Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

User profile for user: christena181
christena181 Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Safari goes to wrong website typed in URL

I have searched all over the internet for some information on the problem I'm having with Safari. It started when I downloaded Safari 5 (I'm running OSX 10.6.4). Sometimes when I type an address into my URL window or click an often used website from my home page "graph" Safari goes to a completely different website. For instance, I was trying to check the weather and clicked on the weather.com page on my "graph" and Safari went to Mapquest. So, I typed in weather.com into the url window and it still went to Mapquest. So, I opened up Firefox and checked the weather. On occasion, Firefox will pull the same trick as Safari after Safari has sent me to a wrong URL - sometimes it won't.

This past weekend, I was trying to go to Twitter and typed www.twitter.com in the URL window and Safari went to some AOL Realty site (that I have never been to) and even after the page loaded, it clearly said twitter.com on the URL window. Another time this weekend, again trying to go to Twitter and typing it in the URL window, Safari went to Chrysler's website (again twitter.com was what the URL window said after the page got done loading).

What the heck is up with this????? Safari was slow to load and getting 404 errors when I first updated it to 5, so I've done all of the cache and cooking clearing, reset Safari, reset permissions, etc.

Again, I use Safari as my default browser, so when this happens I will open Firefox and sometimes it will do the same thing that Safari is doing and sometimes it won't. So, not sure if it's a browser specific problem or an OSX problem. My Macbook Pro is about 6 months old and I don't visit sites that are spam or hack type sites at all.

I use my Macbook Pro both at home and at work, so it happens with both my home and work wireless routers.

Help!

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on Jul 7, 2010 3:27 PM

Reply
21 replies
User profile for user: Carolyn Samit
Carolyn Samit
User level: Level 10
165,615 points

Jul 7, 2010 3:33 PM in response to christena181

HI,

You aren't alone. One thing you can do is provide feedback here.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/safari.html

Safari was slow to load and getting 404 errors when I first updated it to 5


Safari users find using OpenDNS Free / Basic beneficial to avoid redirects.



Avoid url's autocompletion: The url's you see when you start typing a web page address are collected from your History and Bookmarks. One way to avoid that is to turn on Private Browsing from the Safari Menu Bar, Safari/Private Browsing. In private browsing, Safari won't remember the pages
you visit, your search history, or your autofill information.







Carolyn 🙂
Reply
User profile for user: Flunky Carter
Flunky Carter
User level: Level 1
0 points

Jul 26, 2010 3:15 PM in response to christena181

I have this EXACT same problem.

Every once in a while, I'll type facebook.com and although facebook.com is what shows up in the address bar, it's actually loading google.com… because I get one of those google 404 error pages. Nothing works, restarting safari, restarting the airport… The only immediate fix that I've found is to flush the cache using "sudo dscacheutil -flushcache" in the terminal. Even then the problem resurfaces all to soon.
Reply
User profile for user: jsw15
jsw15
User level: Level 1
0 points

Sep 14, 2010 7:43 AM in response to christena181

My Macbook does exactly the same thing - when I type in an address on Safari it will sometimes out of the blue take me to a completely different site - one that I have never been to. It happens a lot and is very frustrating, especially when I need to get something done. I have no idea why it does it and how to fix it - eventually the problem goes away on it's own but as I said it's very frustrating and inconvenient! I'm also very new to Apple so if anyone has any easily digestible advice I would be very grateful!
Reply
User profile for user: Mel Magree
Mel Magree
User level: Level 1
42 points

Oct 7, 2010 1:54 PM in response to christena181

I too have this wrong destination in both Safari and Firefox. I updated my website with a link to my blog; I clicked on the link and was taken to the New York Times Company. I forget whether I was using Safari or Firefox. I switched to the other and typed in the URL of my blog and was again taken to New York Times Company. This also happened a few days ago but I think it cleared up.

To check if the problem was at our ISP, I tried it on my wife's computer and went right to my blog.

The OpenDNS may be a solution, but I really don't want to bother with one more piece of software. I would like the existing software to work properly in the first place.

