Why does google.com take me to iGoogle?

I'm a bit anxious that somehow I've ended up with some sort of weird Google spyware or something: every time I want to just go to the Google home page by typing in http://www.google.com/ I end up on the iGoogle page. What's up with that and how do I fix it?

Dave's Answer:

To quote The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:

Don't Panic!

Now, there's no virus at play here, there is nothing nefarious happening on your computer. Well, mostly nothing nefarious.

What's happened is at some point you've gone to the iGoogle page and it's dropped a cookie on your system that says you'd prefer being taken there every time you go to Google.com rather than the austere Google home page.

Fortunately it's easy -- I mean really easy -- to fix.

Go to http://www.google.com/ and you'll be whisked magically to iGoogle. On that page, on the top right, you'll see this:

Click on "Classic Home" and everything will be as you hope.

Want to change back because, well, that "Vanessa" theme is a good distraction? No worries, on the standard Google home page move your cursor to the top right and you'll see:

Click on "iGoogle" and you'll find it's been reset.

Categorized: Computer and Internet Basics (Article 9241, Written by Dave Taylor)
Tagged: google, igoogle, spyware
Previous: How do I import/rip a music CD into iTunes for Windows?
Next: How do I download books onto my Amazon Kindle?

Subscribe!

Never miss another Q&A article! Click to subscribe:

Comments

These directions are not entirely accurate. From the iGoogle page, you must click on the little symbol that looks like a wheel in the far upper right-hand corner of the screen(when you hover over it, it says "options"). A drop down menu will appear, and then you select Classic to change back to the traditional Google page.

Posted by: Teresa at March 11, 2011 10:05 AM

I have something to say, now that you mention it, but ...

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!