# Why Does My Home Page Keep Changing?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-home-page-keep-changing/203275>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 23, 2003, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-home-page-keep-changing/203275 "2003-09-23T07:45:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-home-page-keep-changing/203275/1 "2003-09-23T07:45:23Z")

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I usually have my personal computer home page set to google, so I can start searching as soon I go on line. But lately I have noticed it changes every so often from google to some other search engine I have never heard of. The problems seem to have started when I downloaded some software I thought I wanted. The home page doesn’t change at any particular time. Mostly it changes as soon as I turn the computer on. But it can change suddenly, for no apparent reason. As soon as it changes, I change it right back again, and it stays that way–for a while at least.

Does anyone know the solution to this problem?

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**Author:** ![Vision\_of\_Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Vision\_of\_Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vision_of_Love)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-home-page-keep-changing/203275/2 "2003-09-23T08:24:24Z")

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Those programs you downloaded probably installed adware and other junk into your pc.

This might be able to undo it:  
[http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10214379.html?tag=lst-0-1](http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10214379.html?tag=lst-0-1)

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**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-home-page-keep-changing/203275/3 "2003-09-23T14:33:06Z")

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Yep, first clean out the rubbish that you’ve picked up from surfing with Ad-Aware (as above) and maybe this as well: [Spybot](http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,22262,00.asp) – the belt and braces approach with some good software.

Then, if you haven’t, install ZoneAlarm

Lastly, set your HomePage back to where you want and it should be safer.