How to Remove the Automatic Redirection to dell.msn.com in Internet Explorer 8

How do I remove the automatic redirect to dell.msn.com when trying to browse to the real www.msn.com homepage?

by Doug Updated September 1, 2010

Delete the msn.com cookie that redirects you to the dell.msn.com site instead of www.msn.com, by going to Tools -> General tab -> Browsing history section -> Settings button -> View files -> and then delete the cookie:{username}@msn.com

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If you recently bought a new Dell computer, and then opened up Internet Explorer you may have been automatically redirected to (Dell's) dell.msn.com web page in Internet Explorer, instead of being directed to www.msn.com.

This hijacked dell.msn.com URL address can be pretty annoying to say the least, especially when the page itself is a blank white page. After being sent to the dell.msn.com home page, the website will then place a cookie on your computer that will automatically redirect you to dell.msn.com whenever you try going to msn.com. To get rid of Dell.msn.com automatic navigation redirect so that Internet Explorer will not continue to send you to dell.msn.com, follow these steps to delete the msn.com cookie:

Open Internet Explorer -> click on Tools menu -> then click Internet Options.
In the Internet Options pop-up box -> General tab -> Browsing history section, click Settings, then click View Files.
Scroll down and find the msn.com cookie file, that will look something like: "cookie:YourUsername@www.msn.com" (on a Windows 7 computer).
Now delete the cookie file.
After deleting the msn.com cookie, try visiting www.msn.com. You should now see the real msn.com homepage, instead of getting automatically redirected to the dell.msn.com website!

UPDATE 9-1-2010: If the above steps do not work for you, then you may want to try running Trend Micro's free utility called HijackThis to remove unwanted programs and get rid of the Dell.com msn redirect issue for good.

12 Comments

by GM on 8/29/2010 DIDN'T WORK
by MattK @ GearGuide on 9/1/2010 This works but only temporarily. Your best bet is to use HighJackThis to remove the malware installed by Dell. When I ran the tool, the directory entry that caused the redirect was the first thing it saw. www.gearguide.info
by Doug on 9/1/2010 Thanks Matt, I'll update your info regarding HijackThis to the post...
by EA on 3/23/2012 This solution worked for me after many others failed. http://k2-solutions.eu/forum/index.php?page=UserBlogEntry&entryID=2 Run notepad by right clicking and Run as administrator. Open C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\Signup\install.ins (64 bit) or C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Signup\install.ins (32 bit) using All Files (.) instead of Text Documents (*.txt). Remove the bottom section with all of the Dell stuff. Save. Open IE and it should always work from now on.
by TaronT on 12/4/2012 EA, here is an update: you need to delete everything from the 2 files: C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\Signup\install.ins and C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Signup\install.ins do not delete the file, just everything in it. then go to IE -> tools -> advance tab -> click on reset button -> check the Delete Personal Settings -> Reset that should fix redirect issue. this is per the dell tech support.
by Joe S on 3/2/2013 TT- I just got that same issue aboiut an hour ago. I followed your instructions. I checked both Install.ins files and they were empty, so I went on to your last step, Reset. When it was done, I went to Internet Options and now saw my homepage was 'Dell13-comm.us.msn.com.' Before and during the redirect it was www.msn.com that was what I wanted but wasn't getting. I change it back to www.msn.com and now IE opens to it as it did before the redirect issue. Thanks for the advcie as it worked
by Doug on 3/3/2013 Great to hear Joe... That's good advice for making sure to change/check Internet Explorers default home page. For those who may not know how to do this, here's how to change your default home page in IE: If you are using Internet Explorer (IE) as your browser follow these steps to make MSN your homepage: 1. Click on 'Tools' on the Internet Explorer menu bar, then click on 'Internet options' 2. In the Internet Options pop-up box, make sure you are on the General tab. 3. In the 'Home page' section, clear any URLs listed in the textbox, and then copy and paste in the following URL: http://www.msn.com/ 4. Now click the 'Apply' button. 5. Click OK.
by Issue solved on 3/10/2013 Open Internet options (Alt+X+O). Click on Advanced and then Reset. Check the checkbox and click OK and again OK. Close and reopen IE. End of story.
by Nadine on 7/7/2013 Received computer July 3rd, worked fine July 4th, hijacked on July 5th! Reset to factory settings but cannot get rid of the redirect to dell13. I have tried 3 of the suggestions from above and each time I get redirected. Any new options? Is it dangerous or just annoying?
by VIKRAM on 7/12/2013 TaronT resolved issue
by Greg H. >Manila on 2/23/2014 Thank you TaronT I followed your instruction on my Toshiba NB520 and it removed that "Toshiba" thing in msn.com. .
by AW on 7/24/2014 From a Dell Community forum, this should work. I've tried every other option on at least 7 forums; this was the only one that worked for me. I don't know that InPrivate setting is necessary, but no reason to leave it out. 1.From the Safety button on the toolbar, enable InPrivate Browsing 2.Set home page to www.msn.com 3.From the Safety button, select Delete browsing history. 4.Uncheck "Preserve Favorites website data", select everything else. 5.Select "Delete" 6.Visit home page 7.Disable InPrivate Browsing

