Spanish Google page????

[bgfalconboy]

When I started up my firefox browser which is set to load the google/firefox start page , all I got was this weird spanish version of some kind, www.google.es or something. I have no idea whats goin there. Anyone else getting this?

[HURST]

that's weird, unless you downloaded a spanish version of firefox.
Currently there are 2 spanish version i'm aware of, Spain and Argentina.
Argentinian version has homepage set to google.com.ar.

Anyways, just change the homepage to google.com

(www.google.es is legit, it's just a spanish version of google)

[ErikAlbert]

Mine is www.google.be (be = Belgium = België), where I live.

[bgfalconboy]

-{ Quote: "that's weird, unless you downloaded a spanish version of firefox.
Currently there are 2 spanish version i'm aware of, Spain and Argentina.
Argentinian version has homepage set to google.com.ar.

Anyways, just change the homepage to google.com

(www.google.es is legit, it's just a spanish version of google)" }-


Well I most certainly did not download a spanish Firefox version. I've been using Firefox for years and have the latest english version. Everything was fine yesterday but today something weird must've happened. I was in logged into google mail a bit earlier , I logged off, and tried doing a search in the google search mini-bar in the top right but nothing would load. I went to my bookmark the firefox/google start page and all I got was google.es for no apparent reason or redirected there in error somehow.

I hope I didn't accidently get a weird virus when I was looking through my spam folder in google mail earlier. Nothing in my spam folder was threatening enough to contain any viruses though. I tried getting google.com to show up in Opera the latest version and I got nothing but timeout errors.

[bgfalconboy]

*update*

Another odd thing I noticed too is when I went to Yahoo main page. Everything looks normal except I now notice this option under the search bar. Next the option of searching the web with the check circle the other check circle is for "spain only". Never saw that before that I can remember. Besides that, nothing else looks weird for Yahoo.com

[HURST]

hhmmm
have you checked your HOSTS file? maybe you are being redirected...

[bgfalconboy]

-{ Quote: "hhmmm
have you checked your HOSTS file? maybe you are being redirected..." }-

I no nothing about how to check the HOSTS file but for whatever reason google.com and the firefox start page loads just fine now the way it was before. I did just install a windows update and restarted my computer before connecting online again today. So maybe that "fixed" it.

Also the weird "spanish only" search option is also gone from yahoo as well.

[bgfalconboy]

Ugh, for some odd reason the stinkin' spanish google start page has returned. I just recently disconnected my internet and connected again in an attempt to find out why tunefeed.com wouldn't let me sign up on the site. Gave me weird error's about my IP not being on their list of approved IP addresses or something to that effect.

Some one mentioned checking the HOSTS file , since I'm no where near as brilliant as many of you are here please help me out here if this is a possible solution.

[HURST]

mmmm maybe hosts has nothing to do with it, but you could check, just in case.

assuming you are in XP, go to

c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc

there is a file named HOSTS

open with notepad. It should look like this:



-{ Quote: "
# Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP stack for Windows
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
# For example:
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host
127.0.0.1 localhost
" }-

the lines with # don't do nothing, are just info for the reader.

the last line, without #, says that 127.0.0.1 is the localhost

ANY ADITIONAL 127.0.0.1 LINE IS NOT THERE BY DEFAULT, which means, someone added it. As you say you know nothing about HOSTS file, if there is something there, delete it (unless someone else is the machine administrator).

I recently was redirected to a chinese version of youtube, but it went away after a few days...maybe it's a problem with your ISP.

[bgfalconboy]

-{ Quote: "mmmm maybe hosts has nothing to do with it, but you could check, just in case.

assuming you are in XP, go to

c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc

there is a file named HOSTS

open with notepad. It should look like this:





the lines with # don't do nothing, are just info for the reader.

the last line, without #, says that 127.0.0.1 is the localhost

ANY ADITIONAL 127.0.0.1 LINE IS NOT THERE BY DEFAULT, which means, someone added it. As you say you know nothing about HOSTS file, if there is something there, delete it (unless someone else is the machine administrator).

