Littlemaggit
Member
Help - I've done something silly :(
I've downloaded a game from MyPlayCity and it's hijacked my homepage (I use Firefox with Windows XP). I've tried resetting it (I usually have Google), and although it's fine for the duration of my Firefox session, when I go back in it's gone to MyPlayCity again. How can I get it back to what I want for keeps, and what should I do in future if I want to download another one from this or similar site?
Whiterabbit-uk
Games Guru
Not sure which browser you are using so have written down instructions for the three most common ones, Chrome, I.E. and Firefox. If you still have problems just ask; there are lots of helpful community members only to happy to help.
I stopped posting links to MyPlayCity becasue of the way they have changed their tactics on the use of toolbars and home page hijacks (though technically it's not a hijack as you agree when you install the games). You will need to re do your home page after every MyPlayCity installation. I've stopped downloading their games.
Internet Explorer:
To reset the home page to the default in Internet Explorer 9
1) ... Open Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button . In the search box, type Internet Explorer, and then, in the list of results, click Internet Explorer.
2) ... Navigate to the webpage you want to set as the home page.
3) ... Click the Tools button , and then click Internet options.
4) ... Do one of the following:
i - To set the current webpage as the home page, click Use current.
ii - To reset the home page, click Use default.
iii - To set a blank home page, click Use blank.
5) ... Click OK.
Earlier versions of Internet Explorer:
1) ... Open Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Internet Explorer.
2) ... Click the Tools button, and then click Internet Options.
3) ... Click the General tab.
4) ... Click Use default to replace your current home page with the one that was used when you first installed Internet Explorer.
5) ... Click OK to save your changes.
Google Chrome:
1) ... Click the wrench icon on the browser toolbar.
2) ... Select Options (Preferences on Mac and Linux; Settings on a Chromebook).
3) ... Click the Basics tab, then.......
a - Set your home page
Pick the page you'd like to be your home page in the "Home page" section. You can select to use the New Tab page as your home page. To use another page, select "Open this page" and enter the web address of the page you'd like to use.
b - Add the home button to the browser toolbar
Want a button on the browser toolbar that you can click to open your home page? Select the "Show Home button" checkbox in the "Toolbar" section.
c - Set your home page as your startup page
To see your homepage whenever you open Google Chrome, go to the "On startup" section and select "Open the home page."
Firefox:
1) ... Open the web site you want to set as your home page. If you want a blank home page, open a new tab.
2) ... Click the icon to the left of the web address, drag it to the Home button (the icon that looks like a stylized house), and release.
3) ... Click Yes to set this as your home page.
Setting more than one page in firefox:
1) ... Open a new window and load the first web site you want in your home page.
2) ... Click the new tab button and open the next web site you want in your home page. Repeat this step until you've opened all desired sites in new tabs.
3) ... At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button (Tools menu in Windows XP) and then click Options
4) ... Select the General panel.
5) ... Click Use Current Pages.
I think you do the same for Waterfox as you do for firefox w.r.t. changing the home page.
Littlemaggit
Member
Thank you very much, Stephen, but I'm afraid I've still got a problem. I use Firefox and have followed your instructions which seems to work at that time, and then for the next time I go on (if I'm not actually using the internet I click out of it till I next need it). However, next time I go in (like earlier today), it's back to the MPC homepage. It's as if there's something more deeply remembered.
With reference to downloading the game, it wouldn't let me do it unless both the options were ticked on the download page (there wasn't a "next" available unless I did this) - I wonder if they've changed something very recently as I've never had this trouble before with them. It was only that they'd got Dominic Crane 2, and I'd so enjoyed the first one that I wanted the second. When I get this problem sorted out, I won't be using them again - I can't risk it!
Whiterabbit-uk
Games Guru
I did this myself some time ago, but my memory is so bad I can't remember exactly what I did. However you need to find the MyPlayCity/MPC folder; (i'll refer to it as MPC from now on)in your program files folder (if you have a 64 bit version of XP the folder will be named Program Files (x86) . Do a search if necessary. Delete the MPC folder (though not the one with the games installed to). There will be one with an MPC application. If you do a search make a note of all files associated with MPC then delete everything apart from the games folder. Ensure there's no applications apart from the games in that folder as well.