by GM on 8/29/2010

DIDN'T WORK

by MattK @ GearGuide on 9/1/2010

This works but only temporarily. Your best bet is to use HighJackThis to remove the malware installed by Dell. When I ran the tool, the directory entry that caused the redirect was the first thing it saw.
www.gearguide.info

by Doug on 9/1/2010

Thanks Matt, I'll update your info regarding HijackThis to the post...

by EA on 3/23/2012

This solution worked for me after many others failed.
http://k2-solutions.eu/forum/index.php?page=UserBlogEntry&entryID=2
Run notepad by right clicking and Run as administrator.
Open C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\Signup\install.ins (64 bit)
or C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Signup\install.ins (32 bit)
using All Files (*.*) instead of Text Documents (*.txt).
Remove the bottom section with all of the Dell stuff.
Save. Open IE and it should always work from now on.

by TaronT on 12/4/2012

EA, here is an update: you need to delete everything from the 2 files:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\Signup\install.ins
and
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Signup\install.ins

do not delete the file, just everything in it.

then go to IE -> tools -> advance tab -> click on reset button -> check the Delete Personal Settings -> Reset

that should fix redirect issue. this is per the dell tech support.

by Joe S on 3/2/2013

TT- I just got that same issue aboiut an hour ago. I followed your instructions.

I checked both Install.ins files and they were empty, so I went on to your last step, Reset. When it was done, I went to Internet Options and now saw my homepage was 'Dell13-comm.us.msn.com.' Before and during the redirect it was www.msn.com that was what I wanted but wasn't getting. I change it back to www.msn.com and now IE opens to it as it did before the redirect issue.

Thanks for the advcie as it worked

by Doug on 3/3/2013

Great to hear Joe... That's good advice for making sure to change/check Internet Explorers default home page. For those who may not know how to do this, here's how to change your default home page in IE:

If you are using Internet Explorer (IE) as your browser follow these steps to make MSN your homepage:

1. Click on 'Tools' on the Internet Explorer menu bar, then click on 'Internet options'
2. In the Internet Options pop-up box, make sure you are on the General tab.
3. In the 'Home page' section, clear any URLs listed in the textbox, and then copy and paste in the following URL: http://www.msn.com/
4. Now click the 'Apply' button.
5. Click OK.

by Issue solved on 3/10/2013

Open Internet options (Alt+X+O).

Click on Advanced and then Reset.

Check the checkbox and click OK and again OK.

Close and reopen IE.

End of story.

by Nadine on 7/7/2013

Received computer July 3rd, worked fine July 4th, hijacked on July 5th! Reset to factory settings but cannot get rid of the redirect to dell13. I have tried 3 of the suggestions from above and each time I get redirected. Any new options? Is it dangerous or just annoying?

by VIKRAM on 7/12/2013

TaronT resolved issue

by Greg H. >Manila on 2/23/2014

Thank you TaronT I followed your instruction on my Toshiba NB520 and it removed that "Toshiba" thing in msn.com. .

by AW on 7/24/2014

From a Dell Community forum, this should work. I've tried every other option on at least 7 forums; this was the only one that worked for me. I don't know that InPrivate setting is necessary, but no reason to leave it out.

1.From the Safety button on the toolbar, enable InPrivate Browsing
2.Set home page to www.msn.com
3.From the Safety button, select Delete browsing history.
4.Uncheck "Preserve Favorites website data", select everything else.
5.Select "Delete"
6.Visit home page
7.Disable InPrivate Browsing

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