MetaSearch: what it is and how to remove it
MetaSearch is a suspicious search engine, which has been linked to browser hijackers and plugins that affect the machine significantly with the intrusive behavior and other PUP symptoms. That's because it works by displaying slightly altered search results and then rerouting its users to predetermined websites.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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MetaSearch: summary
| Distribution | Freeware installers include PUP as addition and skipping through steps allows such programs to get automatically installed on the system |
|---|---|
| Name | MetaSearch |
| Type | Browser hijacker |
| Symptoms | The program appears on the web browser as a new tab, homepage, and default search engine without user interference |
| Danger | Ad-supported sites are related to services that use cookies and other tracking methods, so your data related to browsing habits and preferences is in danger |
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 6 more facts
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
|---|---|
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Search page | quickmetasearch.com |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 23 March 2021 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Is MetaSearch dangerous? What it collects
From our report of Mar 2021 · not reviewed since
MetaSearch is the fake search engine that claims to offer usefulness, so people can get rerouted to ad-supported sites
MetaSearch is a suspicious search engine, which has been linked to browser hijackers and plugins that affect the machine significantly with the intrusive behavior and other PUP symptoms.
That's because it works by displaying slightly altered search results and then rerouting its users to predetermined websites. In most cases, these domains seek to increase the number of their visitors, page ranks, or even sales.
The intruder leads to random sites and fills the list of the search results with commercial material. Each search attempt shows results filled with affiliated, sponsored content that promotes useless software and triggers redirects to more deceptive sites. Such intrusive MetaSearch behavior affects the speed significantly and causes freezes or system crashes
Basically, they are connected to the ad-supported program and various advertisers that make money from these views and clicks on commercial content so PUP developers get paid for the services. The intruder can also trigger the installation of add-ons or browser plugins, so additional downloads affect the persistence of this PUP significantly. To end the intrusive behavior once and for all - go for the automatic system cleaning.
If MetaSearch virus manages to get inside its target PC system, it may not only hijack each of the web browsers, including well-known Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox. It may also try to change your default search engine or the start page without your approval. Once these changes are done, it may start its redirections to quickmetasearch.com, linkshelper.com, and similar domains.
Anything that is not safe online can trigger the download of a serious threat besides the MetaSearch PUP, so make sure to not click on any pop-up or banner. Also, take other typical PUP features into consideration:
You might get exposed to malicious sites, so be very careful with such search engines and other questionable online pages. This is not legitimate and is not providing any improved search results, so get rid of MetaSearch right away.
This potentially unwanted program runs on every Windows startup and can affect more crucial parts of the system, so delete potentially unwanted programs as soon as possible and reset all the settings to default.
If your Internet Explorer's or other web browser's home page or a default search engine has been replaced by metasearch.com, you should check your computer with reputable anti-spyware. Otherwise, you may not only be tricked into visiting questionable websites besides MetaSearch-related sites.
You may also be tricked into downloading other suspicious programs to your computer. Besides, just like any other suspicious search engine, the hijacker may start tracking your browsing sessions and may collect information about search queries, mostly visited websites, data that you enter on each of them, and similar details.
In addition, it may also copy your PC's IP address, location, etc. Make sure to remove MetaSearch as soon as you can to avoid virus damage.
If a hijacker gets on the system, it may initiate such changes as the registry's modification, installation of its files, etc. Once these changes are done, you may start suffering from constant redirections to various domains, including quickmetasearch.com or linkshelper.com. So rely on cleaners like that may fix such system damage after MetaSearch removal.
- showing affiliated content in the form of pop-ups, banners; and blinking boxes;
- injecting advertisements on commonly visited pages;
- changing settings of the browser;
- adding other programs to affect the speed more.
From our report of Mar 2021 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on MetaSearch
- MetaSearch removal can take time if you choose to delete every file associated with the PUP, so get an anti-malware tool and ru a full system scan that can clean the machine from all the malicious files completely
- Since intruders run in the Windows registry, some files get affected or corrupted.
- Such virus damage can cause problems with the device.
- can check important parts of the registry and repair the issues
How MetaSearch got into your browser
From our report of Mar 2021 · not reviewed since
PUPs don't spread like malware because it is not a virus.
