Home.searchfreehoroscope.com is the application that installs other browser-based programs without permission
Home.searchfreehoroscope.com is a horoscope-themed search engine developed by ElementSoft SL. The program spreads as a Search Free Horoscope extension[1] in software packages. For this reason, users often install it unintentionally to Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Internet Explorer. The main page of the PUP looks like an ordinary search engine that redirects to the Yahoo search engine. It has an additional feature. It allows reading daily predictions for each zodiac sign. However, it works as a browser hijacker.
| Name | Home.searchfreehoroscope.com |
|---|---|
| Type | Browser hijacker |
| Category | Potentially unwanted program |
| Issues | The PUP triggers unwanted redirects, advertisements, other pop-ups, and banners to appear on the screen |
| Removal | Run anti-malware tool and clear all detected threats on the machine |
| Recovery | System damage can get repaired with a tool like FortectIntego that checks for corrupted and altered data |
However, the research of this tool warns about possible redirect issues. The PUP might deliver misleading ads that lead to potentially dangerous websites. Besides, users can be forcibly redirected to third-party sites when they click on a link or other content.
The extension might also alter the browser’s settings. For this reason, Home.searchfreehoroscope.com removal might be complicated. Sometimes uninstalling the add-on might not be enough. So, users might need to employ security software, such as SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes.
The hijacker might bring you one step closer to a real cyber attack. However, it might pose a danger to user’s privacy too. According to the Privacy Policy, Search Free Horoscope might collect information about:
- your browser type;
- ISP;
- browsing history;
- search queries;
- etc.
One of the reasons why this information is aggregated is related to marketing. However, developers put the words in a beautiful way:
“Present you with offers for other products, offerings, programs, features, and/or services that we believe you may find interesting.”
Reading further the Privacy Policy, we have also discovered that the developers might share some of the aggregated details with third-party advertising networks.[2] Therefore, if you do not expect to receive suspicious or annoying shopping offers, you should remove home.searchfreehoroscope.com.
Versions of Search Free Horoscope New Tab
Home.srchfreehoroscope.com is another domain that redirects to the Search Free Horoscope engine and looks identical to home.searchfreehoroscope.com. According to the specialists from Bulgaria,[3] The usage of two different domains might be related to the hijacker’s distribution strategy.
Different names of the search engine might be distributed in different software packages. In this way, developers increase their chances to promote their product and increase its installation. However, it doesn’t matter which URL you see in your browser’s URL bar; you have to take all the necessary steps to get rid of it.
Traveling in software packages helps to get installed on the computers unnoticed
As we have already mentioned, the PUP is promoted in various software bundles. This distribution is widely used for spreading similar hijackers, such as blpsearch.com. It helps to get installed on the device secretly when a user rushes to install a new program.
To avoid this from happening, you should always opt for Advanced/Custom installation and carefully read all notifications. Once you encounter the list of “additional downloads,” you have to reject their installation by unmarking them.
Getting rid of the Home.searchfreehoroscope.com
Manual threat removal requires uninstalling its browser extension from Chrome, Firefox, and Explorer and resetting the browser. Additionally, you should look up and get rid of other unknown entries as well. There can be some issues triggered by the leftovers of the PUP.
However, you should remove Home.searchfreehoroscope.com automatically, if it sneaked inside your PC unnoticed because other PUPs may have been installed as well. Therefore, it’s easier to wipe out all suspicious components with professional help.
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.
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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