# Wanna help me solve this very obscure and very annoying Windows problem?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-help-me-solve-this-very-obscure-and-very-annoying-windows-problem/131594
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 9, 2002, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-help-me-solve-this-very-obscure-and-very-annoying-windows-problem/131594 "2002-10-09T23:41:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2002, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-help-me-solve-this-very-obscure-and-very-annoying-windows-problem/131594/1 "2002-10-09T23:41:53Z")
Say anything resembling Apple or Mac and you can PayPal me two grand for a new computer. š
A few days ago I downloaded an update, and Iām pretty sure this update has made my SDMB browsing days. . . difficult.
Pre-download, if the boards were too slow theyād go to that āPage cannot be found, press refresh on your browserā window. Which was fine - Iām usually doing sixteen other things on my machine, anyhow. **Now** , however, it first goes to that page, and then those arrogant Microsoft bastards forward me to their automatic search page, in the process mangling the URL, and the whole ārefreshā thing goes out the window. As does the ābackā window, which is particularly annoying. So then I have to go back to the forumās main page and try again.
I know this is a longshot, but does anyone have an idea what I can do short of firebombing Redmond?
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### Author:  [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2002, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-help-me-solve-this-very-obscure-and-very-annoying-windows-problem/131594/2 "2002-10-09T23:49:32Z")
How about
Tools | Internet Options | Advanced | Search from the Address Bar
Select When Searching | āDo not search from the Address Barā
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### Author:  [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2002, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-help-me-solve-this-very-obscure-and-very-annoying-windows-problem/131594/3 "2002-10-09T23:55:54Z")
Iāll give that a shot. Thanks š
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### Author:  [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2002, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-help-me-solve-this-very-obscure-and-very-annoying-windows-problem/131594/4 "2002-10-09T23:56:51Z")
Iām not an expert, and you didnāt say what browser youāre using, but I think both IE and Netscape have a āfeatureā that causes this behavior. In Netscape, go to Preferences - Navigator - Smart Browsing and turn off whatever you see there. In IE I tihnk itās Internt Options - Advanced, I think the items are called Auto Complete something.???
This is just my best guess, if someone really knows the answer please tell!
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### Author:  [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-help-me-solve-this-very-obscure-and-very-annoying-windows-problem/131594/5 "2002-10-10T00:08:05Z")
Ah yes, Microsoft: āWhat do you want to break today?ā
:rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2002, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-help-me-solve-this-very-obscure-and-very-annoying-windows-problem/131594/6 "2002-10-10T00:19:16Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Derleth \*
> \*\*Ah yes, Microsoft: āWhat do you want to break today?ā
>
> :rolleyes: \*\*
Thanks for that helpful and insightful contribution to GQ.
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### Author:  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2002, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-help-me-solve-this-very-obscure-and-very-annoying-windows-problem/131594/7 "2002-10-10T19:10:07Z")
Does it behave this way in all of your browsers? Are you getting the same behavior in Opera and Netscape and IE?
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### Author:  [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2002, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-help-me-solve-this-very-obscure-and-very-annoying-windows-problem/131594/8 "2002-10-10T19:24:00Z")
I had all kinds of similar problems with IE taking over, new pages grabbing focus, and so on. It all went away when I switched to Opera. I LOVE Opera.
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### Author:  [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2002, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-help-me-solve-this-very-obscure-and-very-annoying-windows-problem/131594/9 "2002-10-10T20:29:06Z")
**DarrenS** , that solved the mangling of the URLs, but itās still forwarding to that stupid MSN search page. Thanks š
**AHunter3** , I only have IE, but Iām downloading Opera as I type. Iāve heard too many good things about it.
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### Author:  [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2002, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-help-me-solve-this-very-obscure-and-very-annoying-windows-problem/131594/10 "2002-10-11T02:08:27Z")
You need to disable the āSearch Companionā:
Click the Search button on the toolbar
Click Customize
Change the default from āSearch Companionā
Click OK, then restart IExplorer
The steps might not be exact as they vary from version to version, but the idea remains the same.
Good Luck.
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### Author:  [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2002, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-help-me-solve-this-very-obscure-and-very-annoying-windows-problem/131594/11 "2002-10-11T15:23:16Z")
I have both Netscape & IE on my computer. That way when one acts weird when it visits a web page I can use the other. But both of them have an option &/or preference setup you should look through, plus manuals come with them.
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### Author:  [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2002, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-help-me-solve-this-very-obscure-and-very-annoying-windows-problem/131594/12 "2002-10-14T15:03:03Z")
Well, this doesnāt answer the OP but Iām swinging with the wind here, so to speak.
Donāt rule out Mozilla (okay, similar to Netscape). For browsing the SDMB the tabbed-windows are _especially_ useful.
As for the Mac, how about a 200-year post-dated check in lieu of Pay Pal? š