Please read instructions here: How to uninstall the Ask Toolbar

To reset your home page, see: How to set the home page

If the problem persists, please do the following:

• In the location bar, type about:config and hit Enter.
  
  
• In the filter at the top, type: keyword.URL
  
  
• Double click it and remove whatever's in there and replace it with http://www.google.com/search?q=
  

The URL to add in "keyword.URL" becomes a link in this post, so right click it and choose "Copy Link Location" to copy it to the Windows clipboard. Then hit CTRL+V to paste it. Saves you having to type the whole thing.

Thanks for the advise. I don't know what "location" you are referring to. Keep it simple, I'm stupid. How do I go back two days and undo everything. Stupid here also downloaded toolbar cleaner and can't get rid of that either.

The "location bar" is where you normally type a web address. So for example, at the top of this forum, you can see "mozilla com" followed by https://support... etc. That is the location bar and that is where you have to type about:config. See screenshot.

Thanks Zircal, Don't know where your screenshot came from because I have nothing like that. Will a system restore going back a few days do anything? All this started when I inadvertently dowloaded ask.com. I can't seem to get to Internet Explorer either. Is there another way to comminicate other then here? Jim

I created the screenshot myself.

I see from your user agent though that you're using Internet Explorer. We can only help you here if you have Firefox installed. You can download that from here: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/fx/?ref=logo

Thanks Zircal, Did the download and ask.com comes up as a search engine. I want to get rid of ask altogether. I cannot open Explorer, when I tru I get a blank page. Can I do a restore from a couple of days ago? Jim

Restore is unlikely to work. That only removes programs you have installed, not their settings.

If you have Ask installed in Firefox now, you can use the instructions in my initial post to remove it.

OK, know where the location thing is but see no filter. I'm ready to give up.

When you type in about:config and hit Enter, the filter will appear at the top ;)

OK, let's back up a bit. Where are you Firefox, Explorer or elsewhere? The only thing that I have is the AOL welcome screen.

Are you using this by any chance? http://info.aol.co.uk/browser/

I have no idea and don't know why I would be. How can I find out if I do have it? I'm not a computer person, be patient.

If you have Firefox, you should be able to see that written on the orange button top left.

Nope, don't see that anywhere. Can I delete everything and use my restore disk to start over?

Personally, I would try and resolve this with the browser you have at the moment. After all, you can't keep reformatting and reinstalling the OS every time you get a problem (well, you can, but it's time consuming).

This link also has the uninstall instructions for Internet Explorer:http://about.ask.com/apn/toolbar/docs/default/faq/en/ff/index.html

But Ask gets installed in the first place when install so called 'free' software like the one you see in the screenshot. If you don't remove the checkmarks where you see "Ask(dot)com", you'll get it again.

Missed that part, I was downloading games and not paying attention. It snuck past me. I'll mess with it later, I'm so mad and frustrated I can eat nails. Thanks for all your help, you're liable to hear from me again.

I'll be on vacation for a month from Thursday, but I expect one of the other guys will try and help you if it's not resolved before then.

Thanks a million. AOL search has been driving me nuts causing the urlseek error also.

This is a really old thread, I'll lock it before more people who are not Jim51 start chiming in. ;)