phenomenon," I have uninstalled every Google program that my computer came with...and yet the problem persists. How can I prevent it completely? Do I need to ditch Internet Explorer and go to Firefox or some other system? This happens so frequently, it really pizzes me off. Is there someone at Google I can tell to "stay the F*** off my computer, unless I enter a Google URL?" What's the solution?

whizkidkyus · Jun 16, 2009

Chances are it's doing that because the URL is bad or dead or it has been changed . Either way it can't find the page you want for various reasons . It probably goes to google because you have that listed as your default search provider , wheather you put it as the default or the computer did it. Had this happen to me before .

Anonymous-0 · Jun 16, 2009

Nope...my computer does it with good URL's. And it does it frequently enough I'm almost wishing violence on the folks behind Google for "hijacking" my computer so many times a day.

Anonymous-0 · Jun 16, 2009

Nope...my computer does it with good URL's. And it does it frequently enough I'm almost wishing violence on the folks behind Google for "hijacking" my computer so many times a day.

rhouston · Jun 16, 2009

Download and Run Malewarebytes from www.malwarebytes.org Don't forget to update it before running. Remove anything it finds.

Ad-aware from www.lavasoft.com is also a good one to run along with Spybot Search & Destroy from www.safer-networking.org

Watchout for look alikes when you search.

MarkB_MI · Jun 16, 2009

I know that IE will automatically switch to Microsoft's search engine (now called "Bing") if you type in a bad URL. I suppose it's possible to change the default search engine to Google Images, but I don't know how.

Another possibility is that you may have a filter on your PC or at your ISP that redirects certain URLs.

MrFixit · Jun 17, 2009

hello buzzman, I was ask to see if I can help with your situation. IE uses whats called a HOST file. Every site you visit IE saves the address in the host file. When you type in an address, IE looks to see if you have been there before. When it cant find the site in the HOST file it then calls up the Domain Name Server (DNS). The DNS will tell IE where to find the site. It's faster for a computer to look up an IP address (ex. 10.10.10.1)than to look up the url (http://www.for-mrfixit.com). When the site is found, IE saves the IP info in the HOST file. Next time you visit the site, IE already knows where to find it, therefore speeding up your browsing.

If the HOST file was tampered with, like i did whizkid's computer years ago (lol), IE will send you to where the HOST file points. First, use your Virus scanner to do a full system scan. virus' are usually the blame. Install Firefox and see if you still have the problem. if not, the problem lies within IE. If you require further assistance feel free to ask.

MarkB_MI · Jun 17, 2009

That was the most inaccurate description of DNS lookup I have ever read.

The idea that a bad entry in the local host file would send the browser to a different URL than the one the user types in does not wash. The host file is just a mapping from host names to IP addresses. A bad entry in the local host file (or a bad DNS lookup, which is much more likely) would have one of the following results:

1. If the IP address is good, and the web page exists at that IP address, the browser will load the web page from the server at that IP but the displayed URL would appear to be correct. This is very unlikely and would most likely be caused by deliberate spoofing.

2. If the IP address is good but the web page doesn't exist there, the browser will give a "file not found" error. But the URL in the browser search bar would be correct.

3. If the IP address is bad, then the browser would generate an "unable to connect" type of error. Again, the URL in the search bar would be correct.

Anonymous-0 · Jun 17, 2009

Try going to "tools" then "internet options"
then the "programs" tab, and reset your web settings.

MrFixit · Jun 17, 2009

I'm correct about the hosts file's purpose. The hosts file keeps the url and the IP addres it corrisponds to. The good links it will keep and the bad links it will keep for a limited time before trying them again. If IE cant find the url in the hosts file it calls up the DNS to find the IP address for the site. If the address cant be found, then yes an error pops up. The hosts file can be changed using notepad under Windows 95, 98, and ME located in the %WinDir%. For XP, Vista, and the up coming Windows 7, the location of the hosts file is determined in the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.SYSTEM.CurrentControlSet.Services.Tcpip.Parameters.DataBasePath. Like you said Mark, the hosts file is a map between the url, the user types, and the IP address it corrasponds to. You can change the IP address that corrasponds to a url listed in the hosts file. it's called spoofing, something virus' are well known to do... I demostrated this techique with Whizkidkyus, to play a joke on him.

whizkidkyus · Jun 18, 2009

Hey Buzzman , MarkB_MI

Go to this site and read what it has to say about host files also click on the blue highlighted words and read their definitions .

Try this site and read the freqently asked questions about hostfiles . Especially the question entilted - Why do I see the " unable to connect" message ?

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hostsfaq.htm

or this one to read about host files

http://hostsfile.org/

Or just run a google search for " host files " and you will find out that my friend -Mrfixit -does know a lot about computers as I've explained in tool talk.

Thanks'
Whizkidkyus
Wikipedia Host Files

whizkidkyus · Jun 18, 2009

Hey Buzzman , MarkB_MI

Go to this site and read what it has to say about host files also click on the blue highlighted words and read their definitions .

Try this site and read the freqently asked questions about hostfiles . Especially the question entilted - Why do I see the " unable to connect" message ?

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hostsfaq.htm

or this one to read about host files

http://hostsfile.org/

Or just run a google search for " host files " and you will find out that my friend -Mrfixit -does know a lot about computers as I've explained in tool talk.

Thanks'
Whizkidkyus
Wikipedia Host Files

whizkidkyus · Jun 18, 2009

Sorry , I accidentally posted twice .

Whizkidkyus

MarkB_MI · Jun 18, 2009

Whizzy,

As someone who has almost 20 years experience administering UNIX systems in a networked environment, I think I can safely say I understand what the local hosts file is. I don't care to get into an argument, but the problem as described by Buzzman does not sound like a hosts file problem.

whizkidkyus · Jun 18, 2009

maybe not but what we're saying is that it could have a virus that is messing with it and it won't hurt to try .

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