Skip to content
  • Active
  • Severity: High
  • Stealing programs
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Dec 2017

How to remove Hdmoviesearch.com

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

Julie Splinters · Anti-malware specialist

Hdmoviesearch.com virus is accessible on Chrome Web Store as an extension

Hdmoviesearch.com virus image

Hdmoviesearch.com is a fraudulent search engine which modifies your browser settings to display distorted query results. Even though it is accessible on Google Chrome Web Store, the users of Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer should be cautious. Inexperienced computer users are tricked to use this potentially unwanted program by the ability to access HD movies quickly. 

Once it is in the system, HD Movie Search Tool modifies your regular browser settings to assign itself as a default search provider. In other terms, every time you open new tab/window, you will be forced to search through http://hdmoviesearch.com/. Additionally, this browser hijacker infiltrates other add-ons to prevent you from changing your settings to the previous stage. 

Likewise, Hdmoviesearch.com removal is a tricky process, and you might get confused by trying to do it without any assistance. We offer a free elimination guide for those you aim to get rid of the potentially unwanted program safely. Make sure to check it if you notice any suspicious activity related to HD Movie Search.

Hdmoviesearch.com illustration

You should also be aware of Hdmoviesearch.com redirect to highly suspicious websites. Those who agree to use this questionable extension are flooded with annoying ads which might appear as banners, in-texts or pop-ups. Usually, they promote fake discounts or products to trick users into clicking on them and increasing pay-per-click revenue[1]

Besides, Hdmoviesearch.com might place tracking cookies to collect information related to your browsing routine[2]. Such details might contain your location, email address or even credentials if you are gullible enough to provide it. Note that you are not able to check the Privacy Policy or Terms of Use page. It is clear that the gathered information might be misused for phishing purposes.

Therefore, we recommend you to remove Hdmoviesearch.com with the help of FortectIntego. This security software is highly reliable and designed to deal with such browser hijackers. 

Distribution techniques: software-bundles, P2P networks, intrusive ads

Note that potentially unwanted programs are not remotely infused into your system. They are the result of your reckless behavior online. One of the most popular methods used to spread the browser hijackers is to bundle them with freeware. Once the inexperienced computer user picks Quick or Recommended settings, he or she manually infiltrates the PUP into the system. 

Additionally, downloading software from peer-to-peer (P2P) networks is not a wise decision either. Hackers often create software which might be delusional to lure gullible people into downloading it. Besides, P2P systems might be used to distribute other high-risk computer infections as well. 

Therefore, we advise you to choose Advanced or Custom settings of the installer and un-ticking any pre-selected marks which allow installing the hijacker. Also, you could scan the files you want to download beforehand to make sure that they are not malicious. 

Moreover, experts from BedyNet.ru[3] warn that if you tend to click on sponsored ads, immediately stop doing that. This is one of the PUPs distribution sources. Note that even if you click on them accidentally, they might start an automatic installation of malware. Likewise, avoid any ad-supported content online if you want to protect your PC.

Ways to terminate Hdmoviesearch.com virus: manual and automatic elimination

Even though you can remove Hdmoviesearch.com both, manually and automatically, we recommend choosing the latter method. Automatic elimination is the safest option since it the security software will detect all computer threats and delete them. This way you will be sure that your PC and private information is secure.

You can simply download one of the below-listed antivirus tools and let it scan your files attentively. Shortly after, you will be able to use your computer without any disruptions again.

Those who are brave enough to try manual Hdmoviesearch.com removal should follow the instructions below. They will briefly explain how to get rid of the potentially unwanted program. However, we still feel obligated to inform that trying to uninstall the browser hijacker without any assistance might lead to OS damage. Likewise, you should either use the automatic or manual removal. 

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

Be the first to comment

Spyware news
Privacy preferences

We use cookies to improve your experience and analyze traffic. Some cookies enable embedded content like videos and social posts. Choose what you allow — you can change this anytime.