Resources

Windows and Web Histories

Windows stores all kinds of information about Web site histories in various areas of your computer. Even if the cache has been cleared, it is still possible to find out various Web activities. However, if a privacy protection tool has been used, this information may be gone for good.

Retrieving Web Site Histories

Let’s say that you visited a Web site a few weeks ago that you’d like to visit again but can’t remember its URL and you had cleaned your Web history folder as part of your regular computer tune-up routine. How might you find it again? Here are a few things you can try. First, check the Internet Explore address bar. Depending on which temporary files were deleted, the address bar may still reveal old sites that you visited. Type in the letter ‘A’ into the bar and see if any URLs show up starting with ‘A’. If so, continue through the alphabet and scanning each URL that appears for the site in question.

The Index.dat File

The index.dat file is a Microsoft file that acts as a database that stores all URLs visited, search engine search terms, and files opened. Even when the temporary files have been deleted and Web history erased, the index.dat file contains this information. You will need an index.dat viewer in order to view the contents. Internet Explorer 7.0 and above is better at removing the contents of this file, so if you’re using IE 7 or above, the index.dat file may not reveal anything of use. AceSoft, the maker of Tracks Eraser Pro, offers a free index.dat viewer on their Web site.

Privacy Tools

Another thing you can try is to download the free Privacy Scanner for ParetoLogic Privacy Controls. This scanner will scan your computer for all privacy issues and is quite revealing. While you may or may not opt to purchase the product, the free scan may be able to reveal the Web site history that you are searching for in its results. It’s definitely worth a try.

In addition, this product is an excellent tool in general for protecting your own identity and activities. Once you see how much your computer is willing to reveal, you may want to protect yourself from prying eyes.  

What is MyWebSearch

MyWebSearch is the Internet Explorer part of the FunWeb product utilities. While they are not considered spyware by most programs (although Sypbot Search and Destroy and Ad-Aware will usually define them as spyware), they can slow the computer down and cause pop ups and other issues. It sounds like MyWebSearch is asking you to set your default search provider for your Internet settings. This is a valid request for the program, as it is trying to figure out how you want to search the Internet. Try changing your default search provider and see if the pop ups go away.

To change your default search provider, follow these steps:

1. Find the MyWebSearch button on the far left side of the tool bar and click on it.
2. Select Change Default Search Provider.
3. Check the box next to the search provider you want - you can choose from Google, Yahoo!, Ask Jeeves and LookSmart.
4. Click Finished. The one you choose will now be your default search engine.

Removing MyWebSearch

It sounds like you might not be using MyWebSearch, so the best solution for you would be to remove it from your system completely. Follow these steps if you want to uninstall MyWebSearch:

1. Go to Start and then click on Control Panel.
2. Choose Add/Remove Programs and find all references to MyWebSearch.
3. Click Change/Remove to uninstall them.
4. Make sure you uninstall all related programs including My Way Speedbar, Smiley Central and FWP Products.
5. Now open My Computer, then go to the C drive.
6. Click on Programs.
7. Find FunwebProducts and MyWebSearch entries and right click on them to delete.

Registry Cleanup

There may be some registry entries left over. You can either run a program like Hijack This, RegCure, or an antispyware program to remove the ones that were missed. Missed registry entries don’t generally affect your computer unless the registry is bloated with invalid entries.

The bottom line is that you can either choose a default Internet search program on MyWebSearch or delete it all together if it bothers you.

What are Firefox Plugins?

Plugins are additional programs that users can add to Firefox. Their purpose is to help the user to manage Internet content that Firefox was not designed to handle or process. Examples of Firefox plugins are Java, Flash, and QuickTime.

How Do I Enable or Disable Plugins?

In order to enable plugins, you need to access the Add-ons Window. Open your browser, navigate to the “Tools” menu at the top of the screen, and select “Add-ons.” This action will open the dialog box for “Add-ons.” Next, navigate to the top right-hand side of the Add-on box and select “Plugins.”

Within this box, a list of the available plugins will appear. Next to each plugin, you will see either “enable” or “disable.” Simply click on one of these words to perform the action that you are looking for.

This next step is important- you must restart Firefox in order for the disabling or enabling of the plugins to take place.

How Do I Install Plugins?

Visit the website for each particular plugin that you want to install. For example, you would visit Java.com to access the Java program.

Troubleshooting Help: Unable to Install Plugins

For a comprehensive review of a number of installation problems, please visit the following link: Plugin Installation Issues. It will take you through a number of issues including download errors, corrupt extension files, blocked installation, compatibility issues, disabled software, and more.

Troubleshooting Help: Plugins are Incompatible with Firefox 3

Firefox 3 is not yet updated to accept all plugins. In particular, Tab Mix Plus, RealPlayer Browser Record Plugin, and McAfeeSiteAdvisor are not yet compatible with Firefox 3. Two available updates for Roboform and Bookmark Backup are available. To access them, please visit the following link:IncompatiblewithFirefox3.

Troubleshooting Help: Themes and Extensions

To discover whether an extension or theme is creating an issue for you, visit this link:

Extensions and Themes. Please note that you can select material based on your operating system by selecting it on the right-hand side of the page. Information is included for Mac OS, Linux, and Windows. You can also select either Firefox 2 or Firefox 3.

Troubleshooting Help: Incompatible Browser Message

Some plugins are incompatible with Firefox and will create problems. Other applications might have been designed for older versions of Firefox or you might need to upgrade Firefox in order to enable them. Follow this link to read up on these issues and find solutions: Incompatible Browser. Please note that you can select material based on your operating system by selecting it on the right-hand side of the page. Information is included for Mac OS, Linux, and Windows.