after I click on a website I want and just as it finishes loading, a different website loads (and it isn't always the same one) before I even get to look at the one I want...
When I hit the back button on the browser, the page I want loads again but immediately the unwanted page loads again instead. If I'm quick enough to get the right click menu up and hit the 'stop' button, I can stop the unwanted download, but it is very hard to do.
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You need to clean your computer of malware. To scan for malware, install, update and run these programs in this order. They are all free for personal use, but some have limited functionality in their "free mode", but the features you'll miss are not really needed to find and remove the problem you have. Remember that not all programs detect the same malware!
- Bulleted list itemMalwarebytes' Anti-Malware - malwarebytes.org/mbam.php
- SuperAntispyware - superantispyware.com
- AdAware - lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware
- Spybot Search & Destroy - safer-networking.org/en/index.html
- Windows Defender - microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/defender/default.mspx
- Dr. Web Cureit - freedrweb.com/cureit
If these don't find it or can't clear it, please tell me and I'll provide you with further assistance.
I so appreciate your response. (I've been away for a week.) I should have made it clear in my post that I am using a Mac (MacOs X 10.4.11.) I'll bet that makes a difference, huh? I installed ClamXav trying to solve the problem, but no dice. Thanks for the info that not all malware programs find the same malware. That is valuable info.
Oh, I should have seen you were using a Mac (it says right next to your post). Well, if it's not spyware (Mac does have spyware, only it's a bit less common), can you please try it in a new (temporary) Firefox profile and see if the issue is still present? See this article to know how to create a new Firefox profile. Please report back the results.
Okay! I'm back. I did as you suggested, and it didn't make a difference. Then my sister came to visit, and was having the same problem on her laptop; different OS, different browsers - all same problem. I've come to the conclusion that the problem is with TimeWarner. It happens on our PC, too. I have yet to determine if it might possible be interference via the router; not sure if the PC is hooked to the router back there in the mess of wires... have you ever heard of this problem being with the service provider? I finally solved it on my laptop by getting NoScript, which is very good, blocking everything, but allowing me quick control over what to let by. It is only for Firefox, though...
Do you have other extensions that can cause that behavior?
See Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems
Now that I have NoScript installed, I can't troubleshoot without disabling that, which I don't want to do. I wonder, though, if the Shockwave flash 10.1.53.64 extension might be troublesome. I see that some folks have had trouble with it. But then again, why would the problem occur across the board on all our computers if it was my laptop's extension causing the problem? That's why I'm looking at the server, TimeWarner. What do you think?