Comments on: Prevent your search default from being changed

The Google Toolbar lets you block a new program or software update from resetting your default search choice.

[mb99]

Why do so many people tolerate a company essentially coming into your private property and swapping your products for theirs? WHY is this tolerated? It is rude and unethical! I am so tired of these unethical business practices that I could scream. Consumers.... get a backbone and refuse to do business with companies that do this stuff!! I moved to Linux 2 years ago and to date my OS has never tried to secretly switch my settings on me. Avoid these unethical companies and things will change.

[celticbrewer]

Which one are you talking about? M$FT or Google? They both seem to be hijaacking your browser and OS. Personally, I don't trust either of them, but I sure won't stop using them.

Like Randonm says, if you don't know how to switch it back, why are you on the net? These, and all companies, switch stuff on you without telling you- even Linux and its apps, and especially Apple. So, settle down, and enjoy the ride. Computers and Computing constantly evolve; deal with it.

[LoudHeart]

@celticbrewer -- I had to sign into CNET News to respond to your comment.

"Which one are you talking about? M$FT or Google?"

This is funny, and so true. In term of personal privacy, MS rules the desktop space while Google rules the Net.

[FF2009]

i second this comment :) have been with Ubuntu Linux for a year now and am lovin it. Dont have to deal with MS tactics and getting riped off every time a new version of Windows is released...you pay for something you dont actually real won. lol

[kerrville_ton]

RIGHT_ON!
ton_kerrville

[randonm]

If you can't figure out how to change your defualt search engine, why are you on the internet? what was the point of this article? Didn't seem to focus on the bigger issue of microsoft trying to force their new search engine on unwilling customers.

[Maelstorm]

This is actually a known issue with Microsoft. Ever since Bing came out and Microsoft updated their Windows Search tool accordingly, they've been getting complaints about this same exact thing. There was an article about that right here on C|Net not that long ago. As for your comment, don't be so condescending. Not everyone has the same skill level as you or me.

[soonerskeene]

Windows Search Service is the indexor for the search he used to open event viewer: it did not, nor can it... change your search engine choice. And why does the author think (whatever it was) was trying to move him to bing? I see no proof of that.

My Firefox did the same thing, but I allowed it to continue to see what it was changing. Guess what.... it was changing it to the new version of Google, but it tripped the alarm along with it. Wow, let's blame microsoft for Google's update!

[solitare_pax]

You sound vaguely suprised that Microsoft Windows would try to dictate what you want to do with your machine.

But its all business as usual in the PC world.

[perib]

See also, the secretly pushed dotnet framework extension for Firefox. What, you did not know that Microsoft was "fixing" your Firefox setup?
http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/ms-dotnet-firefox.html
Who cares if the few pages that use dot-net frameworks dont load. It is a big internet, I will go somewhere else.

This sort of stuff will keep pushing me toward Linux, unfortunately, I have a lot of time invested in the MS platforms, and it is hard to leave. But if they push hard enough, I will go. I hold grudges, I have a long memory. I still have not bought anything with a Sony brand since the root-kit scandal

[Tarbos]

If you want to look at facts Microsoft IE8 always try to switch your default browser and search site! I wish when windows 7 comes out We could get offered a edition like EU is getting one with IE not included. since microsoft puts it in the OS you can't uninstall it. and it is utter crap!!

Now it be awesome if we had another chose of OS a real one linux is not viable yet due to all the programs/games run! what i mean is that Linux is not mainstream enough tobe viable yet!! But if Google could come out and run all the programs windows could such as GOOGLE OS / android i would switch.

yes i have tried Linux/ubuntu but it is alot different and harder to use then a normal OS.

[StormXY]

Explorer != Internet Explorer.

[dumbspammers]

Ubuntu Linux *is* a normal OS. Microsoft Windows is the aberration. Hell, they change the user interface every time they release a "new" Windows version.

How hard was it to use MS-DOS the very first time you tried? Did it get easier? If you can learn to use MS-DOS, you have the capacity to learn to use Linux - you just don't want to, or you'd be doing it.

[jake3373]

I'm using Windows 7 right now, and I love it - Just go to Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows Features On/Off and uncheck IE

[jkohut]

Microsoft doesn't want to have much to do with FireFox, that is whey Google doesn't have to protect it. Microsoft THINKS it owns IE,even when you have paid good money to purchase it (and Windows) from them, that is why they feel that can do underhanded things like changing it without asking (or possibly burying the approval to change this and other settings in a very unclear message like " do you want Microsoft XXXXXX application to manage your settings for you").
Is it any wonder, people are looking for other browsers (FireFox, Chrome, Opera, etc...) ? If Microsoft wonders why a large percentage of it's OS owners (such as XP) have failed to upgrade to IE 7 or IE 8, they only have to look toward practices such as this, to explain why many users don't want much to do with anything new from Microsoft.

