*Serious Tech* When I start a game, default web browser opens up tabs (and sometimes crashes games).

[Extasii]

So this problem has been going on for the past hour and I REALLY need some help with this.
When I open up a game (WoW, Tribes) and begin to navigate through the game world, my default web browser will tab out my game automatically and open itself.

I had Google Chrome when this started, and have since deleted it. Internet Explorer now opens in its place.

It does not open if the computer just idles. Only when a game is active.

What is causing this?

It doesn't seem like a virus, as it opens straight to my homepage.

Anyone else had this happen?

Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated.

***EDIT*** Played 5 minutes of Tribes Ascend, game did not tab out. Tabbed out of game manually, had 138 tabs of Google Chrome open...

 

[Eleuthera]

This is just a total stab in the dark, but could it be that you hotlinked "open new tab" in your browser to an ofetn used key by accident?

 

[Extasii]

This is just a total stab in the dark, but could it be that you hotlinked "open new tab" in your browser to an ofetn used key by accident?

Sadly, all it takes is me being IN the game for the tabs to start appearing =/
No keying required

 

[Eleuthera]

Does it only happen with games? How about other applications? Or games played windowed?

 

[ThriKreen]

Well, one thing to note is that your default browser switched back to MSIE after removing Chrome, so whatever is triggering your browser to pop up is going through the Windows system and the program defaults. So it is unrelated to Chrome itself - i.e. if you install Firefox now and tell it to be the default, FF would be the one that fires up now.

Check your keyboard drivers for any macros that are running (like if you use a Logitech keyboard).

Alt-Shift-Esc to bring out the Task Manager, check if there's some unknown process running like
some sort of adware that is opening up new windows to display ads. Does it happen if you reboot?

Does it happen on all games, not just WoW and Tribes? Does the new window go to your default homepage or to a specific one?

 

[zajohnson]

Well, one thing to note is that your default browser switched back to MSIE after removing Chrome, so whatever is triggering your browser to pop up is going through the Windows system and the program defaults. So it is unrelated to Chrome itself - i.e. if you install Firefox now and tell it to be the default, FF would be the one that fires up now.

Check your keyboard drivers for any macros that are running (like if you use a Logitech keyboard).

Alt-Shift-Esc to bring out the Task Manager, check if there's some unknown process running like
some sort of adware that is opening up new windows to display ads. Does it happen if you reboot?

Does it happen on all games, not just WoW and Tribes? Does the new window go to your default homepage or to a specific one?

Hey guys, this is the same person as the author, just logged into a different account.

I ran the task manager, and didn't find anything. Also, the windows only pop up while playing WoW and Tribes, and NOT during other games (ex. League of Legends, Portal 2)
And I do not use any macros, I just have a standard laptop keyboard.

 

[mad825]

Try system restore - before the problem occurred.

 

[zajohnson]

Already did, nothing changed.