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  • Active
  • Severity: High
  • Stealing programs
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Oct 2015

How to remove Websearch.coolfindings.info

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Jake Doevan · Computer technology expert

Information about Websearch.coolfindings.info:

Computer security professionals claim that Websearch.coolfindings.info is a browser hijacker. Besides, it is also assigned to potentially unwanted programs’ (PUPs) group. This browser hijacker, which is known for a sneaky infiltration of the computer, is able to modify your browser’s settings and replace your browser’s startup page to Websearch.coolfindings.info. However, you should NOT trust this search engine because it generates misleading outcomes. It is so because Websearch.coolfindings.info is designed to promote affiliate marketing, and it does not aim to bring accurate search results for the user. It only seeks to increase web traffic to its sponsors websites, so, as a result, it frequently injects hyperlinks to the Websearch.coolfindings.info search results. If you click on such outcome, there is a possibility you may experience Websearch.coolfindings.info redirects to unreliable third-party sites. Some of such sites can be secure, but some can promote infectious files or programs, which can include malicious threats. However, you should know that Websearch.coolfindings.info states that it is not reliable for any harm experienced on its partners websites, so you can download such files on your own risk. Our team highly advises NOT to download any content from the websites that you may be redirected to; instead of installing critical programs, we suggest installing a reliable anti-malware program, for example, FortectIntego. Such program can guarantee your computer safety.

Websearch.coolfindings.info

There are a few more interesting details about this browser hijacker. It is a known fact for our research team that Websearch.coolfindings.info is capable of collecting data about user’s activity on the web. It can track your visited websites, downloads list, bookmarks list. Also, it can store the keywords that you frequently use when searching for something online. We do not know where exactly Websearch.coolfindings.info uses this information, but we highly doubt that you want to share such information with unreliable sources. There’s no need to say that Websearch.coolfindings.info is a useless program; however, if you have already noticed its presence on your computer, proceed to the next paragraph to find out how it could enter your computer without your knowledge.

How could Websearch.coolfindings.info hijack my computer? I do not remember installing it.

Websearch.coolfindings.info is a PUP, and such programs travel together with other free programs in software bundles. Such software bundles are created by the developers of PUPs. Bundling is a creative way to seamlessly spread computer parasites; usually such bundled software pack can be installed with just one installation setup. If you have installed any freeware or shareware recently, there is a chance that you have received several additional apps as well. If you are wondering why you did not notice such apps, we can answer you – because the agreements to install these apps were hidden. Such agreements are commonly hidden behind the safe-looking ”standard” or ”default” installation settings. Please, do not choose these settings; instead, select ”advanced” or ”custom” installation mode. Then you will be able to review the additional components and exclude them.

How can I remove this suspicious browser hijacker?

If you have decided that Websearch.coolfindings.info is not a reliable application, and the search engine mentioned above can be risky to use, you should remove Websearch.coolfindings.info virus without a hesitation. You can do it with a help of the SpyHunter, or you can delete it manually. For that, we have prepared comprehensive guidelines for you. Follow the instructions below this article and permanently eliminate Websearch.coolfindings.info. Then, set your homepage to any website that you like – just make sure that it is safe to use. Also, remember: be more careful when installing any freeware or shareware from the web, because you can accidentally cause harm for your computer.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. 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.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. 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.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. 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:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

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