It is just a potentially unwanted program that may be installed either manually or in a bundle with other programs. In most cases, you cannot even notice or know that you downloaded a threat when you believe the promoted features or skip through important steps.
For avoiding this, you should be very careful when installing freeware on your computer. Experts highly recommend selecting the Custom or Advanced installation method that allows seeing what components like browser add-ons, extensions, plugins, toolbars are hiding inside. For getting the ability to opt-out of them you should select Custom or Advanced installation of the freeware and then uncheck all unfamiliar applications from the list.
Visiting any deceptive sites, using such fake search engines exposes you to material that is possibly dangerous, so it is better to avoid anything suspicious or dangerous in the first place. Getting freeware from official sources, developers and online application stores can ensure that bundling is not occurring and PUPs are not included in the installer.
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
quickmetasearch.com
How to remove MetaSearch
How to remove MetaSearch and get your search engine back
Remove the extension first.
The search settings only stay fixed once nothing on the PC can change them again.
Step 1: Remove extensions you did not add
In Chrome open
chrome://extensions, in Edgeedge://extensions, and in Firefox the menu > Extensions and themes.Remove every extension you do not remember adding, especially search, new tab, coupon, PDF, weather or video downloader add-ons. Check every browser and every profile, because each keeps its own list.
If an extension has no Remove button or comes back, a browser policy holds it (see "Managed by your organization" in the procedure below). The pages are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Chrome on Windows 11: More > Extensions > Manage extensions. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Step 2: Put the search engine back and delete quickmetasearch.com
In Chrome open Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search, make an engine you trust the default, and delete
quickmetasearch.comfrom the list.In Edge type
search engineinto the search box at the top of Settings and open Manage search engines; in Firefox use Settings > Search. Then check the homepage and the new tab page in the same settings, because hijackers change all three.If quickmetasearch.com is back after a restart, an extension, a program or a policy still sets it, so finish the other steps and check again. The settings are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Chrome on Windows 11: check Search engine and On startup. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 3: Uninstall programs you did not mean to install
MetaSearch rarely comes alone: it is usually installed by, or together with, a free program. In Windows 11 open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, in Windows 10 Settings > Apps > Apps & features, and sort by install date.
Uninstall every entry from the day the trouble began that you did not install on purpose, for example a download manager, a converter or a browser you never chose.
Keep drivers and entries from Microsoft, Intel, AMD, NVIDIA or your PC's maker unless you are sure.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix
Step 4: Reset the browser
A reset removes what the steps above could miss:
- changed start pages
- site permissions
- hidden settings
In Chrome open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults; in Edge Settings > Reset settings; in Firefox Help > More troubleshooting information > Refresh Firefox.
Tip: Bookmarks and saved passwords stay, while extensions are turned off and the search engine and start page return to the defaults.
Reset every browser on the PC, including Edge, which Windows 11 and Windows 10 always have.
Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Reset settings. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 5: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
A scan finds the parts of MetaSearch that the manual steps cannot see. In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, start a Full scan and quarantine what it reports.
Follow it with Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) > Scan now, which restarts the PC and checks the disk while Windows and the malware are not running.
It takes about 15 minutes and works the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10. If either scan finds something, run the full scan again after removal until it comes back clean.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Uninstall from Windows
Get rid of MetaSearch fully cleaning the system
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.
Remove from Google Chrome
Remove any suspicious content that MetaSearch may installed behind your back
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.
Reset Google Chrome:
If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Reset the browser to alter that unwanted changes back to normal
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.
Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.
Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.
Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).
Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.
- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online.
One of the basic means to add a layer of security - choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features.
However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful VPN - it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable.
Family photos, work documents, school projects - these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur:
- power cuts
- Blue Screen of Death errors
- hardware failures
- crypto-malware attack
- even accidental deletion
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
From our report of Mar 2021 · not reviewed since
Get rid of the annoying MetaSearch fake engine and PUP symptoms
Fortunately, in order to remove MetaSearch or any other potentially unwanted program/ browser-based threat from your computer, you don't have to be a genius.
You can do that either with the help of a reputable anti-spyware or with the help of this step-by-step guide that is given below.
According to security experts, you should opt for scanning your computer with reputable anti-malware because it will help you to make sure that all suspicious programs, including adware, browser hijackers, browser add-ons, and viruses, are gone. Such a full system scan can do that for you during automatic MetaSearch removal.