[CrashPad63]

Oh look out the conspiracy police are in full force on this one. Just keep thinking I want to believe. By the way I think Ballmer is a grey!!!

[dumbspammers]

I seriously doubt that you think.

[zephirdx]

Easy solution. If you like Google's stuff, use Chrome. Its only downfall is the amount of RAM each tab takes up, (and since I have plenty of that for gaming...) but it runs/responds faster than even Firefox and works just fine on all major and W3C compliant sites.

It is kind of funny to me that not even Firefox is safe from MS's meddling. If I didn't have to run some unstable opensource ports of my favorite games, and wait months after release to get them, or run some buggy emulator, I'd ditch Windows for Linux in a heartbeat. But alas, MS still has PCs by the balls.

[PulSamsara]

Try Google's Chrome browser. I don't have any problems - works great with Google-centric office places, apps, etc.

[ulric2]

Huh, Microsoft doesn't change the default search in Firefox, and the "Windows Search Service" is for indexing your hard disk and knows nothing of Firefox

this looks like a completely made up article

[ulric2]

ho I see, the search has been reset in IE8, not FireFox, and that was detected by the Google toolbar.

Still not related to the Windows Search service, and you provided no info on what you installed to have your search reset to Bing.

One thing's for sure, it has no happened to me on Vista, except I supposed when I installed IE 8

[joebobtommyleetaylor]

He actually hasn't even shown it was Bing that it was attempting to change to. It's just assumed.

[A_Wave]

...all companies, switch stuff on you without telling you- even Linux and its apps...

I can assure you that none of my Linux boxes switch anything without telling me. Ever. Nothing gets changed unless I change it, and that is what separates the wheat from the chaff (there is a lot more chaff than wheat).

[slork55]

Looks like a crime under the "Computer Fraud and Abuse Act" to me, particularly,

* exceed authorized access.
* conspire to do so (amended by Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act)

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/1030.html

[Kyanar]

Wow Dennis, that's insightful. I mean, I'm sure the GOOGLE UPDATER which started one second earlier didn't try changing your search settings. Or IDrive. Or any other software you have. No, clearly the search settings were changed by the Windows Search service, the one responsible for indexing your FILES so that you can search them ON YOUR COMPUTER. I also like how you try to pass off assumptions as fact (I mean, look at the caption for the first image: "The Google Toolbar prevented Windows Search from changing my default search setting without my permission."). Who needs facts when we can just randomly slander people? I guess if I clap my hands and someone dies on the other side of the planet, it IS my fault, after all, correlation proves causation!

[bpike7]

Murderer!

[Police_States_of_America]

good article!

[Midnightbrewer]

If about:config is the only "easy" way to change your default search engine settings, then the Firefox dev team really needs to fix that. I'm a Firefox guy, but it's the only browser that forces such an antiquated method on users for configuration. Sure, for advanced tweaks I can see it, but just to change your default search settings? Overkill.

[jake3373]

Or just click the little arrow to the left of the search box and select "Google".

[bigjeff5]

Wow man, this is probably the most idiotic article about Microsoft's shady practices I have ever read. You see, it lacks a few things:

1.) Any evidence at all that your search default was being changed to Bing (there are hundreds of malware that alter your search to their own branded search engine)

2.) Any evidence at all that it was a Microsoft update or program that attempted to make the change (the Search service is MS's answer to Google desktop, it indexes your hard drive for searching, it has nothing to do with the web or any browsers).

3.) Anything more than a cursory glance at other possibilities. In fact, if you look just below the "search" service that you pointed out, you will notice "gupdate1c99e2ec...", it's in your own screenshot there. Know what that is? It is *drumroll* the google toolbar updater! So google toolbar just had an update, and a popup said something was trying to change your search default (note it never said what was changing it or what it was changing it to). What do you think did it? A desktop search service, or a google toolbar update?

As another commenter pointed out, this is a GOOGLE search update from GOOGLE updating the GOOGLE search. It triggered the alert, because even google shouldn't be allowed to change google search without your permission.

In other words, you are completely wrong, you idiot moron. God bless.

Apparently Microsoft has found yet another way around fixes! I ran windows updates this morning & found that Bing had hijacked my address bar searches. I tried your fix and another that Mozilla recommended, and both settings in about: config were as recommended, so they've found ANOTHER place to hide the hijack! Don't tell me that Microsoft isn't actively managing these hijacks!