# How do I get my error messages back?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-my-error-messages-back/163574>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 23, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-my-error-messages-back/163574 "2003-03-23T17:54:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-my-error-messages-back/163574/1 "2003-03-23T17:54:23Z")

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Computer question for you all:

I seem to have somehow picked up some spyware or something in my surfing travels, and it has hijacked my error pages (DNS/Server error, 404, etc). I don’t know why, but it bothers me, and I want my plain IE pages back. (I’m using v. 6).

Example: I typed in an address which I know doesn’t exist: [bahimasheep.com](http://bahimasheep.com). And I end up getting this: [http://www.huntbar.com/Search/Search\_404.asp?aff=1453&Q=http://bahimasheep.com/&Code=-2146697211](http://www.huntbar.com/Search/Search_404.asp?aff=1453&Q=http://bahimasheep.com/&Code=-2146697211)

It’s a trivial little thing, but it’s bothering me. And I don’t believe that refreshing does anything anymore - I’m guessing my browser gets redirected to the error page, so I just refresh that.

Anyone wanna help me out here?

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**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-my-error-messages-back/163574/2 "2003-03-23T18:35:59Z")

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Install [Ad-Aware](http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10186632.html?tag=lst-0-1) or [Spybot - Search & Destroy](http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10194058.html?tag=lst-0-1). Either one will remove spyware and adware from your system.

Afterwards, open IE and go to **Tools|Internet Options|Advanced** , scroll down to the **Search from the Address bar** heading, and select **Do not search from the Address bar**. This will give you a plain error message if you type in an invalid URL.