1) ... Then you need to purge the registry of all links to MPC. Firstly create a restore point just in case you accidentally delete something you shouldn't have. (Just in case you're not sure how to do this - go to the [i]Start menu, select All Programs then from the list select Accessories. From the drop down menu select System Tools then from the next drop down menu System Restore. The rest is simple an intuative[/i]). :)
2) ... To open the registry editor in XP click on the Start button then click on the run command that's usually in the second column. This opens up a field that you have to type in - regedit
3) ... Then click OK! This will open up the registry editor.
4) ... Click on Edit (in the toolbar at the top of the registry editor), then select Find or Find Next from the drop down menu (you can also use the shortcut keys Ctrl + F then to continue to find more entries after the first one use the shortcut F3
4) ... Type in a key word, in this case MyPlayCity; (you may have to do two or three sweeps of the registry using other key words like MPC) the use the shortcut Ctrl+F, then thereafter F3.
These are the registry hives.
Click on Edit and select Find then input the key word
5) ... When it finds an entry delete by right clicking on the entry and selecting delete from the drop down menu
Don't delete from this side of the registry editor when you have numbered folders like the ones seen in the image above. All of the keys in the folder (the keys are the ones shown on the right of the pane) are associated with MPC
All the data in this hive needs to be deleted
These entries show up even though I used MyPlayCity as the key word becasue it was downloaded from MPC, don't delete these entries, though you could delete the two bottom entries that include MPC web addresses. This shoildn't affect the running of the game
6) ... Move on to the next entry by pressing the F3 key, repeating number 5 and 6 till you get the message Finished searching through the registry
If an MPC game is highlighted you can ignore that entry. Any entries that include an MPC address/url delete
7) ... Repeat using other key words related to MyPlayCity (shouldn't be more than one or two eg..... MPC
8) ... Make sure you've changed your home page back to your usual one
9) ... Reboot then check your browser. It should be okay. If not you need to do a deeper scan of your computer. For this you'll need to go to find Folder Options (which can be found in the Control Panel - the easiest way to find folder options is to select the classic view then look for a traditional looking folder icon, that will be folder Options). Open up Folder options then click on the view tab. Look down the list of options and check the Show hidden files, folder and drives
This image shows you where to look to make hidden folders visible
10) ... In XP open up your root directory (i.e. C: drive) and select Documents and Settings
11) ... There will be a list of folders each associated with an account for example one with your name, another one with Administrator another says All Users and yet another Guest; there may be more depending upon who set the computer up when Windows was installed. Select the one you normally use and open it up. You should see the following:
You need to check the applications Folder. you may see this slightly differently becasue i used Win 7 to demonstrate, but they are both found within the users named folder.
12) ... Find and open the Application Data Folder and search out any MyPlayCity folders and MPC folders then delete.
13) ... Repeat step 12 but instead of the Application Data folder select Local Settings then inside that there will be another Application Data folder. Open that up and delete all MyPlayCity/MPC folders. While you are in this folder you can also clear out the Temp folder (open the temp folder and delete all content). Check also for MPC toolbars. you'll find them in either of these two folders as well. (You will need to go to the browsers main tool bar and select tool, from the drop down menu uncheck the MPC toolbar. Then make sure you've done a search of the folders I've mentioned from steps 10 onwards.
The whole thing is an annoyance, but can easily be sorted if you follow those steps.
Please Note:
I've edited my registry ever since it was possible to do so and have never caused my computer to crash or not work because of deletions. If you're ever uncertain you can always create an executable registry file of the one your going to delete by exporting the file to a folder that you can name yourself (just to back up those registry enties your deleting) - to export just right click on the entry to be deleted and select export (you have to use the left hand column to export). Then name the exported registry executable to an appropriate name - it's not really an executable, but I call it that because you just have to double click on it to add the file back to your registry) So if you do delete something that you shouldn't you can install it back to the palce you deleted it form. to be honest wht I've just described really isn't necessary, but if you're really not confident about messing with the registry, creating a restore point then doing the above gives you double the peace of mind in case somehing did go wrong. Please remember what I said above, i.e that I've never ever had a problem after editing the registry. :)
I'll add some images later if time permits.
