MyStartSearch is a browser-hijacking program that inserts ads into your searches

MyStartSearch is an app that is not malicious in itself; its developers have been using really deceptive promotion techniques to attract web traffic and thus to generate revenue. As soon as this browser hijacker enters a computer, it tries to change the homepage and the default search engine into mystartsearch.com.
In addition, it may try to append the argument mystartsearch.com to various Windows shortcuts located on your desktop and your Windows Start Menu. Initially, MyStartSearch might seem a convenient homepage to use, since it features popular links to various websites and social networks.
Nevertheless, after using it for a while you may notice that it tries to direct your web traffic to unknown websites. For this reason, we would not advise you to have it running on your computer. On the contrary, we think that the best way for you to avoid any potential risk is to remove MyStartSearch with a trustworthy anti-malware like FortectIntego.
It typically affects the following browsers (although it is likely to be compatible with all Chromium-based browsers):
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- MS Edge
- Safari, etc.
If you still believe that it's a useful search page, you should know that its search bar employs a customized Google search engine, which means that every time you click on a sponsored link, both the search engine and the traffic-referring website receive revenue. Besides, many users claimed that they found the app on their systems without allowing it to do so:
Out of nowhere, my homepage was changed to mystartsearch.com. I have no clue where this came from, as I did not give permission for this!
There is no guarantee that in the future, you will not be redirected to some potentially harmful website, so we advise you to reduce the risk as soon as possible and rely on reputable search engines.
Always pick “Advanced” or “Custom” installation settings
Usually, users are redirected to mystartsearch.com because of various add-ons, toolbars, and plug-ins installed on their browsers. The said add-ons are usually installed when you download free software from the Internet, which comes in a package with other software you have not been informed about.
This is called bundling, and this how users usually download some software with browser hijackers or some other adware attached to them. Even very popular free software may be bundled with MyStartSearch browser hijacker, for example:
- Java
- Flash Player
- VLC.
This does not mean that developers of these programs are initially bundling browser hijackers with their software. This happens later and is done by third parties. Users usually download them when using download managers, download clients, and installers, which bundle these programs together.
When installing VPlay, you may also agree to change your homepage and default search engine to mystartsearch.com. However, even if you uninstall the app from your computer, you will have to restore your Internet browser settings manually because of Mystartsearch redirects.
In order for you to avoid installation of MyStartSearch hijacker, avoid various download managers, try downloading programs from the official sites only and be attentive during the installation process. For example, select custom or advanced installation options and deselect all of the variants that do not seem familiar to you.
Remove MyStartSearch to go back to normal web browsing
If the MyStartSearch virus has been installed on your computer, after all, there is a quick and simple way for you to remove it once and for all and prevent any damage it could potentially cause. The best results can be guaranteed by a reputable anti-malware that would check, detect, and remove all potentially harmful files from your computer.
Alternatively, you perform a full MyStartSearch removal yourself. If you are not sure how to uninstall programs from Windows or Mac, you can follow the instructions below. Regardless of which elimination option you choose, you should always take your time to clean your browsers property.
Uninstall from Windows
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.

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.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.

Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.

Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.

Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.

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.

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
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)
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.

Remove from Google Chrome
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.

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.

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