Question

Strange behaviour with Google and Internet Explorer 8

Asked by: grigorovsky

Something strange has just started happening on my machine which is running XP Home SP3 and IE8.

Normally the back button in IE works fine, taking me to the previously visited page. This still works fine most of the time but...

...If I connect through to a page from a regular Google search and then click the back button to return to the same Google search page, the browser makes a couple of clicking sounds, flashes the Google page, and then returns to the page I am trying to leave.

I have tried this with many different sites including one which is my own and I know that it does not have any scripting on it to achieve this behaviour. Remember it only happens when I connect to the site via a Google search.

Here's an example. Say for instance that I go to Google and type in OK. The first site up is OK Magazine. I click the link and I am taken to the OK magazine homepage. I then click the back button to return to my original search and the browser makes a couple of clicks, flashes the Google search page and then returns to the OK Magazine homepage.

By checking the entries in the drop down box next to the navigation arrows I have discovered this. When I first reach the OK Magazine page the entries in the drop down box show "OK Magazine" as the first entry and "OK - Google Search" as the second entry. Logically, therefore, clicking the back button should return me to the Google search page. But when I click the arrow it returns me to where I already am as detailed above. If I then check the navigation history it still shows "OK Magazine" as the first entry but now the second entry is "http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source". Very strange indeed.

I would be very grateful for a solution, this is a real head scratcher.

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Asked On
2009-10-28 at 14:01:23ID24852734
Topics

Internet Explorer Web Browser

,

Search Engines

,

Web Browsers

Participating Experts
3
Points
500
Comments
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Answers

 

by: grigorovskyPosted on 2009-10-29 at 06:09:17ID: 25693176

Anyone??

OK Here's something else I have discovered. If I go to "Search Settings" in Google and, in the "Query Suggestions" box, select "Do not provide query suggestions in the search box", the behaviour stops.

If I subsequently reactivate the Query Suggestions, the behaviour returns. Someone must know what is going on here. I do not get the same problem in Firefox.

 

by: ljones_cnaPosted on 2009-10-29 at 11:55:05ID: 25696936

Good Afternoon,

May be an issue with entries in your Host file.  See the following:  http://forums.techarena.in/technology-internet/1163322.htm.  I also suggest running a Malwarebytes and Super AntiSpyware scan just to make certain some pesky infection isn't causing the problem.

LJ

 

by: grigorovskyPosted on 2009-10-29 at 12:11:01ID: 25697139

The only entry in my Hosts file apart form the usual Localhost one is "HP001A4B9D3979 HP001A4B9D3979". I believe this refers to my networked printer?

I have run Malwarebytes and Kaspersky but no infections have been found.

 

by: ljones_cnaPosted on 2009-10-29 at 12:27:48ID: 25697319

Have you tried resetting IE?  

 

by: ljones_cnaPosted on 2009-10-29 at 12:29:32ID: 25697337

Also, uninstalling and reinstalling IE is not a bad idea...

 

by: gwkgPosted on 2009-10-30 at 12:51:11ID: 25706247

You are definitely being redirected between Google and the page you are going to.  This is often caused my Malware,  It might also be caused by some other program you installed or a toolbar.

Is using system restorem, to go back to a time before it starting happening, an option?

 

by: gwkgPosted on 2009-10-30 at 12:51:31ID: 25706251

system restore*

 

by: grigorovskyPosted on 2009-10-30 at 13:02:47ID: 25706338

Ok. I have so far uninstalled IE8. The problem is not present in IE7.

Next step will be to install IE8 from scratch and see if the behaviour returns.

Don't think it is malware related. Possibly some corruption in my previous install of IE8. Malware would be more likely to redirect me elsewhere. This was just staying on the same site whatever it happened to be.

 

by: gwkgPosted on 2009-10-30 at 13:23:43ID: 25706500

It could be malware, or it could just be some other program you installed tracking your searches.  

Malwarebytes has found malware for me that no other virus software could find.  If you ran a full scan that came up clean, I'm leaning towards something else you installed.  Were any toolbars or add-ons installed?

 

by: grigorovskyPosted on 2009-10-30 at 13:35:52ID: 25706587

Nothing extra was installed. I never install any toolbars of any kind. I am very careful not to install any browser add-ons or helper objects. My Malwarebytes scan was completely clean. I'll let you know what I find after reinstalling IE8.

 

by: gwkgPosted on 2009-10-30 at 13:46:16ID: 25706666

I did a little more research and its most likely Google redirecting you via internal tracking links.

