BleepingComputer.com: Ie6

Hi Everyone,

I've been getting a lot of notices for Google when I try to search for things with Google that say;

=======================================================================
We're sorry...
... but your query looks similar to automated requests from a computer virus or spyware application. To protect our users, we can't process your request right now.

We'll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon. In the meantime, if you suspect that your computer or network has been infected, you might want to run a virus checker or spyware remover to make sure that your systems are free of viruses and other spurious software.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope we'll see you again on Google.
To continue searching, please type the characters you see below:

=========================================================================

Well typing those characters never does work for me. I just happened to run my mouse over the box with those characters in it and saw a message saying "If you can read this, you do not have images enabled. Please enable images to continue."

What the heck is that all about? And can anyone tell me where to look to see if I have images enabled?

Thanks for any information.

Wendy

This post has been edited by Wendy K. Walker: 21 August 2007 - 09:31 PM

This is Google's CAPTCHA page.


According to Google,

Quote

Hi TMacK, Thanks for the reply.

Well whatever they call it I think that it is broken or something because it NEVER... EVER works for me and it doesn't matter how many times I type the listed characters in that dog gone little box either, I just keep getting the same page... sometimes with the same letters on it, sometimes with different characters.

Oh and what's with the message --> "If you can read this, you do not have images enabled. Please enable images to continue." popping up when I do a mouse over?

Do I need to change something in my IE?


Thanks,

Wendy

I have seen this message with Firefox also Wendy.
Same problem with retyping the characters.

Do you use a Script Blocker Add-On?

Hi TMacK, Thanks for the reply.

um... I might be using one, *laughing at myself* but I really have no idea what that is. All I know is that when that page pops up I have to delete my cookies and then change my proxy thing to be able to get to the page.

Anyway, the most confusing thing to me is this message --> "If you can read this, you do not have images enabled. Please enable images to continue." <-- That pops up any time that I do a mouse over on the box that has all those characters in it.

I guess my question should be "where do I look to see if I have images enabled?"

Thanks,

Wendy

I had that problem with Google several months back. I am trying hard to remember what fixed it. It may be allowing their cookie for the search function. I know it is not script blocking because I use NoScript and do not allow any scripting on Google.
Don't know what the "enable image" thing is about. Never got that one. I use Firefox exclusively.

Hi buddy215, Thanks for the reply.

I only see that image notice when I mouse over the box of squiggle characters that you are supposed to type in the empty box... still don't know what that's about.

To get past it I have to delete my cookies and reset my proxy, if I don't all I get is that same sorry page over and over again.

Thanks,

Wendy

Having to delete cookies is not what I would expect to have to do to use Google.
You could have, maybe, some third party cookie causing a problem. It want cause you any problem to just block them from getting on your computer. Here is a link to a site explaining that. Scroll down to almost the bottom of the page and you see an image showing you how to block the third party cookies in IE.
http://www.grc.com/cookies.htm
I don't think Google is being totally honest about why you see that page. Everyone doesn't get that on a regular basis. I Google many times a day and haven't seen it in several months.
I am not sure why I don't see it anymore. It could be something I allowed to access the internet in my firewall. Somehow "generic host process" comes to mind.
Have you checked to see if you have Google.com blocked? Do you have a program on your computer that allows you to view what cookies you have? Winpatrol, Ccleaner and many others do this.
You mentioned also having to do something with your proxy settings. This could somehow keep Google from identifying you and forcing you to jump thru hoops so they know who you are.

Hi buddy215, Thanks for the reply.

Thanks for the link. I've already done all of that in the past...BUTT, for some reason it had been undone... so I did it again. So far I haven't gotten that page today, but then I haven't had to do any googling yet either. Maybe I'll do some just to see if it will pop up.

So much for the third party cookie theory, I just googled and got that cursed page. Tried typing the letters in the box and got nowhere. Deleted my cookie stash, and grabbed a new identity from my proxy and googled on to my destination with no problem.

So I'm still wondering what's up with that? I'm starting to wonder if Google is up to something fricking EVIL there.

Thanks for trying Boo.

