# Why does the SDMB hijack my back button?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-sdmb-hijack-my-back-button/610012
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [January 19, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-sdmb-hijack-my-back-button/610012 "2012-01-19T14:51:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-sdmb-hijack-my-back-button/610012/1 "2012-01-19T14:51:33Z")
I’m using IE9 (Well there’s your problem) and whenever I go to a SDMB page, my back button gets hijacked. I usually have to click it 2-4 times to go back a page. Since I’m inpatient, I often end up clicking it more than needed and I go back farther than I’d like.
What gives? Specifically, what can I do about it?
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-sdmb-hijack-my-back-button/610012/2 "2012-01-19T15:07:44Z")
This is a first – I haven’t seen this problem before.
Anyone else?
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### Author:  [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-sdmb-hijack-my-back-button/610012/3 "2012-01-19T15:15:48Z")
It happens to me now and then and when it does I use the drop down by the back arrow to see what’s going on. Invariably it shows me that it’s an ad site doing it – presumably the banner ad – which is not letting me leave the page. I then click on the actual page I want to go back to 🙂
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### Author:  [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-sdmb-hijack-my-back-button/610012/4 "2012-01-19T15:21:49Z")
Yeah, it’s a redirect often\* caused by an ad.
\*at least on this site, some sites do it intentionally, and when I find a site that does so it goes on my “restricted” list
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-sdmb-hijack-my-back-button/610012/5 "2012-01-19T15:24:33Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#):
>
> It happens to me now and then and when it does I use the drop down by the back arrow to see what’s going on. Invariably it shows me that it’s an ad site doing it – presumably the banner ad – which is not letting me leave the page. I then click on the actual page I want to go back to 🙂
That’s my story, too. In fact, I rarely use the “pure” back button anymore. Just do the dropdown and pick the previous place I would want the back button to take me to. Blasted ads!
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### Author:  [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-sdmb-hijack-my-back-button/610012/6 "2012-01-19T15:29:28Z")
Hmmm. I don’t have a dropdown option by the forward or back buttons. I know I’ve seen it and used it. Maybe IE9 did away with it?
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### Author:  [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-sdmb-hijack-my-back-button/610012/7 "2012-01-19T15:34:28Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#):
>
> Hmmm. I don’t have a dropdown option by the forward or back buttons. I know I’ve seen it and used it. Maybe IE9 did away with it?
I just googled “ie9 screenshots”, and it appears some have the drop down button and others do not.
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### Author:  [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-sdmb-hijack-my-back-button/610012/8 "2012-01-19T15:47:58Z")
I don’t have that problem with the SDMB (maybe b/c I’m a non-ad-seeing member) but it happens when I visit the website for the local newspaper all the time. It’s frickin’ annoying.
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### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-sdmb-hijack-my-back-button/610012/9 "2012-01-19T15:52:51Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#):
>
> Hmmm. I don’t have a dropdown option by the forward or back buttons. I know I’ve seen it and used it. Maybe IE9 did away with it?
Try right-clicking on the back button. That should give you a dropdown list of previous pages to choose from.
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### Author:  [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-sdmb-hijack-my-back-button/610012/10 "2012-01-19T15:57:16Z")
> [@davidm](#):
>
> Try right-clicking on the back button. That should give you a dropdown list of previous pages to choose from.
Thanks **davidm** , that brings up the list and I see all the ads.
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### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2012, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-sdmb-hijack-my-back-button/610012/11 "2012-01-19T16:04:28Z")
All you have to do then to go back a page is to click on the most recent one that is not an ad.
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### Author:  [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-sdmb-hijack-my-back-button/610012/12 "2012-01-20T01:33:21Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#):
>
> This is a first – I haven’t seen this problem before.
>
> Anyone else?
[From 06-20-2010](http://boardstest.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12617040)
> [@The SDMB is serving up malware again](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-serving-up-malware-again/543949/1):
>
> Edit: I just managed to get the “broken back button” problem to trigger.
> [@The SDMB is serving up malware again](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-serving-up-malware-again/543949/2):
>
> Noted and reported.
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### Author:  [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2012, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-sdmb-hijack-my-back-button/610012/13 "2012-01-20T02:43:19Z")
> [@Zeldar](#):
>
> That’s my story, too. In fact, I rarely use the “pure” back button anymore. Just do the dropdown and pick the previous place I would want the back button to take me to. Blasted ads!
Yes, the ads have mostly trained me to do that too.