AOL search doing strange things

JohnRoss · #1 (**permalink**) 26-07-2009, 07:57 AM

Hi running aol 9.1 and if I type something in the top search bar I get something like this: Typed BBC Space force and the following appears in the search bar on the page that comes up BBC%20Space%20force. The list that appears under this has lots of entries that look like this:

SALR Thread Data v2 id=2270712&lastpostdt=200701091022&lastp...
... =56946&title=BBC%3A%20%27New%20stem%20cell%20sourc e%27%20discovered ..... = What%20music%20would%20you%20like%20to%20wake%20up %20to%20IN%20SPACE%3F ... =How %20do%20we%20force%20some%20hygiene%20habits%20ont o%20this%20guy%3F ... Does not matter what you type it does this every time!

If I type a proper URL in the top search bar all works normally and the site comes up as it does if I click on something in the favorites list. If I use the search bar in Internet Explorer 8 all works normally with or without AOL toolbar turned on.

If I type BBC Space force in the search bar at the top of the AOL welcome page it all works normally so what is going on? Only just started doing this a few days ago.

The situation just got a wee bit stranger! I fired up my old machine which runs Windows Millenium with Internet Explorer 6, not 8 like the other machine, and with AOL 9 and not 9.1 and guess what, exactly the same problem. The only common factor here is the AOL broadband box and AOL itself. The old machine has not been on-line for weeks so I think that almost rules out the possibility of a recent downloaded Trojan or some such. I have run Spybot S&D and AVG on both machines and nothing found.I have also run Ccleaner but no good effect...............JR

Any AOL experts out there?............................................ ......................JR

Digerati · #2 (**permalink**) 26-07-2009, 01:30 PM

Weird Internet Explorer/AOL search problem - View topic :: Total France

AOL search weird results! - Computer Support Forums - FreePCHelp.co.uk

Re: AOL search doing weird things! - France Forum

Well, it seems you have been around, but no real solutions. I don't have any either. I think, as mentioned by others, you need to contact your ISP. I would also attempt to ultimately move away from AOL.

JohnRoss · #3 (**permalink**) 26-07-2009, 02:42 PM

Merci mais poo je dois écrire quelque chose en français, très difficile...........JR

PS Thanks Bill you are not the first to say that!

Digerati · #4 (**permalink**) 26-07-2009, 02:48 PM

Try English then.

JohnRoss · #5 (**permalink**) 26-07-2009, 02:56 PM

Don't work as they closed their English speaking help line and were as much use as a chocolate teapot last time I rang them!.......................JR

Digerati · #6 (**permalink**) 26-07-2009, 03:00 PM

Well, then it is time to move to another ISP, I would think, or find a French speaking friend to help.

JohnRoss · #7 (**permalink**) 26-07-2009, 03:01 PM

Yup giving that some serious thought Bill, cheers.................JR

Digerati · #8 (**permalink**) 26-07-2009, 04:34 PM

Since this appears to be a DNS problem with AOL, you might see if using openDNS helps.

townsbg · #9 (**permalink**) 26-07-2009, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digerati

I would also attempt to ultimately move away from AOL.

Amen to that.

I sounds to me that their search engine isn't working right. If I remember right "%20" is the html code for a space so you might see that in place of a space in your URL. I guess for some weird reason their system is taking that literally. My guess is that their is a bug in their code. You could try another browser. Maybe by now they've worked the problem out because it didn't do that on their site but maybe that just applies to the results returned to their browsers.

JohnRoss · #10 (**permalink**) 27-07-2009, 10:26 AM

Ok well tried OpenDNS and I am afraid no difference except, and this may be my imagination, web pages seem to load more quickly than they did. It really is no big deal to go on as we are except that the search bar at the top of the welcome page is masked by any other web page you have open so if you don't want to close it before doing another search you have to click and drag it down out of the way before typing new search words. To be honest I am still not sure how OpenDNS has modified they way I access the web so will have to get more info on that. Thanks for the help guys.........JR

PS 20 hex is the ASCII code for space I believe, what the % symbol does I am not sure, perhaps it means non-printing character which for some reason is being ignored when I use the top search bar!