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Aaaagh ... blinking porn on my computer - how do I get rid?

17 replies

Ghosty · 17/10/2003 05:21

Hello all

Need a bit of help ...
Mumsnet has been my homepage for 6 months or more now ... (sad I know!) ... But yesterday morning I logged onto the internet and instead of my beloved MN there was a charming delightful home page of some disgusting porn site ....
DS was sitting behind me having his breakfast and said, "What's that mummy?" so of course I screamed and switched it off!
DH says he knows nothing about it although I teased him about looking at porn while I was out ... (I remember the last thread about that and tbh I don't really care if he does or doesn't - I just don't want it popping up while I am eating my Rice Krispies of a morning and nor does DH!!!!! And like DH says, DS is now able to log on to the internet on his own and as you would all agree we REALLY REALLY don't want him exposed to that sort of stuff!!!!.... )
Anyway ... everytime I log on this bloody site pops up and although I can easily go into favourites and get MN or Google or whatever, how can I stop this being my homepage???????????

OP posts:
robinw · 17/10/2003 08:00

message withdrawn

pie · 17/10/2003 08:06

Ghosty, go to mumsnet > tools > internet options > set home page...the mumsnet url should be in the set home page box if that is open in your current window.

That should work though some porn sites can get around this so let me know if it doesn't work

JJ · 17/10/2003 08:07

To reset your homepage:

in IE/Safari:
go to the IE/Safari menu (far left tab) and choose "Preferences"
the first form should have on it "Homepage". Put the mumsnet URL back in.

in Navigator:
go to the Navigator menu and choose "Preferences"
On the next screen choose "Navigation"
In the "Homepage" field, enter mumsnet's URL

Other browsers should be variations on this -- go to the application menu, choose "Preferences", then look around until you find the "Homepage" field.

To avoid the site popping up on your address bar, you can empty the cache and history -- note that this will put you back at square one for autofilling the address bar or using history:

In IE: go to the IE menu, choose "Preferences" then choose "Advance" then hit "Empty Now" under cache and "Clear" under history

In Navigator: Navigator menu > Preferences > Navigation --> History , then empty cache and clear history

In Safari: Safari > Reset Safari (seriously resets everything and deletes cookies you'll get a prompt)

I use OSX, so yours might be variations of that.

Re the porn sites: I've accidentally logged into two in recent weeks. One used to be a recipe site (they let the registration lapse and some porn outfit bought the domain name) and the other was while trying an obvious address for a ski company (the actual address was very very close to the one I had typed). So it could easily be accidental. Those sites sometimes autoload others, one of which might have reset your homepage to it. Argh!

JJ · 17/10/2003 08:08

To reset your homepage:

in IE/Safari:
go to the IE/Safari menu (far left tab) and choose "Preferences"
the first form should have on it "Homepage". Put the mumsnet URL back in.

in Navigator:
go to the Navigator menu and choose "Preferences"
On the next screen choose "Navigation"
In the "Homepage" field, enter mumsnet's URL

Other browsers should be variations on this -- go to the application menu, choose "Preferences", then look around until you find the "Homepage" field.

To avoid the site popping up on your address bar, you can empty the cache and history -- note that this will put you back at square one for autofilling the address bar or using history:

In IE: go to the IE menu, choose "Preferences" then choose "Advance" then hit "Empty Now" under cache and "Clear" under history

In Navigator: Navigator menu > Preferences > Navigation --> History , then empty cache and clear history

In Safari: Safari > Reset Safari (seriously resets everything and deletes cookies you'll get a prompt)

I use OSX, so yours might be variations of that.

Re the porn sites: I've accidentally logged into two in recent weeks. One used to be a recipe site (they let the registration lapse and some porn outfit bought the domain name) and the other was while trying an obvious address for a ski company (the actual address was very very close to the one I had typed). So it could easily be accidental. Those sites sometimes autoload others, one of which might have reset your homepage to it. Argh!

JJ · 17/10/2003 08:10

Just don't ask me how to post properly.

Lethal · 17/10/2003 08:24

Ghosty - it's HUGELY annoying, I know. Just about every time I log on to check my email, there's at least one spam message from a porn site - usually with pictures in full colour.

Can you put a password on the internet connection so that DS can't log on without you being present? I think you can also activate 'Parental control' or something on your internet security system, but I don't know a great deal about it as I haven't had to use it yet. Good luck.

JJ · 17/10/2003 08:31

Just don't ask me how to post properly.

JJ · 17/10/2003 08:33

Okay, have got no idea what's going on with my computer. Very sorry......

Can I properly use the word "irony" here?

Ghosty · 17/10/2003 11:28

JJ ... LOL !

Thanks Robinw, pie, JJ and Lethal! I think I have managed to do it using all your advice ... although I had a bit of fun (!) with the autoloading thingy ... when I started emptying my history file I started to get all sorts of stuff popping up like "Hey dude, wanna see some fresh teens?" ... um, thanks awfully chaps, but not my cup of tea really!!! At least 10 other sites just popped out of nowhere! The internet never ceases to amaze me.
Lethal ... we will look into the parental thing ... DS is not yet 4 so he never goes on the computer without my supevision/permission but he can click on the internet and log on by himself if I am busy with doing dinner or whatever so I will have to remember to log on for him so that he is not presented with some disgusting picture ....
Thanks for the help everyone

OP posts:
whatsaname · 17/10/2003 11:36

Just thought I'd let you know that these sites quite often mail this stuff to you if you have a mail address that could be considered to be naughty - I think. so it's worth exluding certain words from mail addresses. I don't think I've explained that very clearly as I'm in bit of a rush but hope I haven't confused anyone.

I used to have a mail address that had the word 'beaver' in it... you wouldn't believe some of the stuff I received. Pls don't ask why that was part of my mail address - long story.

CnR · 17/10/2003 11:41

Well my e-mail has nothing remotely 'sexy' in it but I still get loads!

Lethal · 17/10/2003 11:43

Lol whatsaname

I don't think that theory applies to us - our email address is about as 'tame' as you could get.

Clarinet60 · 17/10/2003 12:26

I sometimes get this problem on my desktop when DH has used the internet, but luckily, they are only icons.
Bit embarassing when the lady comes to do his VAT on sage, though.

dadslib · 17/10/2003 12:29

Message withdrawn

Clarinet60 · 17/10/2003 22:58

dadslib.
It's an accounts package.

jampot · 02/11/2003 12:15

I had this problem a few weeks ago and in the end I had to call in a guy we use to maintain our computer. Obviously I had to explain the problem and was soooo embarrassed. I had checked with dh just to make sure but knew he hadn't been on any sites (he can't get on to our online banking on his own). The PC man's response to my lengthy embarrassinbg explanation of problem? "I'm not here to make judgments". Aaaargghhh - he didn't believe me. Anyway he went onto something which showed every site we've visited and said he could find nothing saucy.

StuartC · 02/11/2003 12:40

If you're getting this stuff in your email, you can stop further messages from that sender by selecting the email, then... Messages, Block Sender (this is in Outlook Express). Make sure you've selected the right email first as there is no mid-stage to confirm/backout.

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