# AOL 7.0 and Internet Explorer 6.0 **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 20, 2002, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-7-0-and-internet-explorer-6-0/119984 "2002-07-20T17:09:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-7-0-and-internet-explorer-6-0/119984/1 "2002-07-20T17:09:55Z")
I’m having a big problem. No matter what I set my home page to, either using Settings -\> Preferences -\> Internet Properties (WWW) in AOL or Tools -\> Internet Options under Internet Explorer, when I shut down AOL and IE, each time I use them again, my home page keeps getting switched to this one web site, which, A) I don’t want as my home page, and B) No longer exists. So, other than uninstalling and then reinstalling AOL and IE, is there a way to fix this problem? I’ve used the Delete Cookies, Delete Files, and Clear History several times, but I keep getting my home page set to the same web site :mad: . Any help is appreciated. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Pythagoras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@Pythagoras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagoras)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-7-0-and-internet-explorer-6-0/119984/2 "2002-07-20T17:13:31Z")
Id switch to another ISP. AOL are such bastards to their customers. Id suspect that AOL somehow is doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-7-0-and-internet-explorer-6-0/119984/3 "2002-07-20T17:16:23Z")
No, it’s not them, I can tell you that much. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-7-0-and-internet-explorer-6-0/119984/4 "2002-07-20T17:43:21Z")
Download and run Adaware: [http://www.lavasoftusa.com/](http://www.lavasoftusa.com/) Betcha got some dumbass adware program that resets your homepage. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-7-0-and-internet-explorer-6-0/119984/5 "2002-07-20T19:10:07Z")
Check in your registry for a string that matches that page. It might be stuck in there somewhere. Running Adaware might help find it and delete it for you, too. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-7-0-and-internet-explorer-6-0/119984/6 "2002-07-20T21:51:43Z")
Ok, thanks. I’ll give it a try. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-7-0-and-internet-explorer-6-0/119984/7 "2002-07-20T23:41:02Z")
is it something to do w/ liveshows. IF so search for that and remove in google. It is tricky to remove and adaware is not aware of it. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-7-0-and-internet-explorer-6-0/119984/8 "2002-07-21T01:39:21Z")
No, not live shows, but I think that the link is pornographic, at least, that’s what the name seems to imply. Anyway, adware didn’t work, so I’m going to try to use the Windows Find function for Files and Folders using the option Containing Text and search for the link that way. If I can’t find it to delete it, I’ll just re-download AOL and IE, uninstall them, then re-install them again. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-7-0-and-internet-explorer-6-0/119984/9 "2002-07-21T03:47:07Z")
I did it. I found the file. It was in my Windows\System directory. I deleted it, a couple of times had to delete references of it in my registry, but now it’s finally gone. So it’s a good thing that I didn’t uninstall, and then reinstall AOL and IE because it would have been time consuming, and I still would have had the problem anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-7-0-and-internet-explorer-6-0/119984/10 "2002-07-21T07:45:10Z")
Scumware is so annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-7-0-and-internet-explorer-6-0/119984/11 "2002-07-21T07:48:42Z")
Amen to that! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![xyzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/e36b37/32.png) [@xyzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xyzzy)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-7-0-and-internet-explorer-6-0/119984/12 "2002-07-21T16:10:42Z")
Arrrgh…AOL. I could go on and on. Anyhoo…it sounds like you downloaded some cheesy little app that jacks the start page of your browser (I won’t use the term “hijack” to describe that, as that word brings a lot of 9/11 related memories) and changed it to theirs. I’ve never heard of AdAware, but ya might wanna give it a shot. I’d also like to add my two zorkmids worth of free advice. Never in your life EVER just go “oooh…cool” and just let J. Random Program have fun on your computer. Check it out first. If it comes from an established firm like Microsoft or Yahoo, you’re probably safe. But if it comes from some pr0n site, you’re better off passing it up. If you must have it, go to [http://groups.google.com](http://groups.google.com) and do a search on the program name. See what others have to say about it. Either that, or go to [http://www.download.com](http://www.download.com) and see if you can get it from there. Either way, be safe out there. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-7-0-and-internet-explorer-6-0/119984/13 "2002-07-21T16:40:09Z")
I NEVER let any program have fun on my computer. Some web site just added it without my knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![xyzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/e36b37/32.png) [@xyzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xyzzy)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-7-0-and-internet-explorer-6-0/119984/14 "2002-07-21T20:19:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joel \* > \*\*I NEVER let any program have fun on my computer. Some web site just added it without my knowledge. \*\* Turn off Java NOW. NEVER turn it back on. Same with JavaScript. Leave them both OFF no matter what! While you’re at it, turn off all plugins. Your browsing will be boring, but it’ll be safe.