Hi
This may help.
This is caused by an incorrect permissiosn setting which can be modified by
dooing
the following
1) Open regedit
2) Browse to HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control
Panel
3) Back up the Control Panel folder
4) Delete the HomePage key in control panel (right hand side of the
registry editor)
5) Reboot the computer
You should now be able to set the home page just fine
If you have recently upgraded to IE 6 from IE 5:
=========================================
IE 4 and 5 use the registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER, Software, Policies,
Microsoft,
Internet Explorer, Control Panel to set the home page.
The presence of this key in IE 6 causes home page selection to be
unavailable.
Deleting the key restores home page selection.
Steps:
1. Open regedit.
2. Select key HKEY_CURRENT_USER, Software, Policies, Microsoft, Internet
Explorer,
Control Panel
3. Export the key as a backup.
4. Delete the key.
5. Restart windows.
Backing up the registry beforehand using scanregw is also recommended
Following is more information
SYMPTOMS
===========
When you use Microsoft Internet Explorer, you may experience any of the
following symptoms:
1. Your Internet Explorer home page has been changed to a different Web
site than the one that you selected.
2. You cannot change your home page selection to the Web site that you want.
For example, when you try to change your home page in the Internet Options
dialog box on the Tools menu, you may not be able to type an address in the
Address box, and the following buttons may be unavailable:
Use Current
Use Default
Use Blank
3. You reset your home page to the Web site that you want in Internet
Options, but after you restart your computer your home page selection has
again been changed to a different Web site.
CAUSE
=======
This issue may occur if one or more of the following conditions are true:
1. Your computer has been infected with a virus that changed your Internet
Explorer home page.
For example, the IRC.Becky.A worm and Trojan.JS.Clid.gen trojan horse
viruses change the Internet Explorer home page.
2. Code in the form of a malicious attack has been run on your computer.
For example, the JS.Exception.Exploit code may change the Internet Explorer
home page.
3. You installed third-party software that changed the Internet Explorer
home page.
For example, the Xupiter toolbar from Xupiter.com, the SecondPower
Multimedia Speedbar from SecondPower.com, and the GoHip! Web browser
enhancement from GoHip.com change the Internet Explorer home page. You may
be prompted to install one of these programs when you install other
programs.
3. Your administrator configured your home page by using the Microsoft
Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK), Group Policy, System Policy,
or manual registry settings, for example, through a logon script.
RESOLUTION
=============
WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious
problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft
cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using
Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk. To
resolve this issue, follow these steps.
Note: If you are running Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows
XP, you must log on as a user with administrator credentials to follow
these steps. If your network system administrator used the IEAK, Group
Policy, System Policy, or registry settings to configure your home page,
contact your system administrator before you follow these steps:
1. Obtain and run a current antivirus program, with up-to-date virus
definitions (signatures), and follow the instructions for cleaning or
removing any viruses that are found. Microsoft does not provide software to
stop virus infections or to clean infected computers. You may want to
contact an antivirus software vendor for more information about how to
remove a virus from your computer and how to help prevent future
infections. If your computer has been infected, it may be open to
additional forms of attack.
For additional information about how to determine if your computer is
infected with a virus, worm, or trojan, how to recover from an infection,
how to help prevent future infections from a virus, and how to contact
antivirus software vendors, click the following article number to view the
article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
129972 - Computer Viruses: Description, Prevention, and Recovery
For additional information about how to recover an already compromised
system, visit the CERT Coordination Center at the following CERT Web site:
http://www.cert.org/tech_tips/win-UNIX-system_compromise.html
Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find
technical support. This contact information may change without notice.
Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact
information.
2. Open the Web site that you want to set as your home page in Internet
Explorer.
3. Click Tools, click Internet Options, and then click Use Current. Restart
your computer, and then restart Internet Explorer. If the issue is
resolved, do not follow the remaining steps.
