Google Toolbar....Help please!!!

[Dan D'air]

I have a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Li1705 laptop running Windows Vista Basic which is more than sufficient for my computing needs. On the drop-down internet tool bar I only ever access three websites which are PPRuNe, Hotmail and my work website. Everything else I access through the Google Toolbar.

This morning, all of a sudden, an extra, unwanted Google search toolbar appeared next to the internet toolbar and try as I might, I am unable to remove it. Any ideas?

Also, I use a USB mouse as it's much easier than the mousepad on the laptop. It is, however, (the mousepad) extremely sensitive and often when I'm typing, if I even fleetingly touch the mousepad, it moves the cursor all over the shop, which is extremely annoying to say the least. I should be extremely grateful if anyone could offer any advice as to how to temporarily disable the mousepad.

Many thanks in advance to anyone who spares the time to offer advice.

Happy flying, DD.

[Avtrician]

Have a look in the control panel | add/remove programs, and see if a remove tool is there for the google toolbar. An update, or new program is probably the source, the usual question to proceed is now to install this crap. here is more info. http://www.java.com/en/download/help/5000012600.xml use google for more help. or use firefox/seamonkey to browse instead. these are not prone to this hijacking.

[BOAC]

Where and what is an 'internet toolbar'? Which browser? Have you looked at toolbar properties or settings?

[hellsbrink]

Some thin cardboard? (Two business cards usually do the trick, with some sellotape :E)

One of the keys should have a pic of a mouse symbol on it, I THINK it's F6 on F-J machines. Try hitting "Fn + (whatever key has the mouse symbol)", see if that works.

(Oh, Fujitsu-Siemens website is so good you can't find what you actually want on it)

[hellsbrink]

BOAC

These "toolbars" are nice additions people like to *give* you if you are not careful when you install something (look out for the tick boxes). They install on most browsers. If you like to use Google, set that as your default search, you don't need their software clogging up your system when you'll generally have something running that does the same job (MSN, Yahoo!, etc, etc, etc, are no better, toolbars are something every effer is doing)

But you're close, the "toolbars" option (where you can turn things like that on and off) is generally under "view", not "internet options" or "settings" or anywhere like that (is on IE and Opera anyway, I assume it's the same on Firefox)

[BOAC]

Yes, but my 'limited' exposure to Google gives me a very useful 'settings' icon which gives me superb control over all the G functions, some of which ARE good!

[hellsbrink]

Let's just say I prefer to keep my "data exposure" in their direction as limited as possible.

What functions do you like, btw, as there are no doubt other programs you are using/can use which do the same (and may be doing so right now) which means you don't have to waste valuable computer power on things like these toolbars.

Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I don't trust them things and I don't feel they are necessary when so much other stuff is out there which is less intrusive.

[Parapunter]

HB's spot on. If you've recently installed software, you may well have inadvertently added the extra toolbar - you usually have to opt out by unchecking the box during install - all too easy to click through & ignore it.

Practically speaking, in your browser, there should be an option somewhere or other to kick it out. Have a root round the options, you'll prolly find it.

[hellsbrink]

Usually View->Toolbars, para

[BOAC]

HB - as always, its 'horses for course' and I use a limited 'autofill', spellchecker, pop-up blocker and translator. I don't think G have too much of me, but I know what you are saying......:)

Mail TB control is as you say via 'view' but specific control of the G systems is in settings.

[hellsbrink]

I only like 'orses when they be cooked and carved, BOAC, but there's nothing Google (or others) cannot do for less hassle as far as any "toolbar" goes..

[Beatriz Fontana]

Dan,

I'll write this here for the benefit of anyone else with the same problems. Disabling the mousepad:

There seems to be three ways of doing this. The first and the most helpful is to reduce the sensitivity of the pad, which is within the control panel / mouse settings.

The second is a physical disable which will be within the BIOS code, which frankly unless you do the whole computer coding thing, all seems pretty Greek to me.

The third and most ugly is to cover the pad with a small piece of card and tape it down. But at least it works.

[Dan D'air]

Intriguing Beatriz,

Thanks for the post, have tried the first one and the facility deosn't seem to be there to do that!!

Wouldn't dare mess about with the BIOS, so..............have resorted to option 3 already!! It really gets my goat.

Happy flying, DD.

[Avtrician]

Take a look in your control panel, at the mouse settings. There should be a setting to turn off the touch pad. In my laptop (A Dell) you can disable the touchpad if a usb pointing device is present.

[bnt]

I agree with previous posters: just get rid of those extra toolbars. You don't need them to help you with searching, since both FireFox and IE7 have search boxes where you can choose the search engine - or even specific sites e.g. in FireFox I have IMDB UK for looking up movies.

My advice: ask yourself what unique, essential facilities you get from those toolbars. If you can't see any - which was my experience - get rid of them, because they're there for the benefit of Google/Yahoo etc., not for your benefit.

[BOAC]

I just cannot get rid of the 'Google Toolbar Installer' trying to install itself (Z Alarm blocks). I have removed it countless times from Installed progs, Hijack this, start progs etc etc, never 'asked' for it, no Sys Restores - where the ** does it keep on coming from?