I recently was redirected to a chinese version of youtube, but it went away after a few days...maybe it's a problem with your ISP." }-


Interesting. As far as my ISP, I'm using Sprint's mobile broadband service with a pantech px500 pc card for my internet connection. I wonder if I should add that to my sig.:-\

[bgfalconboy]

-{ Quote: "mmmm maybe hosts has nothing to do with it, but you could check, just in case.

assuming you are in XP, go to

c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc

there is a file named HOSTS

open with notepad. It should look like this:





the lines with # don't do nothing, are just info for the reader.

the last line, without #, says that 127.0.0.1 is the localhost

ANY ADITIONAL 127.0.0.1 LINE IS NOT THERE BY DEFAULT, which means, someone added it. As you say you know nothing about HOSTS file, if there is something there, delete it (unless someone else is the machine administrator).

I recently was redirected to a chinese version of youtube, but it went away after a few days...maybe it's a problem with your ISP." }-


Holy crap! I just went there as you said and found about a "billion" other 127.0.0.1 entries with bizzare websites next to them.

I'll try to be more clear here. After the first 127.0.0.1 with local host next to it there's a # sign then this message " start of entries inserted by Spybot-Search & Destroy." After that its a whole slew of 127.0.0.1 entries with bizzare web address after them. I'm I to gather this is my problem? If so I should probably delete all these "other" 127.0.0.1 entries then?


Also , if I am to delete these other entries , do I just delete the lines in notepad and exit?

Let me also mentioned that I have since gotten rid of Spybot S&D and went with Spyware Terminator after that.

[HURST]

Ok

It seems that HOSTS file is legit

let me explain...

if a page is there, with the 127.0.0.1 entry, it means that every time you try to go to that page, the browser will go to 127.0.0.1, that means, localhost...or your own computer...as a result, you will not be able to go to that page.

This is often used by malware, to block AV updates, windows updates, etc...

but some LEGIT security applications, put KNOWN MALWARE SITES there, so you can't access them and get infected.

You say you had Spybot S&D, so it seems a legit Hosts file.

I would not touch it, unless you would like your original hosts file back.

Anyways, if you decide to add HOSTS file to your security layers, I suggest you to download an updated version, since everyday new bad sites appear.

you can download MVP HOSTS here:
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

just FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS, its very easy.

[bgfalconboy]

-{ Quote: "Ok

It seems that HOSTS file is legit

let me explain...

if a page is there, with the 127.0.0.1 entry, it means that every time you try to go to that page, the browser will go to 127.0.0.1, that means, localhost...or your own computer...as a result, you will not be able to go to that page.

This is often used by malware, to block AV updates, windows updates, etc...

but some LEGIT security applications, put KNOWN MALWARE SITES there, so you can't access them and get infected.

You say you had Spybot S&D, so it seems a legit Hosts file.

I would not touch it, unless you would like your original hosts file back.

Anyways, if you decide to add HOSTS file to your security layers, I suggest you to download an updated version, since everyday new bad sites appear.

you can download MVP HOSTS here:
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

just FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS, its very easy." }-

I'll try downloading a new HOSTS file. I did backup my old one with Spyware Blaster 4.0 .
Ok, since my HOSTS is legit , what else could be causing these redirects to the spanish google page?

[HURST]

I have no idea...:-\

sorry I can't help you on this

[bgfalconboy]

Ok, I just tried using CCleaner , that did't do anything about the spanish google redirect , but then I tried disconnecting and reconnecting my Sprint broadband connection , reconnecting , restarting FF and there regular US google shows up like its supposed to. Still don't know why I get these redirects though. I may have to do a deep online scan to find out if it could be something else.

[snowbound]

Could be mistaken identity country wise,

http://www.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=873&topic=8995



snowbound

[sgharris]

I too am having this problem. Just started yesterday. I'm also using Sprint Moblie Broadband with a Pantech PX-500 wireless card.
Could it be something corrupted with the drivers? I'm just guessing, I don't know diddly about this stuff.