For some time now, I have observed that when performing a search, which involves "Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia" using Google, I find that I am re-directed to the ask.com search engine.
Ask http://www.ask.com/wiki/Oxburgh_Hall
Which is a bit of a pain! Especially, when I have a preference to go directly, to!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxburgh_Hall
It would appear that this is a hidden add in, with which you get with the update from NIS 2012 to 2013!
I have established that this occurs when you Enable Norton Tool Bar, & Norton Identity Protection!
I do not wish to disable these facilities, but I do get annoyed when third party applications are added, without a choise!
Is there any way of disabling the ask.com add in, other than by disabling Norton Tool Bar, & Norton Identity Protection!
I haven't run into that ask.com with Norton but it is a very common add-on especially with certain Adobe products.
Since I don't have it on this machine I can't be certain but check under Tools on the Menu bar of your Internet Explorer browser (if you don't see that menu bar press the ALT key and it should appear for this operation and look for Manage Add-ons.
If Ask.com shows then highltight the line and click on Disable down at the bottom and OK your way out.
If that works but it comes back when you restart your computer look for a reference to it in StartUP.
Check tht out -- or if someone can give you more specific directions follow them -- and let us know what happens while I look for something more specific.
Here's a link to someone on removing it:
http://davidcocke.blogspot.com/2012/03/manually-remove-askcom-toolbar.html
And here, although old, is a message from Ask.com themselves I found in a forum
http://www.paperstreet.com/blog/582
I tried the link to the utiolity and there is a file still there
Thank you for your input, Hugh!
Yes, I have tried this - The problem disappears, if I disable the Norton Tool Bar/Norton Identity Protection
There is no separate Add In for ask.com (& it is not shown in Programs & Features)
It would appear to be hidden in the Norton Add ins, which I'm reluctant to disable
See my edits which I was doing while you posted!
Hi bht-at-home,
Open the Norton Toolbar settings from the dropdown button on the toolbar and disable Norton Safe Search, which is the search component (provided by Ask.com) included with the toolbar. Set your preferred search engine in the browser search bar.
Thanks for your help Guys (Hugh & Guru); the problem solved - Disabled Safe Search!