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how do I prevent the homepage from chaging

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  • Last reply by John99

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about every 3rd of 4th day the homepage changes and I have to go back and reset it. how do I prevent it from ever changing after set? other browsers have the ability to lock it, but firefox doesn't how do I lock the homepage

about every 3rd of 4th day the homepage changes and I have to go back and reset it. how do I prevent it from ever changing after set? other browsers have the ability to lock it, but firefox doesn't how do I lock the homepage

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Probably you need to remove some software that is changing your home page. What does it change to? That might help identify the culprit.

Two general comments:

(A) If the home page changes to Firefox's built-in page, this might be caused by utility software that cleans up browser data on your system. Do you use anything like that, such as CCleaner or Advanced SystemCare?

(B) If the home page changes to some other site, you probably should check for malware-like add-ons and programs. Here's my suggested procedure for tracking down and cleaning up bad add-ons and other hijackers. I know it seems long, but it's really not that bad.

(For Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10; XP is somewhat different)

(1) Open the Windows Control Panel, Uninstall a Program. After the list loads, click the "Installed on" column heading to group the infections, I mean, additions, by date. This can help in smoking out undisclosed bundle items that snuck in with some software you agreed to install. Be suspicious of everything you do not recognize/remember, as malware often uses important or innocent sounding names to discourage you from removing it. Take out as much trash as possible here.

(2) Open Firefox's Add-ons page using either:

  • Ctrl+Shift+a
  • "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons
  • in the Windows "Run" dialog, type or paste
    firefox.exe "about:addons"

In the left column, click Plugins. Set nonessential and unrecognized plugins to "Never Activate".

In the left column, click Extensions. Then, if in doubt, disable (or Remove, if possible) unrecognized and unwanted extensions. All extensions are optional; none come with Firefox.

Often a link will appear above at least one disabled extension to restart Firefox. You can complete your work on the tab and click one of the links as the last step.

Any improvement?

(3) You can search for remaining issues with the scanning/cleaning tools listed in our support article: Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware. These on-demand scanners are free and take considerable time to run. If they finish quickly and especially if they require payment, you may have a serious infection. I suggest the specialized forums listed in the article in that case.

Success?

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What does the homepage change to ? That may give us some clues as to what is happening.