Has anyone encountered this sneaking onto their Internet Explorer and successfully removed it? The standard solutions like doing the program removal, doing the search for add-ons and deleting them in search, etc., do not work because these people have disguised the program and task names. I did Google and the solutions there are routine and do not apply. It really irritates when companies play this game. TKX

Tom Taylor

Be more specific on what you are seeing on your computer. Ask.com is a search engine that's been around for several years. There may be some spyware or malware that is using the Ask labels though. If that is the case, I'd recommend downloading and running AdAware Antivirus or Malwarebytes (both have free versions) to scan and remove suspicious files from your computer.

Ask.com is legit and unlikely to have corrupted your browser. Years ago, I used to have trouble with BessieBug and some other site stealing my home page, but never Ask.com. Like the emails about UPS tracking or FedEx delivery, sometimes things are not what they appear. I am SO GLAD to have almost no worries or problems of that nature using an iMac and an iPad. Seems like everybody I know with a Windows laptop or desktop has issues of one kind or another.

quote:

Originally posted by Mogan David:
Ask.com is legit and unlikely to have corrupted your browser.

As a side issue, Ask.com has a lot of wrong or uninformed answers. There are a few areas in which I am fairly well-informed, and am appalled at answers there. I never go there, but it comes up on a Google search often, and I just click on for out of curiosity and a chuckle.

It is cool how people can add to articles at WikiPedia, sometimes with obscure information from research or employment background.

Typically, this frequently arises when an app is downloaded or updated; a popup enables the primary download, but many times, there are insidious boxes checked by default that enable Ask.com (or another) as the default search engine.

This can be bypassed by restoring settings in your browser.

I got it as an attachment to a Java upgrade. Rusty's solution worked. Just go back to your restore point.
Jim

Scottydl: You were correct. I got with Ask.com and found what their search engine looked like and mine was different. Downloaded and ran the Malwarebytes package and that eliminated it and a whole bunch more stuff not found by spybot and other software I had on the computer.

Tom Taylor