Web browser keeps opening to msn by itself randomly

In the case of wifi, this can be fixed by simply disconnecting from the wireless network that has the captive portal. I'd also recommend unchecking the automatically connect option for any wifi network that has a captive portal, otherwise you'll be plagued by this.

Changing the registry setting is more of a nuclear option, so I recommend against using it unless you don't know what interface windows thinks has a captive portal. What you can try is disabling each network interface one at a time (including software interfaces, like tunnel or VPN interfaces.) Open the change network adapter settings applet (right-click the network icon in your systray, click view network connections, click change adapter settings) then try disabling those one at a time by right-clicking on the adapter icon and clicking disable.

Sure it is a 'nuclear' option but maybe that's what you want for a s**t feature like this. I don't have auto connect enabled, but manually disconnecting WiFi feels like dialing in and out on a 56k modem back in the days, nobody does that when you just leave work/airport and shut your computer - typically a notebook - down and leave the place.

On the other hand: Might be a loss of comfort for inexperienced user on airports,  but typically you would open a browser, hit your start page and get redirected in 99% of the cases where you connect to such networks anyways, so I don't see any downside of muting the behavior down via registry.

It's highly intrusive and the fact that even Microsoft support gets fooled by it tells me this is just bad design.

There are some simple and easy solution around which we are overlooking. You see now-a-days we all have multimedia keyboards which contains different key-binding to different programs. Some keys are set to open your default browser some are assigned to volume and some are assigned to open your emails. So at the very beginning we need to check the behavior by removing the multimedia keyboard from computer even the multifunctional Mouse. The cause may arrive from there only. In my case it happened. I removed my keyboard and attached another keyboard and the problem was immediately gone. I took the keyboard and installed at my Father's system to check if the same problem happens to my Father's system, and believe me that problem replicated itself there in my Father's computer.  So I am confirmed that the issue was causing for a faultier keyboard.

So try to do the same as I did. Check if the problem remain same or not.

Thanks

LASMOND

There are some simple and easy solution around which we are overlooking. You see now-a-days we all have multimedia keyboards which contains different key-binding to different programs. Some keys are set to open your default browser some are assigned to volume and some are assigned to open your emails. So at the very beginning we need to check the behavior by removing the multimedia keyboard from computer even the multifunctional Mouse. The cause may arrive from there only. In my case it happened. I removed my keyboard and attached another keyboard and the problem was immediately gone. I took the keyboard and installed at my Father's system to check if the same problem happens to my Father's system, and believe me that problem replicated itself there in my Father's computer.  So I am confirmed that the issue was causing for a faultier keyboard.

So try to do the same as I did. Check if the problem remain same or not.

Thanks

LASMOND

Interesting.

What would you suggest to test with a laptop? 

This behavior occurs with 3 different setups for me: Laptop, Normal computer (old ibm keyboard, it doesn't even have windows key!) and a very new expansive computer with a very new keyboard with leds .

Only common thing between them is Windows 10.

This solution doesn't suite the problem.

I use Chrome and mine is doing the same thing. It has nothing to do with my homepage.  I can leave the browser open all night and a couple times a week I wake up, and find a new tab open to MSN.  I have no add-ons, etc., I have run all virus and malware scanners.