[RESOLVED] Change Ask as default IE 6.0 Address search

[NRK11MAT]

Ask is set as my default address bar search engine in IE6.0 Win XP Professional. I believe this occured/was installed along with the latest update to Glary Utilities.

I have tried all the directions as listed in other similar forrums on the web (including here http://discussions.virtualdr.com/sho...d.php?t=228330) with no luck.

I have attached a log from hijack this to assist, but i see no reference to Ask anywhere. I have also searched my registry with regedit for "ask" but of course searching for ask in regedit brings up "task" and "mask" and thousands of other potential matches, making it almost immposible to locate.

[SpywareDr]

Microsoft Discussion Groups Home | Communities Home | Communities Worldwide
Windows Desktop Search Default is Ask.com - Can't get rid of it? in General Discussion
http://www.microsoft.com/communities...=en-us&m=1&p=1

decebal mihailescu - 11/17/2008 10:17 AM PST

I had the same pesky problem in IE6.
Here is how got rid of it.

1. Close all IE instances.
2. Uninstall everything that resembles ask.com or ask something.
3. check for a folder likely to be called C:\Program Files\AskSearch\bin or some similar name
4. open a command prompt and cd C:\Program Files\AskSearch\bin
5. uregister that evil dll: regsvr32 /u defaultsearch.dll
6. It should succeed, and if you want you can delete/rename it.
7. restart IE6 and check it out for some sites wit no www prefix

It worked for me on Win XP & IE6.

[NRK11MAT]

Thanks decebal

1. I have uninstalled ask, did not seem to help (no other ask references seem to exist in add/remove programs)

2. I have no folder called C:\Program Files\AskSearch\bin or any similar folder

3. How do I uregister "that evil dll" regsvr32 /u defaultsearch.dll
Do i need to do this in registry/with regedit?

Thanks!

[Broni]

Download HijackThis:
http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en...kthis/download
Click on Download HijackThis Installer
Post HijackTHis log.

[NRK11MAT]

Its in my initial post. Ill run again and repost. Thanks again!

[NRK11MAT]

note - I also use Firefox 3.0.4, and had the exact same issue in firefox... but after removing ASK with add/remove programs AND running about:config i was able to correct the issue in firefox... However, the problem with IE is much more persistent.

[Broni]

Open HJT, and checkmark:
- O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions present
Internet Explorer Restrictions
- O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel present
Internet Explorer Restrictions

Click "Fix checked" button.

Restart computer.

Change search engine to the one of your choice: http://websearch.about.com/od/search...y/qt/qt429.htm

[NRK11MAT]

No luck - still goes back to ASK as default.

I have attached updated Hijack this log.

The only other references to ASK i can find are the ASK toolbar installer in the Glary utilities directory (i did rerun ASK installer a while ago, and then removed ASK in add/remove programs to see if this helped - it did not)

I also found a cookie (i have also attached) but I doubt it does anything other than track when i'm on their site.

Thanks again Broni all!

[Broni]

Try IE repair: http://www.theeldergeek.com/repair_r...e_and_oe_6.htm

[SpywareDr]

Note first that I am NOT a HijackThis expert. However, these same instructions worked for texan in this VirtualDr thread: http://discussions.virtualdr.com/sho...d.php?t=235573

Try this:

1. Click Start | Run, type in services.msc and press [Enter]. Look to see if you have an AG windows service. If so, then stop it first, then disable it.
   
   
2. Click Start | Run, type in regedit and press [Enter]. Browse to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services". If you see "AGWinService" in the left pane, right-click it, select "Export", give it a filename of something like "C:\AGWinService_backup.reg" and click "Save". Now right-click "AGWinService" and select "Delete".
   
   
3. Load and run HijackThis. Place a checkmark in the boxes to the left of the following three items:
   R3 - URLSearchHook: AGSearchHookClass -{0BC6E3FA-78EF-4886-842C-5A1258C4455A} - C:\ProgramFiles\AGI\common\agcutils.dll
   
   O2 - BHO: AGSearchHook Class -{0BC6E3FA-78EF-4886-842C-5A1258C4455A} - C:\ProgramFiles\AGI\common\agcutils.dll
   
   O23 - Service: AG Windows Service(AGWinService) - Unknown owner -C:\ProgramFiles\AGI\common\win32\PythonService.exe
   and then click the Fix Checked button.
   
   
4. Close HijackThis (and whatever else you have open) and Reboot.

[NRK11MAT]

THANK YOU THANK YOU Spyware Dr (and all) the last suggestion fixed my issue! I made all the suggested changes above with exception of one item that did not exist in Hijack this, and immediately all is back as should be!!!

[Broni]

Nice job, SDr

[SpywareDr]

Thanks Broni!

[aypee3]

hi,
i have got the same problem with ask.com as the search engine and want to remove it.
i have even located C:\Program Files\AskSearch\bin
now kindly guide me what to do next. i don't know how to open a command prompt or cd C:\Program Files\AskSearch\bin
please guide me how to unregister it as soon as possible.
thanks!

[SpywareDr]

Welcome to VirtualDr

i have got the same problem with ask.com as the search engine and want to remove it.
...
please guide me how to unregister it as soon as possible.

Start at step 1. in Post# 10 above.

i have even located C:\Program Files\AskSearch\bin
now kindly guide me what to do next. i don't know how to open a command prompt or cd C:\Program Files\AskSearch\bin

Assuming you're running XP, click Start | Run, type in cmd and press [Enter].

At the CMD prompt, type:

cd "c:\program files\asksearch\bin"

and press [Enter].