Dell home page can't be changed

[koster]

The homepage in Internet Explorer is set to http://www.google.co.uk/ig/dell?hl=en&client=d ell-usuk&channel=uk&ibd=0060914.

If I change it to the one I want, it reverts to the Dell one when I restart.

I searched the registry for the above URL, found it once and changed it, but this has not solved the problem.

How do I get rid of this Dell homepage?

[ChuckFickens]

Probably your anti virus software is stopping it, they often think that changing your homepage is a browser hijack and revert it back to a preset one.

[koster]

I'll try disabling the antivirus software while I am changing the home page.

I would have thought that the antivirus software would tell me if it was blocking this.

[ezrgoode]

a) In IE, click on Tools>Internet Options>Advanced tab, and scroll down to the 'Browsing' section.
- b) Uncheck the box next to "Enable third-party browser extensions (requires restart)"> 'OK'.
This will disable all IE extensions, toolbars, browser helper objects (BHO's)- some of which you
might want to keep. You can re-enable the wanted ones later.
- c) Close all instances of IE, then restart it.
- d) See if you can now reset your homepage to the URL of choice, using the standard method.
- e) If you can, and the Homepage you want 'sticks' after subsequent restarts, then one of the IE extensions that you disabled is responsible. To determine which one, you will have to disable
them selectively, one by one, til you find the guilty party.
- f) To selectively disable extensions, first re-enable all by reversing step b) above. Close/restart IE.
Click on Tools>Manage Add-ons. Hi-lite a selection to enable/disable it using the radio buttons at
the bottom. It likely will contain one or more of the following terms (or similar):
Dell
Google
AFE
redirector
assistant
CBrowserHelperObject
BAE.dll
- g) Close/restart IE. Check if your Homepage is still locked.
- h) When you find the culprit, just leave it disabled.

[koster]

Sorry, it's not the antivirus software and it's not an IE add-on. I've tried both of the above without success.

[koster]

After trying everything imaginable, I finally found an answer here:
http://blogoscoped.com/forum/16314.html

I will try it tomorrow!

This is how to get rid of it....

Their is some type of "lock" on the home page setting. I'm sure this is something added by Dell into their Windows distro...

Boot your computer in safe mode...usually F8 at startup. Change the home page while in safe mode and reboot normally. Your new home page will stay changed, however, it is still locked so if you want to change it again in the future, you will have to do it again through safe mode.