Homepage (W2K)

[hpak]

I received a junk mail from this unwated site and as soon as I opened it up in my Outlook Express, it opened up a page with sexual contents with my Internet Explorer. Ever since then, I cannot go to Tools -> Options -> Homepage and change the homepage address because something seem to have gone wrong in my registry. And I can not click on any one of "use current" "use default" "use blank". But instead, I have to go through the registry and change the homepage address. Is there anything I can do about this?

[TonyKlein]

Hi,

Sounds like a restriction called homepage

Go to Start/run, and type Regedit.
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Inte rnet Explorer\Control Panel
Is the subkey called 'Control Panel' (no doubt containing the 'homepage' value) indeed there, rightclick it, and choose delete from the context menu.

If it isn't there, check the same subkey in THE HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and/or HKEY_USERS\.Default branches.

Good luck, Tony

[hpak]

Hey thanks for the prompt reply!
That DID help!!!!

Thanks a lot!!!!!!!!


Oh, but by the way..
Is there a way of preventing those junk mails to set my homepage in the first place?

[TonyKlein]

Yes and no.

You could set your homepage, and then set the restriction yourself: <a target="_blank" href=http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/537/>http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/537/</a>

Unfortunately, you could still inadvertently download something that could silently edit your registry and change it all back.

I'm not familiar with Windows 2000, as I'm running Win98 myself, but there are a number of precautions you could take yourself, like disabling the Windows Scripting Host, or installing an application like Script Sentry or even a relatively simple thing like Symantec's NoScript.

Also disable 'install on demand' in Internet Options/advanced, and scrutinize all settings in Internet Options/Security > Internet.

A utility like <a target="_blank" href=http://www.delphifreestuff.com/cgi-bin/dfs_components.cgi?fw_startupmanager>Startup Manager</a> is very useful as well, as it will warn you if anything is preparing to register itself in Startup.