# Computer help, Address Bar Hijacked! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 6, 2002, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-address-bar-hijacked/140876 "2002-12-06T05:54:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-address-bar-hijacked/140876/1 "2002-12-06T05:54:30Z")
Can I get some help from the more computer literate please? A stupid asswipe advertiser has hijacked my address bar. Whenever I type an address into the bar, like [www.cnn.com](http://www.cnn.com), the desired page comes up most of the time, but when I click on the arrow revealing the addresses listed in the address bar history, it says something like this: [www.asswipeadvertiser.com/code/code/www.cnn.com](http://www.asswipeadvertiser.com/code/code/www.cnn.com) (instead of just [www.cnn.com](http://www.cnn.com), like I typed it). Every now and then, when I type a new address into the bar, it will divert me to the asswipeadvertiser page instead of my desired destination. I’ve tried doing a search for files containing asswipeadvertiser, but to no avail. The “ad-aware” software also comes up with nothing. How can I reclaim control of my address bar? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-address-bar-hijacked/140876/2 "2002-12-06T05:55:37Z")
I have also tried to delete cookies, files, and history to no avail. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-address-bar-hijacked/140876/3 "2002-12-06T06:12:52Z")
I suppose this is probably not what you are looking for but…as a last resort you could always reinstall your browser. If you are using IE, it might be a good juncture to switch over to Mozilla or another? Usually you can import all your bookmarks to make the conversion smooth. My ideas are ones you have already tried (cookies, cache and adaware) ☹ ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-address-bar-hijacked/140876/4 "2002-12-06T06:14:25Z")
[http://www.lavasoftusa.com/](http://www.lavasoftusa.com/) > [@](#): > > Ad-aware 5.83 > Ad-aware is a free multi spyware removal utility that scans your memory, registry and hard drives for known spyware and scumware components and lets you remove them safely. It is updated frequently.If you are new to Ad-aware, we recommend you read the getting started tutorial. ---
**Author:** ![pmh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@pmh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmh)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-address-bar-hijacked/140876/5 "2002-12-06T06:19:29Z")
It’s probably in the registry. Try searching the registry for “asswipe”, and delete any entries you find (back-up the registry first, of course). ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-address-bar-hijacked/140876/6 "2002-12-06T06:24:25Z")
If you’ve installed any software that is doing this “hijacking” nothing will work except uninstalling the software. I recall that the Morpheus file sharing software was doing this some time ago making you go through other marketting sites to go where you wanted to go. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-address-bar-hijacked/140876/7 "2002-12-06T08:41:10Z")
If “asswipeadvertiser” is really named “browserwise” (and perhaps if is not, Ad-Aware 5.83 would not touch it for me, however, I loaded [Spybot - Search and Destroy](http://security.kolla.de/), and it cleaned it right up. (I’m still using Ad-Aware, but the two ad killers are better than just one of them.) ---
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-address-bar-hijacked/140876/8 "2002-12-06T08:51:28Z")
i have no ads and have only used on pop ups would this work if you opened the ass…etc and then made it a target on the no add list? ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-address-bar-hijacked/140876/9 "2002-12-06T13:17:57Z")
- - - You know, it might help if you actually said the name of the advertiser. Bad-mouthing companies that do objectionable things is understandable, and the name is probably is necessary to know in order to remove it. ~ ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-address-bar-hijacked/140876/10 "2002-12-14T23:26:31Z")
SPYBOT did the trick! Thanks! ---
**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:** [December 15, 2002, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-address-bar-hijacked/140876/11 "2002-12-15T02:30:26Z")
I know you have had your problem fixed, but another thing I like to do when in this situation is do a system restore. I have Windows XP (I believe ME has this too) and i think I have it set up to restore every night, so if I am surfing and run into something that takes over my browser, I just restore to last night and we’re all good. It’s quicker than running Ad-Aware. Granted, I still use Ad-Aware but this is just another method I like. Might as well use it if you have it! Glad you got your browser back, Bearflag 🙂