Wendy

I think it is going to be the proxy you use to be the cause of this. I know little about using proxies as I have never used one.
Have you ever set "preferences" in Google? Does it remember those preferences? In other words when you click on preferences and change them from the default settings to your preferences, close your browser and reopen, does the preferences revert back to default settings or are they still set on your preferences? This is one of the things that Google's cookies do is remember your preferences. Come to think of it though, if you are deleting Google's cookies to open google you are reinstalling a new cookie every time so it would not remember your preferences.
Is there a compelling reason for using a proxy, if you don't mind my asking.
This, to me, would be a reason why you also have to delete your cookies. The cookie info doesn't match up with the IP that Google's server says the IP should be when your proxy has used a different IP. The way I see you could test that is not using a proxy if the network you are on will allow you to hook up directly to the net.
Did you ever not have this problem while using the same proxy for any length of time?

maybe a dam silly question, but what URL are you using to open the google search page/site?

and what are you asking it to search for?

This post has been edited by ruby1: 30 August 2007 - 06:34 PM

Hi buddy215, Thanks for the reply.

You asked --> Is there a compelling reason for using a proxy, if you don't mind my asking. <-- it's just a privacy thing. I like to be as anonymous as I can be on the Internet.

You asked --> Have you ever set "preferences" in Google? <-- No, I never changed any of the settings so everything should still set at their default values.

You said --> The cookie info doesn't match up with the IP that Google's server says the IP should be when your proxy has used a different IP. <-- That's just it, it should match because I don't delete cookies or grab a new IP address unless Google goes and gets all gay on me. Then I have to because typing those letters in the box like they say to do to continue searching NEVER works.

On top of that it is not at all uncommon for the same thing to happen to me again once I have gotten to a page full of search results and click on a link on that page. So I'm thinking that my proxy server isn't the problem because I know it doesn't change that quick.

You asked --> Did you ever not have this problem while using the same proxy for any length of time? < yep, this is actually a fairly new occurrence. I've been using the same proxy thingy for well over a year with no trouble to speak of. All of this just started a month or so ago. I'm starting to wonder if its a government conspiracy to get me to go to some of the links that come along with that page.



Hi ruby1, Thanks for the reply.

You said --> maybe a dam silly question <-- not at all Boo, all questions have relevance here, as does yours.

You asked --> what URL are you using to open the google search page/site? <-- I don't type in any URL so I know I'm not hitting something wrong. I have the Google Toolbar on my desktop and I type my search term into the little window, click the 'Go' button and hope that it works.

You asked --> what are you asking it to search for? <-- anything and everything. Sometimes it's a single search words like cat, pubis, or nectar. Sometimes it's multi words like 'carrier strike group' or it's a file name like a2adguard.exe and at times it may be a question like 'where did the Spanish flu come from?'

It doesn't seem to matter what I'm looking for though. Some times I get a results page on the first try and some times I don't. Then getting a results page is no guarantee that things are going to go smoothly either as I can click a link on that page and get the dreaded error page. I have also had that same problem when I typed in a new search word in the box at the top of an open results page.

It's like Google wants me to go to those Anti-Virus and AdWare sites that it advertises on that page. I'm just hoping that there is some kind of update that's on its way that will fix that problem.


Wendy

I never saw any ads when I got the page where you had to type the jumbled letters and numbers. You might have some malware on your computer. Maybe.
Why not post a Hijack This log and let the experts take a look. Post it in the Hijack This forum.
Another thing that might be worth a try is reinstalling your Google Toolbar. Or uninstalling and try Googling for a day without it.

Or try using another search bar and enter www.google.com and then set a favorite and use that to connect to Google for a day.

Of course I use Firefox and block Google ads--almost forgot about that.

This post has been edited by buddy215: 31 August 2007 - 05:53 PM

I too was about to suggest removing the google tool bar and trying'normal' google searches without it?

who recommended the tool bar?

I was on a computer recently that someone had downloaded the google tool bar( from what sourse I know not)...and gotten some uninvited guests with it ;needless to say the computer had to be cleaned

I am not convinced you do not have an infection on board

Hi Wendy,
With regards to that mouseover text:
Short story - I wouldnt worry about it.
Longer story - I believe the text you see when you mouse over the image is called "ALT" text, an attribute for an HTML object. When an image link is broken or images are disabled on a page, you would see that text instead of the "red x" which you might have seen from time to time. I think when the page was coded, they didnt code for anyone mousing over the image. For sake of argument imagine you in fact did not have images enabled; then you would not see the letters that you needed to type in - instead you would have seen that message: "If you can read this...".

[edit]
btw - I was only referring to the mouseover text. I'm sorry but I am unable to say if the toolbar itself is malware related.

[edit2]
when you see that page, could you right-click anywhere on the white space and select properties? Does the address(URL) string begin with http://www.google.com, or something else?

This post has been edited by jhsmurray: 31 August 2007 - 06:26 PM