question regarding Spybot > Tools > Browser Pages

Hello.

I have a couple of questions regarding the Tools section in Spybot version 1.6.2.46.

When I click the Browser Pages tab, a list of browser pages is generated. (See attached screenshot.)

What I would like to know is . . .

1.) This is a relatively new computer, only a few weeks old. None of these pages were added by me, so is it normal for all of these extra browser pages to be listed? Or instead, could they have possibly been added by some sort of adware or malware?

2.) Internet Properties shows only one entry listed as my home page. The URL is http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=255141. (See attached screenshot.) This URL is listed along with the others in the Spybot list. However, if I actually open Internet Explorer, the URL of the home page that automatically displays is http://www.msn.com/?ocid=iehp. This URL is not the same as the one listed in Internet Properties nor is it listed by Spybot along with the other ones.

What's going on with this? Why does the URL of the Internet Explorer home page not match the one listed in Internet Properties? And why is it not listed by Spybot along with the other ones? Any idea?

3.) How are these other browser pages opened? I have no idea where any of these other pages even are. They must be registered somewhere in Internet explorer, though (otherwise, Spybot would not have reported them), so there should be an easy way to open them through Internet Explorer, but I don't see them listed anywhere. Yes, I realize that I could simply paste the URLs from the report into my browser and get to them that way, but that isn't the point. The point is, if the URLs were pre-loaded into the browser, then there should be an easy way to get to them; otherwise, it would defeat the whole purpose of pre-loading them in the first place.

I never would have even know about them were it not Spybot, so what possible purpose is there in having pages pre-loaded into the browser that the user is unaware of and unable to visit? That's what I'm trying to figure out. Any idea?

It's normal for more than one browser page to be listed there.Sometimes the browser pages you see there are added by adware or malware,but not always. :)

If you'll look at the little icons shown to the left,you'll see a house by some,and a magnifying glass by the others.As I recall,the houses denote home pages,and the magnifying glasses denote search pages.

For the http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=255141 link,if you were to click on it,you would see that it is the http://www.msn.com/?ocid=iehp page listed as your home page.The fwlinks from Microsoft are normal.

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896 is just Bing,which is just Bing search.

The blank.htm pages listed should be fine,too.

I'm not sure what the Preserve search page is.I assume you have an hp computer,perhaps it's something to do with them?I wouldn't be surprised.