Whiterabbit-uk
Games Guru
If my explanation is confusing please do ask for clarification and I'll explain further. :)
kvtto
Member
Littlemaggit, I also wanted 'Dominic Crane 2' and downloaded it. After the download (and before playing the game) I changed everything back.
When I went to play the game....it wouldn't let me play unless I checked the boxes again.
I didn't like that. I have their toolbars (MPC and Ask) disabled on Firefox, but I use it on IE....and that should be enough. MyPlayCity does not meet my requirements for a homepage.
So, I uninstalled with Revo. Then ran CCleaner. Then ran SUPERAntiSpyware....found and removed "Browser Hijacker.Deckbar" -- I'm 99.99% sure that's from MPC....and probably causing your problem.
I've been getting games from MPC for awhile and this is the first time my anti-virus(es) has found any threat from them.
Whiterabbit, thanks for explaining how to edit the registry.
Littlemaggit
Member
Thank you all very much for your help. You've given me the courage to delve a bit deeper into the guts of the machine, and I think I may have managed to crack the problem. I looked into Firefox Help, and found some information about getting into the Profile file to see the defaults. (I couldn't understand why I was apparently correctly changing my homepage and then it was mysteriously resetting itself back to MPC.) Anyway, I got into one of these subfiles - searchplugins - and found that in there was the MPC search. I've removed it, and so far it looks as if it's back to normal.
I've taken a copy of the whole of this page as the information from WR about editing the registry is so very helpful. Hopefully I won't have to go down that route, but at least I've got a copy of it all.
Kvtto, I see what you mean about the particular game - I've removed it as well. I'm rather surprised that they can do something as fundamental as this without really explaining what the effect will be, but I guess that's the way you learn by experience. Wiser next time!
I don't understand! I had the problem with the home page & search hijacking with a game several days before Dominic 2 (Jewel Quest III) and managed to get it all fixed up with no problem. It was a little tricky with Firefox's default search engine but a quick search in their help area lead me to about:config and it was simple from there.
It even added the toolbar to Opera! (I don't have Chrome). Once I got everybody reset and the toolbar installed but inactive everywhere, I had almost no problems with Dominic 2. I didn't bother Firefox at all and fixing IE was simple.
I have no problems running Dominic 2 either. No problems from MPC at all.
Yes, it's a pain to have to clear it out but I consider it just a few more steps to the install. I already have to undo the "admin mode" setting because it defaults to Program Files and I always throw out it's shortcuts and create my own. This is just a minute or two more work, just a few more steps.
It's just not caused my that many problems. Nothing to require me to play with Regedit.
However, I did have a problem a few months ago where the toolbar that MPC was pushing then (Ask toolbar -- they seem to have their own now) was pushy and asked to be enabled every time I entered IE. When I installed and ran CCleaner, I found there were some corrupt registry entries that once they were cleared out, the problem went away. I don't know if that was truly MPC's fault or not.
I don't like what they're doing, don't get me wrong - I think it STINKS! However, they're the one of the 3 browser-openers that I can circumvent the browser opening entirely. FreeGamePick I can change what it opens to and GameTop still has me stumped. JenKat doesn't open a browser, you just have to "decline" about 5 ads prior to install and then MOVE the game if you don't want it in Program Files (no choice). I'll continue to use all 4 as long as I understand WHAT they're doing and can make it work for me.
ringo2312
Member
Just an F.Y.I. here...
Look very carefully before clicking 'Next'
Lots of free software/games will install a toolbar or change your homepage IF you don't read EVERYTHING before installing.
Personally, I always create a system restore point before installing any software I've no specific knowledge of. That way you can revert to the previous 'version' and no harm done!
If you missed the option to decline, or the option simply isn't there, you may still be able to remove the toolbar in Control Panel.
Failing that, free tools like Revo Uninstaller are available. These may be able to find and uninstall the unwanted software where Windows uninstaller can't.
If you're still stuck with the offending toolbar/homepage, you can use 'Hijack This' ( http://www.trendmicro.co.uk/products/free-tools-and-services/ ) from Trend Micro, to remove the software.
Care must be taken using this tool, but I have a lot of experience using it and I'd be happy to help :)
You must log in to post.