Heres a couple solutions: http://www.searchenginejournal.com/remove-redirects-from-google/12675/

 

by: grigorovskyPosted on 2009-10-30 at 14:00:38ID: 25706768

I'm not sure about this. I have another machine here running IE8 and it does not have that problem, even on the same sites. It definitely seems to be my particular browser that had the trouble. Why would Google just target me?

If everybody had the problem I have had there would be a lot of fuss about it I imagine. I have not found anything similar referenced anywhere on the web.

 

by: grigorovskyPosted on 2009-10-31 at 13:49:12ID: 25711478

Ok. After 24 hrs of flawless browsing with IE7, I have just reinstalled IE8 and the problem has returned.

What is going on?

 

by: ljones_cnaPosted on 2009-11-01 at 10:22:02ID: 25714710

Good Afternoon,

Have you installed all Windows updates as well?  There could potentially be an issue with SP3 - it's not a bad idea to re-apply it as well.

LJ

 

by: grigorovskyPosted on 2009-11-02 at 03:00:25ID: 25718408

All updates are installed automatically. There was no problem using IE7 and the issue returned as soon as I reinstalled IE8. I have had SP3 on the machine for a very long time and this problem only started last week. Currently I have once again uninstalled IE8 and am having no problems using IE7.

Remember this problem only occurs when clciking the back button in IE8 after following links from Google. If I click through to other sites and then use the back button to get back to Google I can go back through the whole history without any problem until I get to Google and then the behaviour occurs. It occurs with all sites accessed through links from Google but otherwise the browser works fine.

When I click the back button I am not redirected to other sites or sites that I do not wish to visit, the browser simply goes back to the Google page for an instant and then jumps straight back to the page I have just come from. Kaspersky and Malwarebytes report no suspicious activity and the problem disappears completely if I revert to using IE7.

I suspect some kind of strange interraction between Google and IE8 but what??

 

by: ljones_cnaPosted on 2009-11-02 at 03:46:05ID: 25718563

Do you have the Google toolbar installed?

 

by: grigorovskyPosted on 2009-11-02 at 03:53:01ID: 25718591

No. I have no toolbars installed.

 

by: ljones_cnaPosted on 2009-11-02 at 04:04:10ID: 25718655

Does this also occur when using the "Backspace" key on your keyboard, or does it just occur when actually clicking the "Back" button on your browser?

 

by: ljones_cnaPosted on 2009-11-02 at 04:05:16ID: 25718658

Also, see the following EE resolution posting: http://www.experts-exchange.com/Software/Internet_Email/Web_Browsers/Internet_Explorer/Q_24746990.html.  It could potentially be an add-on in IE causing a conflict.

 

by: grigorovskyPosted on 2009-11-02 at 05:06:10ID: 25718934

It occurs both with the backspace key and the browser back button. I have tried disabling

 

by: grigorovskyPosted on 2009-11-02 at 05:09:14ID: 25718954

It occurs both with the backspace key and the browser back button. I have tried disabling add-ons but it doesn't seem to make any difference. What did make a difference was disabling Query Suggestions in the Google Search Preferences

 

by: ljones_cnaPosted on 2009-11-02 at 05:45:30ID: 25719166

A couple things to try:

1.  Boot into Safe Mode for Networking and test the IE8, Google and back button.

2.  Uninstall IE8, re-apply XPSP3 and then reinstall IE8.  I understand you've had SP3 on your machine.  However, there could still be some kind of conflict causing the issue.  Perhaps even one of Microsoft's updates could be causing the issue as well.  Therefore, I suggest re-applying SP3, and then before applying any kind of updates, install IE8 and test the back button.  

LJ

 

by: martyn_bannisterPosted on 2009-11-05 at 13:44:26ID: 25754382

Hi grigorovsky,

I have exactly the same problem with IE8 and it was driving me mad!!!
You have already found the answer.

SOLUTION ...

Went to google home page
Click "Settings" at page top right
Click "Search Settings" in resultant dropdown
Find "Query Suggestions" section
Select  "Do not provide query suggestions in the search box"
Click "Save Preferences"

Didn't even have to exit the browser! Problem solved (for me anyway <G>)

Cheers,

/\/\

 

by: grigorovskyPosted on 2009-11-06 at 02:44:03ID: 31647230

This is a workaround but we still do not know what was causing this issue.

 

by: grigorovskyPosted on 2009-11-06 at 02:47:14ID: 25758019

Thanks martyn. The only problem I have with that is that it is just a workaround.

It would be nice to use the Query suggestions and these were working fine up until a week or so ago. At present I have reverted back to IE7 and am having no problems at all. I guess I may try IE8 again in the future when more updates are available. Alternatively I will wait until I upgrade my system to Windows 7.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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