Perpetual Loop

• Firefox can get confused sometimes. Generally, it has to do with your cookie settings. Some sites use redirects innocently to aid navigation and enhance the all-important user experience. If you've disabled cookies in your Firefox preferences, this can get you stuck in a loop. In the Tools menu under Privacy, check to see if you've checked the box marked “Accept Cookies.” If not, that may be your problem. Accept cookies to see if this fixes your issue. If you're uncomfortable keeping cookies on your computer, check the box marked “Clear History When Firefox Closes.” In the Settings box to the right, you can tell the browser which data you’d like to dump upon closing, including cookies.
  
  

Your ISP

• Firefox allows you to type a search request directly into the address bar. The first thing the browser does is send a request to the domain name system asking if the search term matches an actual website. If it doesn't, the DNS returns a message that no such site exists, and Firefox then initiates a search using Google as the default. Some DNS’s don’t know how to return the error. Firefox then is instead taken to that particular DNS’ search page, which can feel a little bit like you’ve been hijacked. Your DNS is selected by default by your Internet service provider. You can change it to a free DNS service of your choosing in your modem's or router’s setup page.
  
  

Rootkits

• There's a particularly virulent rootkit that infects the Firefox and Internet Explorer Web browsers. It works by redirecting Google search results to a different page, usually a dummy page set up to do nothing more than collect clicks for shady advertisers. These rootkits, identified as belonging to the TDSS or TDL3 family, are deeply penetrating and difficult to eradicate. Your anti-virus software will likely leave pieces of it behind, so it can rebuild itself over and over. Most AV makers build separate removal tools for this type of infection. Contact the makers of your anti-virus software for free removal tools.
  
  

Disreputable Links

• Some redirects are built into the address you're trying to access. For example, you click on a picture you’d like to see, but instead of taking you to the site featuring that picture, you end up somewhere else, usually a place full of advertisements. For this problem, Firefox has come to your rescue. Download the Redirect Remover from the Mozilla Firefox add-ons page. It's not built by Mozilla, but it's tested and offered through Mozilla’s add-on program.