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  • Active
  • Severity: High
  • Stealing programs
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Sep 2017

How to remove Search.futuremediatabsearch.com virus

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

Alice Woods · Likes to teach users about virus prevention

Search.futuremediatabsearch.com is a suspicious search tool that should be eliminated from the browser

Image of Search.futuremediatabsearch.com virus

Search.futuremediatabsearch.com is a dubious search engine created by Imali Media that works as a browser hijacker. It spreads with FutureMediaTab extension and after installation hijacks the affected web browser.

On the targeted device this potentially unwanted application [1] might:

  • alter Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and other browser’s settings;
  • set Search.futuremediatabsearch.com as default search engine and homepage address;
  • modify Windows Registry;
  • alter shortcuts on the Start menu and desktop to prevent people from removing this shady domain.

The hijacker might enter the system silently and make these changes without asking user’s permission. However, when victims launch their web browsers after the hijack, they notice a simple design search engine full of supposedly useful functions and links to the popular websites.

At the bottom of the page, there’s a toolbar full of links to various movie, sports, news, shopping, gaming and other sites. Below the search users can find several shortcuts to the popular social media and other websites. These are probably the main and only advantages of this search engine.

The primary function of Search.futuremediatabsearch.com to deliver relevant and safe search results is questionable and shady. After typing necessary keywords into the search bar and clicking “search” button, you are redirected to Plus! Network results page. For IT specialists this search provider is known as another unreliable browser hijacker which can alter search results.

Poor search service is the main reason why you should remove Search.futuremediatabsearch.com from your browser. However, there’s another reason that should motivate you to get rid of the hijacker as soon as possible. It’s related to suspicious redirect tendencies.

Some of the links included in the search results may lead to the potentially dangerous websites[2]. Malware developers and scammers often use the services of the browser hijackers’ to promote their suspicious sites or deliver malware-laden ads[3].

We do not say that all results provided by this engine are hazardous; however, we want to warn that so-called Search.futuremediatabsearch.com virus increases the risk to encounter ransomware, Trojan or get involved in an online scam[4].

Nowadays the Internet is full of cyber threats, and you can easily get trapped by the horrible people. There’s no need to have an additional application that helps to browse through unsafe content. Hence, after hijack scan your PC with FortectIntego or other reputable anti-malware programs, which can successfully perform Search.futuremediatabsearch.com removal.

Illustration of Search.futuremediatabsearch.com virus

Potentially unwanted program enters the system in the software bundle

Nevertheless, the appearance of a new search engine might look like a surprise; it’s a result of incorrect software installation. Authors of PUP use bundling technique that allows attaching this extension as an optional component in the software downloads and users can unintentionally install it[5].

The Search.futuremediatabsearch.com hijack might occur when users download freeware or shareware under Quick or Recommended settings. We recommend keeping away from these settings because they rarely notify about additional third-party software.

In order to protect your PC from undesired apps traveling in software bundles, you should:

  • install new software under Advanced or Custom mode;
  • monitor the process carefully;
  • look for the checkbox of additional apps;
  • deselect them and reject their installation.

The hijacker has been noticed spreading in United States, United Kingdom[6] and other countries with FutureMediaTab extension powered by Stepitapp. Thus, be careful once you see this application offered to download.

Terminate Search.futuremediatabsearch.com virus from the most popular web browsers

First of all, you have to find and remove Search.futuremediatabsearch.com from the computer and only then fix your web browsers. The hijacker might be hiding somewhere in the system along with other components such as helper objects or third-party apps.

It’s important to delete all hijacker-related entries in order to prevent from the re-hijack. When you PC is virus-free, follow the instructions below and reset all web browsers installed on your computer.

If manual Search.futuremediatabsearch.com removal seems complicated, you can rely on professional anti-malware/anti-spyware program. Automatic elimination option quickly and effectively eliminates all PUPs that may be residing on 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.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

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

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

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

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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