Whatever happened to the "Computer for the Rest of Us". At least Macs don't crash several times a day like the mainframes I worked on a hundred years ago:)

- Mel
Reply
User profile for user: Mel Magree
Mel Magree
User level: Level 1
42 points

Oct 7, 2010 2:27 PM in response to christena181

Carolyn Samit gave this suggestion at http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12299282&#12299282

"From your Safari menu bar click Safari / Preferences then select the Security tab. Click: Show Cookies. Delete all cookies or delete the cookies associated the sites you have problems accessing.

"Quit Safari.

"And, open a Finder window. Select your Home folder in the Sidebar on the left. Now open the Library folder then the Caches folder then the com.apple.Safari folder. Move the cache.db file from the com.apple.Safari folder to the Trash.

"Relaunch Safari.

Bingo! It worked!

But what about the poor user who gets flummoxed by this kind of workaround! It's big enough nuisance for those of us who have some deeper experience.

BTW, something similar also works for Firefox. I deleted the files from Library->Caches->Firefox->Profiles
Reply
User profile for user: andyBall_uk
andyBall_uk
User level: Level 7
20,516 points

Oct 7, 2010 2:56 PM in response to Mel Magree

But what about the poor user who gets flummoxed by this kind of workaround! It's big enough nuisance for those of us who have some deeper experience.


Hi Mel

Often, using Safari-Reset Safari... with just cache & cookies checked will suffice, although the 'remove all cookies' option does just what it says, rather than the selective way you followed.
Reply
User profile for user: Mel Magree
Mel Magree
User level: Level 1
42 points

Oct 7, 2010 5:04 PM in response to andyBall_uk

Hi, Andy,

Being the compulsive programmer I always was, I just jump from one idea to the other and don't keep good notes. A good way to do the wrong thing over and over:)

However, I do think I cleared cookies and Safari still went off to the wrong site.

Whatever, between Carolyn and your suggestions, I hope more people spend less time with this problem.

- Mel
Reply
User profile for user: hoffmajd
hoffmajd
User level: Level 1
4 points

Feb 7, 2011 8:58 PM in response to christena181

i have the same problem. It is infuriating and it is recurring, i've gotten rid of it a few times but i never remember how i did it. Sometimes a simple reboot suffices. Either way I am a long time and loyal mac user, for over 15 years, and this is really starting to get on my nerves. They need to fix this bug immediately. It's be going on for long enough. If anyone has a good suggestion on how to fix this please pass it along
Reply
User profile for user: turtleman
turtleman
User level: Level 1
0 points

Apr 11, 2011 1:17 PM in response to hoffmajd

OK, this is now happening to me. Yesterday (4/10/11) my bookmark for foxnews.com started going to the New York Times site. I tried typing the url by hand and even did a google search for foxnews.com and clicked on that link. Same result. I read this thread and did everything suggested (cleared cache, cleared history, deleted cookies for nyt and foxnews, trashed the cache db, restarted Safari, restarted my computer and it is still doing it.

I'm using an iMacG4, running OS 10.4.3, Safari 5.0.4.

I don't really want to try OpenDNS, beacuse I'm not really computer savvy enought to understand what that will do.

This is really frustrating.

Any other suggestions?
Reply
User profile for user: MarikoApple
MarikoApple
User level: Level 1
0 points

May 19, 2011 8:57 AM in response to christena181

Anyone could fix this problem?


I have exsact same problem too.

This problem happened me on my iMac and Macbook (10.5.8) at both Safari, Firefox. I am running Windows XP with Parallels and same problem happened on IE on Windows.


I tried everything on this discussion. I have tried clean install OS without using Migration Assistant so Safari and all other setting became brand new. However this problem is continuing.


My problem happens different website and time randomly. One day, one website goes to different website or stopped at google search screen (without choosing google). Then it goes correct website on next day or so.


My ISP is Verizon.


When I bring my Macbook to trip and using at hotel. I did not have this problem. However it is hard to judge if this is ISP or Internet connection setting relation. Because I was just using internet browser only short time.

Reply

Safari goes to wrong website typed in URL

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.
Learn more Sign up