How to remove Id.hao123.com virus

Is Id.hao123.com a reliable search engine?

Id.hao123.com virus is affiliated to notorious Hao123 family of browsers hijackers. Though it is enhanced with links to game websites, social networks, and shopping domains, you might get bothered by continuous forceful redirects to these or alternative domains. Likewise, we recommend initiating Id.hao123.com removal right away. Fortect Intego gets rid of the hijacker for you. You should not delay the elimination since the PUP spies on your browsing habits. It does so by employing cookies, pixels, and other tracking technologies ^[1]. Such behavior might lead to privacy violation. Thus we recommend you to remove Id.hao123.com right away.

The Internet is full of various useful things as well as piles of suspicious content and tools. Every website developer aims to attract as many users by offering something exceptional. Hao123 browser hijackers have already made their trademark recognizable for virus researchers. Besides the eye-catchy design and links to other domains, the hijacker promotes its “benefits” quite intrusively ^[2]. Specifically, due to Id.hao123.com redirect, there is a high risk that you might be misguided to the domains which contain not only minor PUPs but more severe threats, for example, trojans ^[3]. You should not also trust promoted anti-malware tools in this domain. What you can download might truly differ from your expectations. There are a number of rogue anti-spyware tools on the Internet. Users less aware of the subtleties of these programs might easily download programs which fail in detecting serious viruses. Instead, you may install an app which invites malware to your device.

ID-.Hao123 - a well-known browser hijacker

Furthermore, according to the privacy policy provisions, it is unclear what third parties support ID Hao 123. According to privacy policy provisions, occasionally surveys and other pop up in front of your computer screen. If you provide personal details while filling in such surveys, the developers might share your personal data with third parties. Such behavior should not be tolerated if you want to surf safely. In other words, there is a high probability that such data may fall to cyber criminals. You can only image for what purposes such data might be exploited. Since privacy on the Internet is becoming more fragile users should take additional precautions ^[4].

When did this hijacker appear on my computer?

Netizens often install questionable tools on their computers by themselves without being aware of it. In other words, PUPs attach themselves to free applications. If you happen to install image editors or similar tools frequently, you might have overlooked the additional programs. Likewise, you might have enabled Id.hao123.com hijack accidentally by hitting “Install” button. When you plan to install a new tool, select “Custom” rather than “Recommended.” Thence, you will be able to ward off potentially unwanted programs. Unpin all optional programs and only then proceed with the installation guide. Lastly, give a second look to the installation guide before dashing through the instructions.

Id.hao123.com elimination instructions

Luckily, it is not difficult to remove Id.hao123.com virus. You can do it by running an anti-spyware tool. Update it before scanning the computer. In general, check whether all your system applications are regularly updated ^[5]. Outdated apps might make the system more vulnerable to outside threats. In addition, taking a look at these Id.hao123.com removal guidelines is useful as well. Combining these two methods ensures that no elements of the hijacker remain on the PC.

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