Questions about MetaSearch
Why does my search engine keep changing to quickmetasearch.com?
Because something keeps setting it. An extension can change the search engine every time the browser starts, and an ad-supported program in Windows can do it for every browser and re-add the extension after you remove it. Some hijackers also add a policy that locks the setting.
Changing the search engine back only works once the source is gone. Remove extensions you do not recognise, uninstall programs installed around the time quickmetasearch.com first appeared, and then set the search engine again. If it still returns, check the browser for the Managed by your organization message and follow the policy steps in this guide.
Did quickmetasearch.com come with a program I installed?
Most likely, yes. Search hijackers such as quickmetasearch.com usually arrive with free software, where an extra offer is pre-ticked in the installer, or as an extension that promises something useful, such as file conversion, maps, recipes or streaming.
Look at Settings, Apps, Installed apps sorted by install date: whatever was installed just before the search engine changed is the main suspect. Uninstall it, then remove any extension you do not recognise. In future, choose the custom or advanced option in installers and untick extra offers, and install extensions only from the official store pages of publishers you know.
What is quickmetasearch.com?
It is the search page used by the browser hijacker MetaSearch. It has no search index of its own: it forwards your queries to another search engine and adds ads and tracking along the way.
People rarely choose it on purpose; it becomes the default search engine, home page or new tab after an extension, program or policy changes the browser settings. The page itself is not malware, but it should not be in your browser if you did not set it. The steps above remove the source and restore your settings.
Is quickmetasearch.com dangerous?
It is not designed to infect the PC, but it is not neutral either. It logs searches, adds sponsored results that are hard to tell apart from real ones, and its ad partners are not checked as strictly as those of major search engines.
Some hijacker pages have shown ads for fake updates, tech support scams and unwanted software. The main harm is to privacy. Remove MetaSearch, and if you entered personal data on sites reached through its results, check those sites carefully.
Do I have to fix every browser?
Yes, every one where the search engine or start page changed. In the cases we checked, MetaSearch affected Chrome, Edge and Firefox.
Each browser stores its own search settings and extensions, so fixing one does not fix the others, and Windows-level changes such as shortcuts can affect each browser differently. Work through them one at a time:
- remove the extension
- check the policies
- restore the search engine
- start page
If you sync a browser, stay signed in so the fix spreads to your other computers.
Did quickmetasearch.com record my searches?
Almost certainly. Logging is the point of a hijacker search page: each query, with your IP address, browser details and the result you clicked, is valuable to advertisers.
The operators of quickmetasearch.com can store and share that data under their own privacy policy, which you never agreed to knowingly. There is no way to delete it from their side. What you can do is stop the flow:
- remove MetaSearch
- clear cookies and site data for quickmetasearch.com
- treat sensitive searches made in the meantime as known to a third party
What do I lose if I reset Chrome or Edge?
Less than you might think. A reset turns off all extensions, which you can turn back on one by one, restores the default search engine, home page, new tab and pinned tabs, and clears cookies, so you are signed out of most sites.
Bookmarks, history, saved passwords and autofill data stay. Firefox's equivalent, Refresh Firefox, keeps the same essentials but removes add-ons completely. Before you reset, make sure you know your main passwords or have them saved, since you will need to sign in again.
Why can't I change my search engine back?
Because something keeps setting it. If an extension controls the search engine, Chrome and Edge show a note that an extension is controlling this setting, and your change is reverted. If a policy controls it, the field is greyed out and the browser shows Managed by your organization.
Remove the extension first, then the policies, and only then change the search engine; the change will stay. If it still reverts, look for a program in Installed apps or a scheduled task that reinstalls the extension.
Can I just block quickmetasearch.com?
You can, but it treats the symptom. Blocking the domain in a firewall or the hosts file makes searches fail instead of redirecting, while the extension or program that set it keeps running and collecting data.
Hijacker operators also switch to new domains in updates, so a block may stop working within weeks. Remove the source instead, then set your own search engine. If you want extra protection afterwards, turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking in Windows Security, which stops many hijacker installers before they run.
Will Fortect remove MetaSearch?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For MetaSearch, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Potentially unwanted program (read October 6, 2026)
- Lesvirus: Lesvirus (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 6, 2026)