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

How to remove Movie-quest.co virus

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

Linas Kiguolis · Expert in social media

Movie lovers should not download browser extension from Movie-quest.co

The screenshot of Movie-quest.co

Movie-quest.co is a website created by FirstGate Mobile Limited. It promotes a browser extension that offers to try fast and free movie search. However, it’s a potentially unwanted program (PUP)[1] that sets search.movie-quest.co as default search engine after the installation.

However, Movie-quest.co is not the only place that offers to download this movie search tool. The extension might also be spreading in software bundles. Thus, it might sneak into the device if users do not pay attention to software installation.

After the installation, this PUP changes current search engine to search.movie-quest.co. Thus, in order to use this movie-related search, users have to enter “movie” in the Omnibox, press space or tab buttons and start browsing through featured movies.

Nevertheless, this feature may look useful for some of you; you should not deal with this application. If it appeared on your PC out of nowhere, you have to take care of your computer’s security. We firmly recommend scanning the system with FortectIntego or another anti-spyware as soon as you notice changes in your browser.

Movie-quest.co virus is also known for:

  • altering browser’s settings,
  • changing browser’s homepage to www.movie-quest.co/ysh/search?p=,
  • setting search.movie-quest.co as default search provider,
  • triggering redirects,
  • delivering ads.

All these negative features diminish browsing experience, but that’s not all. Some of the links, ads or redirects might lead to potentially dangerous or misleading websites. Thus, while you continue using this search tool, you might end up on the Internet site where cyber criminals might lure you into the trap.

Movie-quest.co removal is necessary not only for protecting your PC from ransomware[2] and other cyber threats. It’s also necessary for your personal privacy. According to the Privacy Policy, the program might collect non-personally identifiable and technical information about users with the help of cookies and similar tracking technologies.

You can remove Movie-quest.co from your browser using reputable security software or by following manual elimination instructions below. Automatic deletion is recommended for those who haven’t installed this extension directly from the website or Chrome store. If this program arrived in the software bundle, there’s a chance that other PUPs arrived on the system as well.

The example of Movie-quest.co virus

Three distribution strategies of the browser extension

Authors of the PUP use several channels to spread it:

  • the official website,
  • Chrome store,
  • freeware/shareware bundles.

If you are looking for a movie search tool, you can find this app on your own. As you already know, you should stay away from it. However, direct downloads are not the primary distribution method. The hijacker is noticed spreading in software bundles.

Once in a while, you may need to install freeware or shareware. However, you should not rush with this task. Usually, this software is a package full of additional components. Thus, you have to unpack the program before installing it.

It means you have to choose Advanced or Custom settings and carefully follow each of the steps. Make sure that any additional applications are not left pre-selected. Bear in mind that Quick or Recommended do not have this feature. Thus, if you have recently installed a program under them, you may have unintentionally installed Movie-quest.co redirect virus.

The application is widely spread all over the world, so no matter where you live – in the U.S., the U.K. or China[3] – if you do not pay attention to software installation, you might need to deal with undesired activities on your browser.

A step-by-step guide for Movie-quest.co virus elimination

As we have mentioned in the first part of the article, you can remove Movie-quest.co either manually or automatically. Manual elimination requires putting some effort and deleting hijacker-related entries from the system and resetting each of the web browsers.

Have a look at the instructions below. If they seem clear, do not hesitate and get rid of the PUP. If not, opt for the second Movie-quest.co removal option. It requires scanning the system with reputable anti-malware.

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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