220-1002 · Question #193
When a user browses to a favorite website on a Windows laptop, a different website opens. A technician installs an additional web browser, but it also opens to the same unfamiliar site. The…
The correct answer is B. Check the Windows host file. When an unwanted website opens regardless of which browser is used, and browser settings resets do not fix it, the redirect is occurring at the OS level-not within the browser. The Windows hosts file (C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts) can be edited by malware to map a…
Question
When a user browses to a favorite website on a Windows laptop, a different website opens. A technician installs an additional web browser, but it also opens to the same unfamiliar site. The technician resets the web browser settings back to default, but the issue persists. Which of the following troubleshooting steps should the technician complete NEXT?
Options
- AChange the browser's home page
- BCheck the Windows host file
- CUpdate the default web browser
- DRestore Windows to a previous date
How the community answered
(30 responses)- A10% (3)
- B83% (25)
- C3% (1)
- D3% (1)
Explanation
When an unwanted website opens regardless of which browser is used, and browser settings resets do not fix it, the redirect is occurring at the OS level-not within the browser. The Windows hosts file (C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts) can be edited by malware to map a legitimate domain name to a malicious IP address; this override happens before any DNS query, so it affects every browser and persists through browser resets. Changing the home page (A) only fixes the startup page, not arbitrary URL redirects. Updating the browser (C) doesn't address OS-level file manipulation. A System Restore (D) is a more drastic step and should come after simpler targeted checks like the hosts file.
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