Summary: If you can't change it, your browser home page could be protected by anti-spyware software or it could be spyware itself getting in the way.
Why can't I set my internet home page to what I want?
It depends on "how" you can't.
If you can change your home page and later it changes back to something else then you probably have spyware.
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If you can't change your home page - the option is greyed out - then you may have spyware or if you're in a corporate or other controlled environment then you may not have permission to do so.
In any case, spyware is the top suspect, so I'd run a spyware checker right away.
Related:
Ask Leo! - Spyware: How do I remove and avoid spyware?
Article C1981 - June 3, 2004
Wow....thanks ray.....i have had qeeksquad for my home page for 10 months.....thanks to you.....it has been changed....lol whew
Posted by: Laura at December 30, 2006 11:30 PMI can't change my home page from http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&clcid=0, from this page I can click "my msn" and it will go to my msn page, but it will revert back when you exit, can't change it in internet tools, I am not running spybot or zonealarm. this happened after i reset internet explorer settings in the advanced ie tools.
Posted by: Dale Adamson at January 11, 2007 4:54 AMcan you help? thanks
I reset internet explorer 7 and now I can't change the homepage or view videos on youtube. It seems to have removed Java from the list of services as well. Please help !
Posted by: Paul at January 26, 2007 4:18 AMCant't change home page solution; one possible porblem will be with NAV. Under Options, Anti-Virus, there is a check Box to "Protect Home Page". When this is checked you cannot change the Home Page. You need to uncheck it, change the home page, then go back and check the box for Protect Home Page, so that spyware or somethng else changes it. IE7 there is a button to reset your internet setting to default, this will change the home page and if you have NAV you'll have a problem changing it. Follow the above steps to fix.
Posted by: Bob Tummino at January 29, 2007 7:16 AMBob Tummino,
Posted by: Victor Cole at March 10, 2007 7:47 AMThanks so much for your advice. Worked like a charm. IE7 reset button is a monster. When my settings changed, it was VERY stressful. Also, my AutoComplete settings were changed. To fix that problem, within the browser, I went to Tools, Internet Options, Content, AutoComplete, then check-marked Forms. It was the only thing not enabled there. This allowed the browser to remember what I type in, so I don't have to keep typing it over and over within the page I'm browsing, i.e. email addy, search request, etc.
FYI - Is your new HP computer stuck on IE homepage http://hp-desktop.aol.com/??? Even after you change it??
Posted by: Bill at June 23, 2007 9:28 PMWhen I bought my HP computer, the homepage in IE7 was "HARD SET" to http://hp-desktop.aol.com/ and would NOT change. It always changed back immediately after setting it to ANY other page. The answer to change it: Upon boot, press F8 and continue bootup in safe mode. Login to the profile/user you wish to change the home page and change it there. After normal bootup, the page has been changed! Took me 24 hours to figure this one out. Symantec AV, spyware, etc. did not have this baby locked down. It turned out to be a registry entry by HP.... that is now GONE.
I had the same problems and yes as mentioned in the top an anti-spyware prog caused the problem.
Posted by: Berty at July 6, 2007 5:01 AMDeactivate that program change the value in what you like and activate the antispyware program again.
My problem is definitely caused by Google Desktop. I installed an upgrade yesterday and stupidly didn't read everything in a popup window. One of the items checked (that I could have unchecked) was the selection of google.com as my home page. When I tried to change it I found that the option was greyed out. I uninstalled all Google applications and started over - this time I unchecked the box but still have the option greyed out. I should also mention that after I deleted all the Google apps, I still couldn't change the home page, so it's something that Google installed that's hiding somewhere else. I'm a little surprised that I'm finding so little help on this as I'd expect almost everyone to be upset that their IE has been hijacked by Google.
Posted by: David Skidgel at November 29, 2007 7:36 AMMy computer has been acting very strange. My system seems to be locking me out of all my programs and whenever I try to open a file it freezes up. I can't even change my homepage on IE anymore. Can you tell me what the problem is?
Posted by: Devonta at April 19, 2008 5:00 PMI have a totally diffrent problem on Internet explorer 7 I try to change my setting and apply my home page but when I do it says applying setting in a green bar and it takes forever and never works
Posted by: Rajan at October 13, 2008 2:31 PM