Not loading correct pages, appears to be redirecting to other sites
I don't even begin to know how to explain this, other than to plainly state what is happening.
I type "google.com" in the line where one puts URLs to visit websites. The Google search page will come up. I enter a search term in the blank space on the page, and it comes up with results in YAHOO search! Can someone please explain to me what is happening and how I can stop it? I would like to actually get results in Google, instead of Yahoo.
Chosen solution
I don't know how, or why, but this issue simply resolved itself a few days after my most recent post in this thread.
I ran every anti-virus and anti-malware I could find, and even paid for a couple new ones, and none of them found anything.
I cleared cache and the cookies, and lost most of my logins, (but I had made a written copy of all of them beforehand, so it was only infuriatingly inconvenient), and did everything else without totally destroying the functionality of the browser, with no changes to the issue. I would not "do a refresh" as the last time I did that, I lost all my bookmarks, page settings, and most of my passwords.
Here's the inexplicable part:
A few days after my most recent post, I was entering some grades in my school spreadsheet, and on a whim, tried to do a search from the "New Tab" page (the one that shows page thumbnails) and *poof* it was as if it had never happened.
I have no clue how it fixed itself.
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This is very abnormal, I'd suggest running an Anti-Virus/Anti-Malware scan just to ensure that nothing is hiding in your computer's files that may prevent the real Google search. My guess is search.yahoo for the incident, let me know what URL pops up when you do this process. Before you run the scans.
Hope this helps!
Zachary_ said
This is very abnormal, I'd suggest running an Anti-Virus/Anti-Malware scan just to ensure that nothing is hiding in your computer's files that may prevent the real Google search. My guess is search.yahoo for the incident, let me know what URL pops up when you do this process. Before you run the scans. Hope this helps!
Not really sure what any of that means, since I already ran a virus scan on the off chance that it might be the cause. I suppose I should have mentioned that. Don't know what you mean by "search.yahoo for the incident" That's kind of the point. I don't want to have to search Yahoo at all if I can help it. So I don't know how I can let you know what URL pops up. I just don't know what that means. Sorry. Can you be a little more simplified and less technical? I don't know what you know, so I'm not going to follow what you tell me unless you explain it in detail as you go.
Go to the 3-bar menu => Addons => Extensions and look for any unfamiliar or suspicious looking extensions, like e.g.:
SafeSearch Incognito SearchAssist Incognito
When you find any: remove them.
Also look in: 3-bar menu (or 'Tools') => Options => Advanced => Network tab => Under : 'Offline Web Content and User Data'
Do the same in Windows' Control Panel => Programs.
However most malware will be 'hiding' somewhere , so let's run malware scans:
Further information can be found in this article : https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-firefox-issues-caused-malware?cache=no
Run most or all of the listed malware scanners. They all work differently - what one program doesn't pick up, the other might.
Also see : https://malwaretips.com/blogs/yahoo-toolbar-removal/
Type about:addons<enter> in the address bar to open your Add-ons Manager. Hot key; <Control> (Mac=<Command>) <Shift> A)
In the Add-ons Manager, on the left, select Extensions. Remove “ Yahoo “ Anything. Also look for SafeSearch, SearchAssist Incognito, FileConverter Addon, SearchLock.
Now do the same in the computer’s Programs Folder.
Windows: Start > Control Panel > Uninstall Programs. Mac: Open the Applications folder. Linux: Check your user manual.
Oh wow... those are some excellent explanations! Even a dolt like me can follow those.
Okay, didn't find any "incognito" extensions. Didn't find any of these: SafeSearch, SearchAssist Incognito, FileConverter Addon, SearchLock.
Don't have anything related to Yahoo in any of my program files, and I even looked in my Revo Uninstaller.
I have Malwarebytes, AVG and also can use MSE. Ran Malwarebytes earlier today, but will run AVG and MSE just to be sure.
I wonder if the recent update of Firefox (a day or so ago) might have anything to do with this. I noticed when I went into my Extensions, that FEBE, my password saver, the ad blocker, and a couple of others had yellow "Legacy" blocks next to them.
Will update when the scan finishes.
Lancer525 said
Can you be a little more simplified and less technical? I don't know what you know, so I'm not going to follow what you tell me unless you explain it in detail as you go.
What Zachary means is, that Yahoo Search is a legitimate search engine, but you are dealing with search.yahoo.com, which is a browser hijacker. And it is really important that you follow every step he describes in his next post, as it will help you get rid of the culprit (which will probably be 'hiding' somewhere. Run all scans ! (what one scan doesn't pick up, the other one will)
Modified by Happy112
Both scans complete. No threats present.
I'm going to exit out of FF, and then see what happens when I start up again.
Nope... still doing it. Going to Google to search, clicking on the search button still takes me to Yahoo results.
