I can't google Middle East terms on Chrome - thoughts?

Annouk

New Member
Thread author
Jan 27, 2013
5
Not really tech minded so please excuse my ignorance on the topic, but don't know who else to ask about this.

About two months ago, I noticed that I was having issues searching some words on google using the chrome browser, but didn't put it together until now.

When I try to google words related to the middle east, my chrome browser freezes and then it asks me to kill the page. I started making a short list of the terms I can't google and they include: palestine, syria, west bank, tel aviv, abbas, gaza, islam, hamas, lebanon, hariri, muslim brotherhood, haifa, suez, mubarak, morsi, to name a few.

And my CPU goes up substantially, up to 100%, according to my activity monitor (not sure if this means anything).

I can google these terms fine on safari or firefox but not on chrome.

Here are people with a similar problem:
https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/chrome/2IoLYem-Bng/discussion

https://productforums.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/chrome/ZQIP7010y4M

Not sure if you know how I might be able to investigate this further, but any tips you could give me would be great. Think it might be a virus but it's really strange and as I said before, not really a tech person and don't have many tech friends so this is difficult to figure out.

With my chrome, I have no plug ins or extensions that I am aware of. I'm on a MacBook Pro, about two and a half years old, on Snow Leopard (10.6.8).

I know I could just reinstall chrome and it would be fine--but I want to figure out if this is really something first or just some kinda glitch.

Hope someone can tell me what they think it could be! Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
 

Exterminator

Community Manager
Verified
Staff Member
Well-known
Oct 23, 2012
12,527
I dont know,I can search and get results for all of the words you posted as well as all of the words posted in the 2 links you provided.
From the links provided this seems to be a valid claim.Seems kind of strange but it isnt a problem on my end.

Are you updated to Version 24.0.1312.56 m ?
 

Annouk

New Member
Thread author
Jan 27, 2013
5
Yeah, it's completely up to date with Version 24.0.1312.56.

No idea what it could be.
 

Littlebits

Retired Staff
May 3, 2011
3,893
What happens if try the searches on Yahoo, Bing or Ask.com?
Do they work then?

Thanks.:D
 

Annouk

New Member
Thread author
Jan 27, 2013
5
Interesting.

Yahoo: works fine.
Bing: works fine.
But....ask.com?

Some of the words work, some don't. Of the list above, words that I can't search: Palestine, ramallah, west bank, tel aviv, abbas, gaza, hamas, hariri, muslim brotherhood, haifa

Words that I can search on ask.com: syria, lebanon, islam, suez, mubarak, morsi

For each search, I started a new window in the browser, fresh from ask.com's home page. When the word wouldn't search, the page would just remain white and spinning as though still searching. It wouldn't ask me to kill the page.

Hmmmmm.....?
 

Exterminator

Community Manager
Verified
Staff Member
Well-known
Oct 23, 2012
12,527
Yahoo > everything works

Bing > everything works

Ask.com > everything works

I have no idea what would be blocking that in Google.
 

Annouk

New Member
Thread author
Jan 27, 2013
5
Yeah, it's really odd to me.

Also, my friend thought that it might have to do with languages installed on chrome or translating pages--but I only have english installed and don't automatically translate any pages, so not sure if that could be the reason behind it.
 

Spirit

Level 2
May 17, 2012
1,832
Maybe isp blocking it.Not sure as anything can be blocked at middle east.
Try to change dns and look if it work
 

Fiery

Level 1
Jan 11, 2011
2,007
That's odd, your chrome settings are probably altered. You can reinstall chrome or I can diagnose your chrome settings by:

Download OTL by Old Timer from here and save it to your Desktop.
  • Double click on OTL.exe to run it.
  • Click the Scan All Users checkbox.
  • Change Standard Registry to All
  • Check the boxes beside LOP Check and Purity Check
  • Click on Run Scan at the top left hand corner.
  • When done, two Notepad files will open.
    • OTListIt.txt <-- Will be opened
    • Extra.txt <-- Will be minimized
  • Please attach the contents of these 2 Notepad files in your next reply.

If you don't know how to attach the files, please follow the instructions here: http://malwaretips.com/Thread-How-to-use-the-attachment-system?pid=16072#pid16072
 

Annouk

New Member
Thread author
Jan 27, 2013
5
Is OTL available for macs--it seems like it requires: Win XP/2003/08/Vista/Windows7 ?

I'm on a mac so don't think I will be able to use that software....
 

Littlebits

Retired Staff
May 3, 2011
3,893
Change your Internet settings or router to use OpenDNS.

IP address:
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220

See if that solves the problem.

Enjoy!!:D
 

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