Startpageweb.com hijacker is here to compromise your web browsers
Startpageweb.com is a search tool promoted via potentially unwanted software[1]. After installing it on the system, hxxp://Startpageweb.com/ becomes browser’s homepage, default search provider and also the new tab page. It is not surprising, considering that this browser-hijacking software is a product of Bontio Media, Inc.
The identified browser hijacker developer is known to us because its infamous webofsearch.com, web-start-page.com and other search engines have been hindering computer users lately. It seems that mostly affected country for now is France[2].
There are some reasons why we tend to call Startpageweb.com redirect virus a potentially unwanted program:
- First of all, it changes user’s browser’s settings with little or no user’s knowledge. It spreads via software bundling, which gives it a chance to hijack computers unnoticeably.
- The hijacker slows down victim’s browsers and worsens overall computer’s performance. This is unacceptable, and you shouldn’t tolerate it.
- Startpageweb virus clutters search results with ads. At first sight, the results it brings seem to be legitimate Bing results, but be aware that some of them can point you to untrustworthy sponsors’ pages filled with hardly trustworthy links, files or programs. Therefore, we strongly recommend thinking before clicking on catchy-looking search results that this browser hijacker delivers.
Generally speaking, the hijacker doesn’t pose a threat to your privacy or security, but it doesn’t mean that it is safe to keep it on the system, either. It functions as a tunnel to potentially insecure websites, and if you do not know how to spot a difference between a secure and untrustworthy site, you better avoid using Startpageweb.
To protect yourself from unexpected URL redirects and revert your browser’s settings back to normal, remove Startpageweb.com. To do this, you will need to scan your computer with anti-spyware or anti-malware software[3].
Those who do not own one yet might want to try FortectIntego – it is the software that we recommend. Alternatively, you can choose another Startpageweb.com removal option and attempt to eliminate the hijacker manually. Please find the instructions below the article.
A quick way to block potentially unwanted programs
To block potentially unwanted programs so that they couldn’t enter your computer system, control software installation correctly. We strongly suggest that you read all of the provided statements that software installers provide to make sure that you do not miss any important comments about “additional” items that will be added to your PC.
To find these suspicious statements and remove the checks placed next to them, choose Custom or Advanced installation settings. These settings will reveal all additional components added to your download. All that is left to do then is to deselect them so that they couldn’t install themselves on your system unnoticeably.
However, what about the other installation options available in software installers? The key to secure software installation is Custom/Advanced settings that allow decomposing software components. Only these settings will allow you to deselect and avoid installing programs that are not part of your desired software.
We strongly suggest deselecting all “recommended” programs, browser toolbars and search engines suggested to you. These hardly add any value to your operating system, so it’s better to keep them away.
Remove Startpageweb.com hijacker from Chrome, Firefox, and other browsers
It’s best not to delay Startpageweb.com removal because this potentially unwanted program poses a significant threat to your security and computer’s performance. Although it doesn’t fall into malware category and it cannot be compared to highly sophisticated threats such as ransomware, we recommend you to remove Startpageweb.com virus as quickly as it can be possibly done.
That, however, doesn’t mean that you should rush and try to delete the hijacker anyhow. Instead, consider choosing a reliable program to help you complete the task professionally. If you insist on removing the hijacker manually, please follow the instructions added to this post.
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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