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Toolbars&Hijackers

Articles about removing unwanted and malicious toolbar and hijackers and resetting your browser settings. Instructions for Chrome, Firefox, IE, Safari, Opera.

How to remove Filmatory

This guide will help you remove Filmatory - an unwanted browser extension, often installed without the consent of users. As claimed by its developers, the extension is designed to deliver better film-related information. Unfortunately, when software investigators ran a thorough analysis, it turned out that Filmatory has capabilities of adware. Adware is a type of software used to generate intrusive advertisements of various kinds. These ads may lead to websites containing potentially dangerous content (e.g. online casinos, fake program installer pages, pornography websites, and so forth) that may put users' devices under security risks. The unwanted extension may also be able to access browser-related data like passwords, IP-addresses, or geolocation and use it for further monetization without users' permission. All of these functionalities mentioned have the potential to supply users with extensive security risks, allowing an easier pathway for other infections. It is worth mentioning that extensions like Filmatory may sometimes be stubborn enough to prevent users from their deletion using traditional methods. We thus recommend you to use our tutorial for deleting Filmatory fast and trace-free.

How to remove VLC Addon ads

VLC Addon tries to exploit users' familiarity with the legitimate VLC Media Player. In fact, it is fake and has nothing to do with the original program. Upon successful installation into a browser, the rogue extension triggers excessive generation of intrusive and suspicious ads across various pages. Since VLC Addon has access to essential browser features, it may also be able to surveil personal data (e.g. passwords, IP-addresses, geolocations, etc.) and collect it for monetary incentives. Having such an unwanted add-on installed might bear potential privacy and security risks causing malware proliferations, for instance. It is thus important to make everything sure no such activity continues its functioning inside the system. Follow our guide below to perform complete removal and leave no traces behind it.

How to remove Custom Search Bar (customsearchbar.me)

Custom Search Bar is most often a browser extension that promotes unwanted features without the consent of users. It changes the default homepage URL-address to customsearchbar.me and redirects users through one of the most popular search engines, such as Yahoo.com. Software with this post-installation behavior falls under the category of browser hijackers. It brings no real value to users, at least due to the lack of authentic features. As said, instead of generating its own results, customsearchbar.me will redirect users to Yahoo.com or other legitimate search engines. Browser hijackers tend to exploit the usage of popular search platforms to generate fake traffic and earn additional revenues. Due to the fact that Custom Search Bar is given reading permissions, it may also be able to capture what users enter while visiting various websites (e.g. passwords, IP-addresses, geolocations, log-in credentials, etc.). In addition to this, it is worth mentioning that some browser hijackers have adware features as well. This means the generation of unwanted and suspicious ads that appear in random places across different websites. Note that Custom Search Bar is quite a generic name that can be used by other browser hijackers as well. If you became a victim of Custom Search Bar or anything similar, we recommend you follow our guide below to stop it from working. Many users struggle to do it on their own, as such extensions are often backed by additional changes in system settings disallowing their traditional removal.

How to remove Pulpysearch.com

Pulpysearch.com is part of a browser hijacker which alters the browser's homepage, new tab, and search properties as well. An unwanted program facilitating such changes can be installed on users' PCs in the form of a desktop application or browser add-on. Whatever it is, Pulpysearch.com will persistently downgrade the browsing experience - victims reported it is capable of redirecting users to dubious websites, displaying an increased number of ads and other compromised content. The main purpose of it is obviously to trick users into clicking on ads and interacting with other potentially unwanted content (e.g., online casinos, adult pages, unreliable download pages, etc.). Successful visits bring hijacker developers monetary gains through sponsors providing such content. It is also worth noting that software allowing Pulpysearch.com to work in your browser may also be able to trace your activity and gather various data like passwords, IP-addresses, geolocations, and so forth. Browser hijackers can target the most popular browsers such as Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and even Safari on Mac. We strongly advise you to remove Pulpysearch.com from your browser and prevent the above-mentioned threats. Feel free to follow our guide below to do so.

How to remove Ursearch.net

Ursearch.net is a fake search engine address, which can be displayed in browsers due to a hijacker infection. Browser hijackers are a type of unwanted software designed to replace default browser settings with fake search engines and suspicious advertising algorithms. Such changes are thereby used to cause unauthorized redirects and generate illegal traffic on entered queries. The main reason why Ursearch.net is considered fake and therefore unable to bring any unique value to users comes from its reliance on legitimate search engines like Google or Yahoo to generate results. Browser hijackers and other similar software like adware may also be able to keep track of sensitive information entered in browsers (e.g. passwords, IP-addresses, geolocations, history, cookies, etc.) and use it for future monetization abuse. It is also worth mentioning that domains like Ursearch.net do not work without support - this is why they are usually backed by extensions or small desktop applications running as a background process in Task Manager. If you are also one of the Ursearch.net victims, follow the guidelines below to remove it and restore your safety.

How to remove InfoMajorSearch (Mac)

InfoMajorSearch is an unwanted adware application designed to inject potentially dangerous advertising content into browsers working on macOS. Cyber experts suppose it is part of the AdLoad malware family which has developed a number of similar infections. Ads and banners promoted by InfoMajorSearch can use virtual layers to appear on any website a user is going to visit. Clicking on them may lead to unwanted or even compromised resources - fake download pages, phishing and scam websites, social engineering techniques, and other potentially infectious channels. Users infected with adware may also become victims of slower browser and computer performance. This is because such software is likely to work in the background consuming extra system resources to maintain its features. Moreover, unwanted software may be able to track information used in a browser. Entered passwords, IP-addresses, geolocations, and other sensitive information may be gathered and used for financial abuse. If you are struggling to delete InfoMajorSearch from Mac on your own, this guide will be the right place to visit. Below, you will find all removal instructions as well as how InfoMajorSearch could end up on your system.

How to remove Properties extension (Mac)

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A questionable Google Chrome extension called Properties has been reported by victims to generate intrusive pop-up ads and redirect queries through search engines different from default settings. The unwanted add-on is compatible with Mac and was spotted infecting this system specifically. It redirects queries entered into the search line by users to Bing.com. Although it is a legitimate search engine developed by Microsoft, cybercriminals behind the Properties extension supposedly use it to generate illegal traffic and earn money on it. Properties has traits of both adware and browser hijackers - this is indicated by the abilities to display additional ads and search manipulations we discussed above. Users infected with it usually do not remember installing it themselves meaning it was likely carried by some other infection or misclicks on dubious websites. To make sure it is no longer active and does not present any potential threats like data collection, we recommend you remove it using our instructions below.

How to remove Star-search.xyz

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If you see that Star-search.xyz has replaced your homepage and become your default search engine, then you are likely to be infected with unwanted software categorized as a browser hijacker. Star-search.xyz is fake and it will be displayed each time you log into your browser as long as there is an unwanted program running within the system. It, therefore, redirects queries of users through another dubious domain to legitimate engines like bing.com, ask.com, or search.yahoo.com. This is done to generate illegal traffic and earn money on it. In addition, browser hijackers may also be able to show supplementary ads while viewing different pages as well as gather information on them. Data like passwords, IP-addresses, browser history, or geolocations may be collected and misused for further financial purposes. Also worth noting that browser hijackers may spread to both Windows and Mac operating systems to cover more victims in total. Read our guide below to get rid of such threats on both operating systems and restore your safety eventually.