WowMovix – a browser-hijacking app which modifies various browser settings

WowMovix is a browser hijacker which is set to change Chrome's settings and redirect its victims to dubious websites, such as WowMovix Start or Search by WowMovix. While its developer is stating that this browser extension is great for entertainment, it seems that it only creates annoying and nerve-wracking PUPs rather than useful services. What is more, it promotes its products using software bundling technique[1], and, because of that, inattentive computer users can end up with this unwanted program without realizing that. According to computer security experts, this virus is a “browser hijacker” which should be avoided without any delay.[2]
| Name | WowMovix |
|---|---|
| Category | Browser hijacker |
| Related to | WowMovix Start, Search by WowMovix |
| Symptoms | Modified browser settings, various redirects, dubious PUP-promoted adverts |
| Distribution | Can spread through bundled freeware and shareware, rogue sites |
| Prevention | Install antivirus protection, avoid dubious sites, do not use secondary installers |
| Elimination | Install FortectIntego for deletion |
The first signs users who have installed one of WowMovix virus options, for example, WowMovix Start or Search by WowMovix will notice are that their browsers started acting suspiciously and keep redirecting them to unknown websites.
If the computer gets infected with one of these programs, the web browser starts loading WowMovix search engine right once the user opens the homepage, the start page or the new tab page. The main aim of such modification is to convince the unsuspecting user into using the new search tool without realizing that it provides slightly modified search results.
We highly recommend you to avoid using this hijacker because it is likely to forge search results for you, replacing organic ones[3] with sponsored ones, which means that such results automatically won't respond to your search queries accurately. We advise performing the WowMovix removal as it does not bring any true value for its users.
The second program you might get infected without realizing is called Search by WowMovix. Once on board, it changes the browser's default search engine without changing the browser's homepage address. This one is harder to notice, and it causes redirects to its own search engine each time the computer user attempts to search for something online by entering a search term into the address bar.

Finally, some users claim that after installing one or both of these programs they soon started to notice numerous ads marked as “brought to you by XXX” or “powered by XXX” appearing on their computer screen. Ads by WowMovix virus are not only annoying, but deceptive as well – keep in mind that some of them can be fake and, once you click on them, can lead you to suspicious web sources[4].
Therefore, almost every app created by this company should be avoided because it is considered to be potentially unwanted. No matter how reliable or useful it looks, the only its purpose is to promote affiliate websites, their products, and services. For that, such apps create and serve misleading advertisements, which conceal deceptive links that link to predetermined affiliate websites.
Despite the fact that the described ads are annoying, they can expose you to insecure web content as well. So before you decide to keep WowMovix Start, Search by WowMovix or WowDownload Search extension on your Chrome browser, consider whether you want to receive misleading content such as fake ads or modified search results.
What is more, once you click on such content, the browser hijacker redirects you to suspicious third-party websites that can be dangerous. If you want to fix your web browser and remove WowMovix virus from it, you should uninstall it with a help of reputable anti-spyware software, for example, FortectIntego.

PUP infiltration can be unnoticed
If you do not remember installing a PUP on your computer, try to remember what other free programs you have recently installed on your PC. You should know that potentially unwanted software usually spreads alongside other free applications[5], and computer users often fail to opt them out as they usually rely on Standard or Default installation options.
So whenever you download a free program to your computer, inspect it – read its Terms of Use and Privacy Policy as well. In the installation wizard, adjust the settings of installation by choosing the Advanced or Custom option. Then look for suggestions to install unknown optional programs (they are usually marked as “recommended downloads,” or similarly). Untick the checkboxes next to such suggestions. Then finish the installation procedure as usual. In case you have installed this parasite already, we recommend you to get rid of it without any hesitation.
Eliminate WowMovix
We have no doubts that this unwanted program has annoyed you to death; luckily, this browser hijacker can be easily terminated. It is not a critical computer program, and if you want to, you can remove it manually. If you do not know how to remove WowMovix virus, please follow the instructions provided below this post.
If you do not want to waste your valuable time studying the removal instructions, you can perform the WowMovix removal automatically. For that, install a good anti-malware program and scan your computer system with it to detect and get rid of the cyber threat and other possible infections. By installing a malware removal tool, you will also secure your computer from similar system hijacks in the future.
After you eliminate WowMovix hijack, make sure that you complete one more step. You need to refresh web browsers that were affected by the potentially unwanted program and check if all dubious content is gone permanently.

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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