The past week or so, my Google searches have come back in Japanese, in French, and in Spanish. Counting the usual in English, Google appears to think that I read four languages. I am honored. However--.

Flyertalk is not quite so optimistic as Google, but even the FT site (or rather the FT ad-server) appears to assume that I read at least French and English. At least I'm getting one ad in French on the FT screen at the moment, though most FT ads are, mercifully or no, still in English.

I've checked for adware. I've tried to download a virus checking program but can't install it on Vista. I would be surprised if a virus could install anyway, considering I have to work-around every time I want to add a program, myself. (Vista doesn't believe I have Admin rights.) I also did a System Restore, which removed the latest IE updates, but which had no effect on the Google/language problem.

The language problem appears every time I reboot. I.e., I can input preferences in Google after I have gotten a screen in other than English, and it appears to keep my preferences for that session, but that's all.

The address bar appears to redirect, i.e., ".com" becomes "ja."--something.
I didn't write down the endings,* but essentially the problem appears to be a redirect.

*ETA: Update: Finally wrote down the redirect endings. The ".com" today, Feb. 22, is changing to " .co.jp/ ."


Any ideas on why this is happening?

I suppose I ought to say, "Google, I am honored that you think I read so many languages." However--

Check the accepted languages of your browser. Go to Tools, then Internet Options. On the bottom of the General tab is a button for Languages. You can tell your browser to accept as many languages as you like. Or you can restrict it just to English.

Thanks. I checked, per your instructions, Tools/Internet Options/General/Languages, and it does say English, no other language appears.

Mystery thickens. . . .

I don't know the origin of your problem, but for me, Google kept switching to French because of my location. I switched it (my home page is Google) to http://www.google.com/webhp and now it always comes up in English.

Google will check your IP address and send you to the version for the country that it thinks you are in.

Google doesn't seem to realise that people don't necessarily want the local version for the country that they happen to be in.

Also, Google doesn't always get it right... I remember being redirected to google.de once when using a T-mobile hotspot in the UK. (T-mobile is a German company)

I find that Google will redirect me only if I type in www.google.com - but not if I type in www.google.co.uk

IP address is local. It always shows up identifying my correct location. (I know from various ads relating to car insurance rates in the area, etc.)

Location south of the Mason-Dixon. If Google wanted to match my location, Google would have to say "y'all" instead of "vous."

Home page is "about.blank." Which term might be appropriate, considering my understanding of this issue.

Update: Google has just now switched to Japanese. Earlier today it was French. Yesterday it was Spanish every time I rebooted.

FT ad that was in French has disappeared, all FT ads in English now.

Do you do searches for things French or Japanese? I had that problem on the laptop that I used to take on trips to France- got Google and Microsoft.com searches in French (very annoying when looking for tech support articles), but I finally convinced it to take me where I wanted (I THINK, but am not quite sure, by saving multiple bookmarks for google.fr, google.us, google.uk, etc.).

In fact, the only company that I cannot convince I live in the US is Delta, which persists in sending my statements (on any computer) in French.

Sometimes software just seems to go bonkers.

No, not any. Recent searches have been re genealogy, Southern states at that, and early American history.

ETA: Also, I have IE browser set to delete cookies and temporary internet files each time I close the browser. I also check from time to time to make sure cookies are gone.

You could try installing Firefox or Chrome (or both... ) and see if the problem persists.

Thanks, sensible suggestion. Don't know why that hadn't occurred to me. @:-)

However, I've just now opened Chrome and used it to access Google.

All in Japanese. Still.

I'm beginning to wonder if the redirect is indeed caused by a virus. I'm going to try to download a checking program today (sigh), provided that I can get one to download, and we'll see how that goes.

ETA: I was able successfully to download Avast. Never could get another program (AVG) to download, but this one worked. I did the thorough scan option. The results: no virus detected.

I think also that google may be autoselecting the language to be used through the IP address (although why the IP address should change I don't know).

The priorityclub homepage (www.priorityclub.com) also changes language according to IP address. Can you try it out and see if the language matches that of google? If so, then the IP address may be the cause; if the language is different then more sleuthing is needed.

Thanks. Good idea. ^

I clicked on the priorityclub site. It is in English.

Also, Yahoo is in English, and CNN, Reuters, etc., are in English

In addition, finance.google* is in English. I think it and news. google.com never changed from English but not absolutely sure. I have found that when I get to google.com from finance.google.com, and clicking web option at the top of the screen, that google.com then appears in English. But when I close the browser and go back and type in google.com without going through .finance.google.com or news.google.com, then google.com is back to Japanese (today--who knows what tomorrow?)

* add the "www." of course, for all.

FT is in English with the exception of one ad which was in French the other day.

BTW, Google, i.e., the "main" Google, for website searches, as accessed directly and not through the finance or news options, is still in Japanese as I write this. I can click on the English option, so the issue is not inconveniencing, just a puzzle. I reviewed Google preference options once again today in case they addressed the issue somewhere, but they didn't. The list indicated that I could set a cookie for English (well, thanks, Google ), but since (1) I don't keep cookies for any site, and (2) there was no mention on the Google menu for unwanted redirects, the Google options list didn't help.

Tip for traveling abroad: google.com/ncr clears the country redirect cookie and gives you the American version of Google.

I have just tried that. I know you meant it only for people traveling abroad, but I hoped it might work for me.

When I typed in the "/ncr" at the ending of the web address, Google did come up in English. Ha ha! I thought. This is easy!

So I closed the browser and retested. Didn't log off, mind you, didn't turn the computer off and restart it, just closed the browser, reopened it the next second and typed the regular Google address ending with ".com" .

Redirected to ".co.jp" whatever. IOW, to Japanese.

I've checked IE/Tools/Internet Options/Advanced/"Warn if Post submittal is redirected" (not that that would be relevant), and it is checked. Don't know why the ".com" is redone to other country suffix.