4. Perform a clean boot of your computer.
For additional information about how to clean boot your operating system,
click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:
310353 - How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows XP
281770 - How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 2000
267288 - How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows Millennium Edition
192926 - How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 98
243039 - How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows 95
5. Repeat steps 2 and 3.
If the issue is resolved, you have installed third-party software that
changed your Internet Explorer home page or code in the form of a malicious
attack, such as an unknown virus has been run on your system. One of the
startup items that were removed by using the clean boot method is causing
the issue. Any startup items that run Regedit.exe or a .reg, .hta, .vbs, or
.js file may be the cause of the issue. Leave any such startup items or
suspected third-party software turned off, and then continue
troubleshooting with the next step.
6. Click Start, and then click Run.
7. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
8. In Registry Editor, locate the following subkey, if it exists:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control
Panel
9. If the ResetWebSettings value or the HomePage value exists in this key,
right-click the values, and then click Delete.
Note: You may also want to verify any Web site information contained in the
Default_Page_URL value and the Start Page value in the following registry
keys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
HKEY_ LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
HKEY_USERS\Default\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
10. On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click Yes to confirm the
deletion.
11. On the File menu or on the Registry menu, click Exit to quit Registry
Editor.
12. Repeat steps 2 and 3. If the issue is resolved, turn on the startup
items that you turned off in step 4 except for the items that may be
causing the issue for example, commands that run Regedit.exe or a .reg,
.hta, .vbs, or .js file. If the issue recurs, you turned on the startup
item that was causing the issue. Repeat steps 4 through 11.
Important: After the issue is resolved, follow these steps to help prevent
the problem from recurring:
a. Do not run, save, or download a program from a source that you do not
trust.
b. Regularly use a current antivirus product.
c. If you are running Microsoft Outlook 2000 or Outlook 98, upgrade to
Outlook 2000 SR-2 or later, or install the Outlook 2000 SR-1 Extended
E-mail Security update. To install this update, visit the following
Microsoft Web site:
http://office.microsoft.com/Downloads/2000/Out2ksec.aspx
d. If you are running Outlook Express, upgrade to Outlook Express 6 or
later. Make sure that Active Scripting is turned off for e-mail and block
e-mail attachments.
For additional information about how to do this, click the following
article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
291387 - OLEXP: Using Virus Protection Features in Outlook Express 6
e. If you connect to the Internet directly, use a firewall. For additional
information about firewalls, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/articles/firewall.asp
f. If a virus or code in the form of a malicious attack has been run on
your system, delete all Temporary Internet Files, Cookies, and Internet
Explorer History items.
For additional information about how to do this, click the following
article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
260897 - How to Delete the Contents of the Temporary Internet Files Folder
278835 - How to Delete Cookie Files
157729 - How to Clear the History Entries in Internet Explorer
You may also want to search your hard disk for files that may have been
used by the virus or code in the form of a malicious attack and delete
these files. For example, files named Rad*.tmp (where * is a random set of
letters and numbers), any files containing "regedit" or ".reg" (for
example, a file containing "C:\Windows\regedit.exe/s
C\Windows\System\radB9819.tmp"), or Windows.vbs are known to be associated
with certain viruses.
g. Regularly download and install all critical security updates. To do
this, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
Some older versions of Windows and Internet Explorer may no longer be
supported by Microsoft. As a result, the latest security patches may not be
available for these products. For information about which products are
still supported, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;en-us;LifeWin
If your operating system or Internet Explorer version is no longer
supported, you may want to upgrade so that you can receive the latest
security patches.
MORE INFORMATION
=====================
For additional information about a related problem with the Search feature
in Internet Explorer, click the following article number to view the
article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
323869 - Adult Content Web Site Is Unexpectedly Displayed in Browser Window
When You Click Search
The third-party products that are discussed in this article are
manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft
makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or
reliability of these products.
Reference Link:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320159
Shilpa Sinha
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
