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How to remove Babylon from the search engine menu?

  • 48 replies
  • 148 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by Babylon.Ltd

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My OS is Windows 7 Pro 64 bit; using Firefox ver 15.0. I downloaded Babylon tool bar and related apps because they were associated with a tool manual that I wanted to review. I then discovered how invasive these apps are. Successfully removed Babylon downloader and Tool bar via Start | Control Panel | program menu. However I notice that "Search the web (Babylon)" is still listed in the drop down menu of search engine options. I have defaulted my search engine to Google, and I can delete the Babylon option, but it returns every time when I close my browser and then return to my FF Mozilla home page. How can I permanently remove Babylon as a search engine option?

My OS is Windows 7 Pro 64 bit; using Firefox ver 15.0. I downloaded Babylon tool bar and related apps because they were associated with a tool manual that I wanted to review. I then discovered how invasive these apps are. Successfully removed Babylon downloader and Tool bar via Start | Control Panel | program menu. However I notice that "Search the web (Babylon)" is still listed in the drop down menu of search engine options. I have defaulted my search engine to Google, and I can delete the Babylon option, but it returns every time when I close my browser and then return to my FF Mozilla home page. How can I permanently remove Babylon as a search engine option?

Modified by Web Shepherd

Chosen solution

Babylon Solved: I've spent large parts of the last 4 days with the Babylon problem, stifled because I had no Address Bar and no View menu. The solution to those problems removed the Babylon bar as well.

Go to Help - Click Troubleshooting Information in the sub menu - and when that pops up Click on the Reset Firefox button, just to the right. Presto!

Read this answer in context 👍 12

All Replies (20)

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It's possible that you still have a Babylon carrier in your extensions. You can review them and disable (or remove) ALL nonessential extensions here:

orange Firefox button or classic Tools menu > Add-ons > Extensions category

Then complete your manual fixes as you usually do and restart Firefox. Fingers crossed that they didn't get reverted back.

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Wow!!! Thanks for the fast reply. Well, you are partially correct. Apparently Babylon code was buried in my registry. But nothing related to Babylon was found in the FireFox add-ons | extension categories. Therefore I suspected that there was a connection with several other add-on's, including Shopathome.com and coupon printer. I deleted these and then went into the FF search engine menu and deleted Babylon. This left me with Google, eBay, Yahoo, Bing and a handful of others. Backed out of FF and restarted my PC and ... voila ... Goodbye Babylon!!! I am very concerned about the slippery and deceptive practices of Babylon. Thanks for your help.

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Chosen Solution

Babylon Solved: I've spent large parts of the last 4 days with the Babylon problem, stifled because I had no Address Bar and no View menu. The solution to those problems removed the Babylon bar as well.

Go to Help - Click Troubleshooting Information in the sub menu - and when that pops up Click on the Reset Firefox button, just to the right. Presto!

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Phrein ~ Yes, your "reset Firefox button" approach also worked for me. Thanks for the good advice. Hope other users of FF see this topic and have the same successful results.

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Dear WebShepherd: In order to change your search engine, please view this link: http://support.babylon.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/213/0/remove-toolbar-and-search-the-web-babylon

(scroll down for Mozilla firefox)


Babylon Offers a full service for all its products and features valid from the Babylon Store and on the world wide web You can gain a full support and assistance on how to remove Babylon from your computer by the following ways :


Phone-18668086361 (US) Email: Support@babylon.com Website for Chat and Q& A : http://support.babylon.com/

Cheers Babylon,Ltd

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I removed Babylon and more spyware by going to spybot.com and downloaded the spybot spyware removal tool it was free and it worked

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I would like to know what program brought babylon into my computer. I did not download it, it just showed up. The only thing I can think of is I had a WildBlue tech working on my system and it showed up right about that time. It is a pain in the rump.

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Babylon is affiliated with a number of downloads and can appear when you say yes to everything in a download program. I spent about a month trying to get rid of Babylon, until I went to the Kimcommando.com website and found the spybot spyware removal shareware program and used that to completely remove Babylon. It appears that Babylon hides in your computers ram and reloads itself after try to remove it . spybot fixes that.

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This worked for me..Click start..Click RUN..type in regedit..double click on HEX LOCAL..MACHINE..Click SOFTWARE..Click MICROSOFT..ClickWINDOWS...Click CURRENT VERSION..Click EXPLORER..after EXPLORER opens. look for BROWSER HELPER OBJECTS ..right click on it and delete the entire file..Babylon resides in 2 files there...

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I had gotten rid of almost every thing, but it still kept coming up and I did fix it by going in and resetting my home page. That FINALLY got rid of it all. thanks

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I had someone with similar problem. She had gone to a site to get shoes. She then ended up with Bablylon Search engine on her Firefox. Tried changing it back to Yahoo, but, kept coming back. Tried the About:config settings. Reset put to Google. Set Main page as Yahoo. Exited. Firefox went right back to Babylon. Got rid of some Add-ins, that she said she didn't remember. Same thing. Went and found Uninstalls from Control Panel for Babylon Toolbar, and another Babylon entry. Used them. This removed the Babylon files/folders from Programs. Still coming up on a Babylon search page. Removed Babylon Search from the Firefox engines list. Still coming up, as Home Page, but, Search engine not showing. McAfee had run a FULL scan, with NOTHING found! Updated before run. Did a FIREFOX RESET. Babylon Still coming back as Home Page. Got to this forum. Saw someone mention Spybot Search & Destroy. Had the install available. Installed and ran. Within 3mins, it had found Babylon. Let it finish. Had it fix. Re-booted. STILL coming up as Home page. Checked some other things thru. Had seen something called Browsrmngr (can't remember exact spelling) running (service). Found that in Add/Remove programs. Removed it. Got Yahoo Back to being the Home Page!!