Lancer525 said
Nope... still doing it. Going to Google to search, clicking on the search button still takes me to Yahoo results.
You said that you ran only two scans - please run all of them !
Can you post a list of your extensions?
Happy112 said
Lancer525 saidNope... still doing it. Going to Google to search, clicking on the search button still takes me to Yahoo results.You said that you ran only two scans - please run all of them !
What exactly do you mean by "all" of them? The only other one I have is Microsoft Security Essentials. I don't know what you mean.
Lancer525 said
What exactly do you mean by "all" of them? The only other one I have is Microsoft Security Essentials. I don't know what you mean.
I mean : all the scans that are mentioned in the links Zachary gave you in his second post.
Duh... I went back and re-read the post more carefully, and am downloading to run all of the scanners listed in the link.
I originally interpreted that to mean "all the ones I already had" not that I needed to have all that list of scanners.
So, once that's done, I'll post with another update.
And here's my list of extensions:
OpenH264 Video Codec provided by Cisco Systems, Inc. Widevine Content Decryption Module provided by Google Inc. Shockwave Flash Adblock Plus 2.9.1 Adblock Plus Pop-up Addon 0.9.2.1 FEBE 8.9.3.1 Image Zoom 0.6.3.1 Saved Password Editor 2.10.3 Show my Password 2.0.1
To give a full list of scans you could do (just to make it a little easier for you - but take all the time you need) :
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware: http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php
AdwCleaner: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Antivirus/Removal-Tools/AdwCleaner.shtml SuperAntispyware:
http://www.superantispyware.com/ Microsoft Safety Scanner:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx Windows Defender:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/using-defender Spybot Search & Destroy:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
Kasperky Free Security Scan: http://www.kaspersky.com/security-scan
You can also do a check for a rootkit infection with TDSSKiller.
Anti-rootkit utility TDSSKiller: http://support.kaspersky.com/5350?el=88446
Well, I ran all of the scans. No issues found.
Still have the issue.
Do a clean reinstall of the current Firefox release and delete the Firefox program folder before installing a fresh copy of the current Firefox release.
- download the Firefox installer and save the file to the desktop
*https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/
If possible uninstall your current Firefox version to cleanup the Windows Registry and settings in security software.
- do NOT remove "personal data" when you uninstall the current Firefox version, because this will remove all profile folders and you lose personal data like bookmarks and passwords including data in profiles created by other Firefox versions
Remove the Firefox program folder before installing that newly downloaded copy of the Firefox installer.
- (64 bit Firefox) "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\"
- (32 bit Firefox) "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\"
- it is important to delete the Firefox program folder to remove all the files and make sure there are no problems with files that were leftover after uninstalling
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Uninstalling_Firefox
Your personal data like bookmarks is stored in the Firefox profile folder, so you won't lose personal data when you uninstall and reinstall or update Firefox, but make sure NOT to remove personal data when you uninstall Firefox as that will remove all Firefox profile folders and you lose your personal data.
If you keep having problems then you can create a new profile to test if your current profile is causing the problem.
cor-el said
Do a clean reinstall of the current Firefox release and delete the Firefox program folder before installing a fresh copy of the current Firefox release. Your personal data like bookmarks is stored in the Firefox profile folder, so you won't lose personal data when you uninstall and reinstall or update Firefox, but make sure NOT to remove personal data when you uninstall Firefox as that will remove all Firefox profile folders and you lose your personal data.
Not going to happen. Under no circumstances will I ever go through this process again. Ever.
It is, in my experience, and that of two local computer repair shops, not an accurate statement to say that Firefox can or will ever be installed again without any loss of personal data, settings, etc. It simply does not occur. Something always gets lost. And it is usually something absolutely necessary.
I will delete the entire accursed program and move everything over to Chrome before I'll ever go through the living hell of trying to reinstall Firefox ever again.
The only reason I haven't done it already is that I have several elderly family members whose bills I handle, and all of their accounts have logins and passwords that I would have to manually transfer from one browser to another. If I have to uninstall, I will simply record them all and go to Chrome.
This is getting ridiculous.
May I ask you to check your settings here (just to make sure) :
3-bar menu (or 'Tools') => Options => Search : Have you set Google as your default search engine ?
Under 'One-click Search Engines' : Have you unchecked / removed Yahoo ?
In the search box on the address bar (the one with the magnifying glass) :
no Yahoo there ?
Modified by Josh Ross
Happy112 said
May I ask you to check your settings here (just to make sure) : 3-bar menu (or 'Tools') => Options => Search : Have you set Google as your default search engine ? Under 'One-click Search Engines' : Have you unchecked / removed Yahoo ? In the search box on the address bar (the one with the magnifying glass) :
no Yahoo there ?
Yes, Google is my default search engine. The only two search engines in the "one click" are Google and Duck Duck Go. No Yahoo in the Search box on the address bar.