When you go online through Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari, or any other web browser that you may choose to use, you have a homepage set up. It could be the default page that came with the browser or you may have changed it yourself. In any case, you are used to seeing it each time you log on. Then, one day, you get online and things have changed. You are rerouted to a page you have never heard of, or you may even have heard of it, but you certainly didn’t change it yourself. You have no idea what happened, and your first thought is the machine has been hijacked. You suddenly need computer help to resolve the problem. What does it mean? Did a little gremlin climb out of your computer and start switching things up on you?
While there aren’t any gremlins living in your machine, there are a few different things that could be causing the problem. You may have inadvertently allowed a program to change your homepage, Let’s look at what may have happened and then you can contact computer support to get things resolved.
Downloading Programs
Sometimes, when you download programs, part of the process will include adding search engine toolbars or changing your default homepage. The problem is, if you are like most people, you just clicked “continue” right past those things and you never realize that you changed anything.
If this is the case, then you can rest a little easier at night knowing that you don’t actually have a virus. It’s a simple switch that took place with your software download and that means most likely you will have no other problems on your machine.
Viruses and Malware
Now, there is also a chance that you have a virus and you will definitely need a computer repair service to deal with that issue. Generally, if you come across malware, it will do a few things all at once:
- Change your homepage
- Add an annoying toolbar
- Send popups to your computer
Sometimes, these malware programs will make it impossible for you to change your homepage back to what it used to be. It’s certainly a frustrating problem and it is one that can cause other issues for your computer as well.
In some cases, once the malicious software is on your computer and your homepage is actually hijacked, the hackers can send you to more pages with even more malware that you may accidentally download to your machine. It can become a vicious cycle of one problem after the other.
So, what can you do to protect yourself? To begin with, any time that you install new software on your machine, read each screen carefully and look at what the installation process is asking to do. You can generally uncheck the box to change your Internet settings. Keep virus software up to date on your computer too and that will help you avoid any malware that may take control of your browser. If your homepage has changed and you can’t get things corrected, then you can get computer support. All that you need to do is contact computer-help.com and we will be able to assist you in getting to the root of the problem.
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