Google vanishes

[Newchodge]

I use Mozilla Firefox as my browser, and google as my search engine.

Suddenly today google has vanished from the search toolbar and has been replaced with ALOT. How do I get google back? I have looked at the list of search engines on the search box, but it is not there.

 

[andygambles]

You have most likely installed a browser add-on or toolbar recently which has changed it. That or some malware.

Check out the add-ons/extensions in Firefox for any you don't recognise or are from ALOT

 

[JMRidley]

It drives me nuts when this happens. Try searching on "how do i get rid of ALOT" in google which will give you some returns such as this one. http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/758331. Personally, I've stopped using Firefox because I seemed to get things installing all the time that I didn't want.

 

[Newchodge]

Thanks for the replies. I have re-installed firefox, and google has returned.

I do so agree about unrequested updates and changes. I hate it.

 

[Oakley7]

Check out the options in FireFox as you can get it to warn you about potential add-ons being installed before they happen.

 

[fisicx]

You get these toolbars and other software installs because they come bundled with other applications.

For example: adobe will try to install mcafee with their flash plugin and Oracle used to offer OpenOffice with java updates.

The ALOT toolbar can only be installed if you allow it to be installed. Have you been downloading software or applications or something?

 

[Newchodge]

You get these toolbars and other software installs because they come bundled with other applications.

For example: adobe will try to install mcafee with their flash plugin and Oracle used to offer OpenOffice with java updates.

The ALOT toolbar can only be installed if you allow it to be installed. Have you been downloading software or applications or something?

Only automatic updates, which I am trying to turn off. :|

 

[fisicx]

It might not be an automatic update, it could be an instant messenger, plugin, optimiser, browser addon, a facebook game....

Somebody somewhere at sometime has installed something dodgy. Which means next time that something is accessed the ALOT toolbar will get installed again.

Clean your machine!

 

[Websitehandyman]

Firefox was never my favorite browser, never saw what other did in it but (also with Explorer screwing up and Crome being great for speed for about a month ) I've used it a lot recently and I can confirm it's slowly turning into a bag full of rags.

The same has also happened to Thunderbird their email client. Imap errors and ghost emails, I'm fixing the files almost every day.

Back to using Crome till it fills up with chunk and the annying parts of it push me back to Explorer.

How I long for the days of Mosaic, nice a simple.

 

[Newchodge]

It might not be an automatic update, it could be an instant messenger, plugin, optimiser, browser addon, a facebook game....

Somebody somewhere at sometime has installed something dodgy. Which means next time that something is accessed the ALOT toolbar will get installed again.

Clean your machine!

Sounds right. can you recommend the best way to do that, please?

 

[AscentIT]

It may be worth running a program such as Malwarebytes.

You can find it by just Googling - A good link for download is Filehippo.

Download, Install, Untick the box for FREE TRIAL of the Pro version and then run a full scan.

You will likely find a few adware or PUP related infections, don't panic we see these on over 80% of computers we test.

Also, ALOT is usually quite fair (despite it's adware origin) and appears in Add and Remove programs in Control Panel (Sometimes listed as "Uninstall A Program) Maybe worth checking

 

[andygambles]

Sounds right. can you recommend the best way to do that, please?

I recommend scanning your system with Prevx

http://info.prevx.com/downloadcsi.asp?prevx=Y

Download and run. It detects dodgy toolbars. The free version is detection only. If you need cleaning then you need to pay the subscription (which is not much).

One of the best Windows Threat scanners I have come across.

 

[fisicx]

In addition:

• Clear your cache and history
• Delete all cookies
• Remove all programmes, extensions and bolt-ons.
• Delete all games, screensavers and other 'fun' things
• Install and run a registry cleaner

In other words, take the computer back to as basic a configuration as possible. Once cleaned and fixed you can then (cartefully) start puttings things back.

 

[AlexJeffers]

I had ALOT stuck on my computer a while ago, I think it was when i downloaded a copy of VLC media player from a website that wasn't actually the official VLC site.

Can't remember hwo i got rid of it in the end, I think the laptop died and needed replacing anyway so the problem almost sorted itself out, you may need to go into the registry and remove it though, if none of the above advice works

 

[Newchodge]

Thanks for all the advice. I suppose a good cleanup was overdue anyway

 

[Lucky7CompSolutions]

Download this http://www.softpedia.com/get/Antivirus/Removal-Tools/AdwCleaner.shtml is one of the best programmes I have used for unwanted tool bars.