So what gives with Google Toolbar?

from JoeUser Forums

Twice in the last week I have been called in to fix a computer that would not "browse" the Internet.  The browser of choice was internet Explorer (one was 6 the other 7), and while the home page would launch when the browser would start, they could not then type in another URL and have the browser connect.

But it was not 100%.  In other words, type in a second URL, and it would not connect.  Type in a 3rd and it woudl.  4th, would not, 5th would, etc.

I checked for all kinds of bugs (using Symantec for standard bugs and Malwarebytes for the sneaky ones) and none were found.  So I started killing processes and ripping out Add ons in IE.  And it started working great!  Every URL would pop up.  So I started putting the URLs back in one at a time, and stumbled when it came to Google Toolbar.

Fortunately neither user was enamored with the Google Toolbar (they just wanted to make sure they could get to Google).

I personally do not like those tool bars and never install them on my PC.  And it is the first things I take off when my wife starts complaining about "slowing computer" on hers as well.  But I guess some people like it as it does seem popular (I know you can get it from installing just about any freeware these days if you do not uncheck the box during installation).  And in days past, I have seen some that have 3 or 4 of those irritating things (Google, Yahoo, AOL, and MSN).

I was just wondering if anyone else had seen this on computers they have worked on.  There is no error associated with the problem. The page just never loads.

186,413 views 96 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

One of our studio PCs has the Yahoo toolbar installed and IE will randomly open with the Yahoo homepage - we never use IE - and we've suspected the toolbar as the issue for quite a while.  Nasty little buggers!

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

All toolbars are evil....regardless of where they come from.

CursorFX - Customize your Windows cursor
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I learned a couple of years back just like you did here Dr Guy.  If memory serves me it was IE 6 and a Google Toolbar.  Since then I have never added anything to the browser, no toolbars or addons. 

IE 8 works well for me just as is.  That may cause some folks to make a face, so be it. :sun:

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

I hate toolbars, they take up valuable internet screen space. They always give me trouble when it comes to getting to webpages too. I can't say I have had a specific issue such as yours but we can all agree that the best way for any business to force people to move to newer versions of any software is to make add-ons non-compatible with previous versions. I use Firefox anyways. I don't think i could live without all my favorite add-ons.

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top


Twice in the last week I have been called in to fix a computer that would not "browse" the Internet.  The browser of choice was internet Explorer (one was 6 the other 7), and while the home page would launch when the browser would start, they could not then type in another URL and have the browser connect.

Strictly speaking, isn't blocking IE 6 from the Internet doing the user a favor? Using it is the online equivalent of holding up a giant "rob me" sign.

Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top

Nasty little buggers!

Amen to that!

Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top

IE 8 works well for me just as is. That may cause some folks to make a face, so be it.

8 is fine.  7 is not bad either (but I like the restart with tabs options in Firefox better).  But like I said, I never use toolbars, so had never seen that behavior before.  The consensus seems to be - 3rd party tool bars are evil!

Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top

Strictly speaking, isn't blocking IE 6 from the Internet doing the user a favor?

LOL - I do not make company policy, I am just the geek that fixes things when they break.

(Personally, I do agree).

Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top

Quoting CharlesCS, reply 4
I hate toolbars, they take up valuable internet screen space.

That has always been my major problem with them as well - have you ever seen a browser with 3 or 4 of them?  No space left to display the page!

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Oh my :rofl:

Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

a person like that deserves what they get. 8|

Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I had the same thing a few years ago with Google's little spy proggy(Google was new, I was young*er.That's my story at least) Lesson learned and no one's toolbars have been on any of my browsers since.

Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top

Quoting Bebi, reply 10
You mean like this?



Yep.  I hope that one is not yours.  Reading the web one line at a time gets tedious. ;)

Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Had to fix a friends mothers pc once. They said it was "slow" which was an understatement. When I got there it took about 15 minutes before it fully loaded..well...as loaded as it was going to get...and then the mouse literally looked as though it was having an epileptic fit. Needless to say she had every toolbar known to man installed and even after running Spybot which found over 700 pieces of spy/adware it went through withdrawal symptoms and I told her she was better off just reformatting the pc.

Reply #17 from JoeUser Forums Top

Quoting WebGizmos, reply 15
Had to fix a friends mothers pc once. They said it was "slow" which was an understatement. When I got there it took about 15 minutes before it fully loaded..well...as loaded as it was going to get...and then the mouse literally looked as though it was having an epileptic fit. Needless to say she had every toolbar known to man installed and even after running Spybot which found over 700 pieces of spy/adware it went through withdrawal symptoms and I told her she was better off just reformatting the pc.

I worked on my Cousin's daughters compuier that was like that.  It had over 2000 malware guys (plus 4 legitimate Trojan horses).  I thought that was soooo bad until I read some responses on a list I belong to (Resnet - Colege resedential Networks) that had some on the list claiming to have seen computers with over 4500!!!!

yea, that will trash a computer real fast!  (or slow as the case is).

Reply #18 from JoeUser Forums Top

Quoting RedneckDude, reply 16

Quoting Bebi Bulma, reply 2All toolbars are evil....regardless of where they come from.

With the exception of the WinCustomize Toolbar!!!  

 

https://www.wincustomize.communitytoolbars.com/

Of Course. ;)

Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Dr, reply 14

Quoting Bebi Bulma, reply 10You mean like this?




Yep.  I hope that one is not yours.  Reading the web one line at a time gets tedious.

Ha, oh god no. Found that on lifehacker.

Quoting RedneckDude, reply 16

Quoting Bebi Bulma, reply 2All toolbars are evil....regardless of where they come from.

With the exception of the WinCustomize Toolbar!!!  

 

https://www.wincustomize.communitytoolbars.com/

Nope...wouldn't even run that one.

Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top

With the exception of the WinCustomize Toolbar!!!

 

I wouldn't use it either, I use no toolbars, No addons and no accelerators. Oh i forgot i don't use IE. Opera all the way for me. Once you use speed dial anything else just seems...well.....lame. :)

Reply #21 from JoeUser Forums Top

Oh i forgot i don't use IE. Opera all the way for me.

I have not tried Opera yet.  My main browser is Firefox.  But I also have Chrome and Safari.  I am not crazy about Chrome, but that seems more an interface issue than performance.

Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I like Opera but I always go back to Firefox just for some of the add-ons.

Toolbars... NEVER, too much hassle for a little gain.

Speed Dial for Firefox ^_^

 

Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Cap'n starkers  is strangely absent from this here Google whuppin'.*_*

Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Nimbin, reply 20
With the exception of the WinCustomize Toolbar!!!

 

I wouldn't use it either, I use no toolbars, No addons and no accelerators. Oh i forgot i don't use IE. Opera all the way for me. Once you use speed dial anything else just seems...well.....lame.
try the new 10.60(use it right now ) does that fly  and no tool bars for me either

:yes:

Reply #25 from JoeUser Forums Top

Quoting Wizard1956, reply 23
Cap'n starkers  is strangely absent from this here Google whuppin'.

He is a google critic?

I have found one thing that Bing beats google all to hell in.  Phone number look ups!  Google gives you a bunch of pay for sites to find out the name.  Bing (this is land line numbers) gives you the name.  Came in handy when I had to call my vampire and had lost his number (but had a bunch in my cell that I did not know who they were - I Binged them and up came his name on the 3rd number I tried!).