      • When I was trying to re-do the Home Page, in the beginning, choosing Default settings went back to Babylon search page!!! So, this program F&^(^ around with the DEFAULT Firefox settings!!! So, even without all the other problems trying to remove this (entries in Add/Remove didn't remove it, just trying to change the home page, an extra SERVICE that doesn't identify itself as part of Bablyon, etc) this program (??) has ALL the qualities of MALWARE, except that it didn't seem to want to destroy anything (yet???). If this is from a Legitimate company, there is Something Wrong here.
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I had done all of this except the Spybot thing. I finally got my FF back to normal by going and resetting my home page. Have not had a problem since, I have put a hex on this company. lol

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Go to Control Panel, click Programs (software).

Uninstall "Browser Manager" + "Bprotector" + "Object Installer" + "Babylon Toolbar on IE"

Then depending on which browser you use , follow the relevant steps:


Firefox ---------------------------

> Open a new Firefox window (website)

> Go to Tools> Options> and go to change your order, the Home. ( f.e www.google.de) and click OK.

> Remove the search engine of Babylon by clicking the small arrow next to the icon of Babylon

> Manage Search Engines

> select Babylon and Remove

> Close Firefox and open again

> write in the address Bar "about:config " and click Enter

> Write in the search engine "Babylon."

> Click on any 'Babylon' preferences with the right mouse button and select "Reset"

In the following video you can see how to change TAB URL :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yPX-ZJ5fQc&feature=related


Chrome -------------------------------------------------

Open Google Chrome and click on the "wrench" icon:

Click> Settings , choose the option "Open a particular page or set of pages."

Click "Set Pages" on page Babylon and delete from the list.

To change the search engine in Google Chrome, please follow the instructions below:

Open Google Chrome on the "wrench" icon on the right side of the address bar, click:

Settings> Under "Search", click "Manage Search Engines ...".

If you see "Babylon Search" as a standard (default), select please another search engine as the default from (Google, Bing, etc.). Only then will you Babylon You can remove by clicking the little 'X'.


Internet Explorer (IE) ------------ -------------------------------------

Open your Internet Explorer browser, click on "Tools", then "Internet Options" and in the section "Tabs" click on "Settings". It will open a new window, on the option "When a new tab is opened, open:" in the drop-down menu please choose "Your first homepage". Then click OK, Apply and OK.


Best regards,

Babylon

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How is ANYONE supposed to know that Browser Manager or Object Installer or Bprotector is part of Babylon Toolbar!!???? Why would ANY legitimate Browser Toolbar/Search Engine keep putting ITSELF back as the Homepage and Search Engine, when the user changes it to something else?? Why would ANY legitimate program make ITSELF the DEFAULT program WITHOUT ASKING!!!?? AND Install to a visiting computer WITHOUT ASKING!!!??? I had gone into About:config, and found Babylon, and changed them. Exited Firefox. Got back to Firefox. There was Babylon Search BACK AGAIN. It KEPT putting itself as the DEFAULT Homepage, even after Uninstalling Babylon Toolbar for Firefox, from Add/Remove, even after removing add-ons and removing Babylon Search engine from the Engine list. If Babylon Toolbar is supposed to be a Legitimate program, please tell your programming department to MAKE IT ACT LIKE ONE!!!!

Modified by Mark R

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Don't trust Babylon after they created their insidious spyware browser. That you can't get rid of.

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Browser Manager is a thing installed on your computer by Babylon, but isn't identified as such. Contol Panel>Add/Delete and get rid of the goddam thing. I was so frustrated with it that I finally got in touch with Babylon and had them walk me thru it. Regedit and all the other stuff never found Browser Manager. I even contacted Norton where I pay extra for this kind of help, ant they suddenly wanted $67 to do it. I'm due for renewal with them in November, but, as Bob Prince usta say, "You can kiss it good-bye."

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Babylon looks like a virus, acts like a virus. Call it what you want, .... (comments hidden by a moderator, J99 Mozilla Support rules and guidelines )

Modified by John99

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edit( comments by a forum moderator - J99 ) COMMENT: everyone;

  • I realise there may be a good deal of frustration is some situations, and some comment may be intended as hyperbole or humour, but please try to follow Mozilla Support rules and guidelines. There is otherwise a risk that action will be taken against infringers, that could include deletion of whole posts or even account deactivation.
  • I have let this post stand, it is quote by Babylon in a rebuttal lower down in this thread
  • as an aside, note that I understand Firefox management staff are currently co-ordinating improvement in documentation relating to removal of software extensions.

Babylon is the most pernicious, invasive, intrusive, manipulative and misleading software company on the internet. They pretend to be legitimate but their practices, actions and tactics are in the same league as spyware, viruses and malware. If there is a way to block them I want to know how. Legal action is the only way companies like this one can be controlled. I volunteer as lead plaintiff.

Modified by John99

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If anyone is following, this article seems to work for getting rid of Babylon in Chrome also.

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Jaguar6cy

We are so "invasive, intrusive, manipulative and misleading software company" that all our efforts here to explain how to Remove the Add On's + open a Support Center and offer you Phone Support, Chat Support and Remote Support + YouTube Channel with removing instructions are all for Nothing, we are sure you did not even try to contact us or follow our explanations to see how easy it is ! , Try to find other software companies that you Download their add on's to your computer and they offer you all that kind of assistance ! We think you will find None but that could be a Challenge, Good Luck


Lovely Day to you All

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