Search.hactivecouponsexplore.com – a deceptive search engine that promises free coupons
Active Coupons Explore is a fake search engine that promotes itself as a coupon dealer. This stealthy hijacker promises to give users a chance to get various discounts and printable coupons which can be used to buy specific items. However, taking into account that Active Coupons Explore was developed by the company called Polarity Technologies Ltd, there is no doubt that the program is useless and may even pose a risk to its victims.
As soon as New Tab Search hijacker invades the system,[1] it starts implementing various modifications on it. Typically, it tries to take over a web browser and set the homepage, new tab URL and a default search engine to hxxp://search.hactivecouponsexplore.com and hxxp://query.hactivecouponsexplore.com websites. Closing one browser and opening another one does not help in this case as this hijacker targets all Internet browsers as once.
However, after taking over Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, MS Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and other browsers, Active Coupons Explore virus starts causing additional problems to its victims. Typically, it redirects their search results to sponsored websites and may even infect the system with other viruses. Google has been working on preventing such unwanted activity,[2] but it can still be implemented by developers of such programs.
Please, do NOT fall into believing that someone is willing to help you safe some money. In reality, such scams are used to earn money from advertising. No matter how harmless this procedure seems, note that redirects to malicious websites are highly possible. To avoid running into additional problems, find a guide for Search.hactivecouponsexplore.com removal at the end of this article.
Active Coupons Explore is designed to look like a typical search engine, such as Google, Yahoo or Bing. Also, it provides quick access buttons to popular websites, so people can not even imagine that, by adding it to their browser, they let this extension track their searches and share this data with related parties. Remember, such activities are usually initiated behind your back, and the only way to spot them is to pay attention to your browser's speed.
Additionally, after collecting needed information, hijacker starts showing personalized ads just to increase its chances to trick users into clicking them. The only way to get rid of them is to remove Active Coupons Explore from the system. Security experts from Viirused[3] and other websites recommend using FortectIntego.
Malicious browser hijackers infiltrate your system with bundling
Bundling is a deceptive marketing technique used by free software developers to earn money. They get a chance to increase their profits by adding optional components to their free software.
It is apparent that many users are careless while browsing the Internet and downloading freeware to their systems. However, it is crucial to be vigilant when it comes to the installation of these programs because download managers are often filled with optional applications.
If you download and install free software from the internet, please be aware of the following:
- Always use Advanced/Custom settings instead of the Quick/Recommended ones;
- Be attentive and read Terms and conditions of every freeware before installing it on the system;
- Opt out of any undesired programs, including suspicious browser add-ons and search engines.
Additionally, do not click on any dubious pop-ups you may find on the internet as they can lead you to computer infections. We also recommended you to download software from official websites only and, if possible, avoid third-party downloads entirely.
Remove Active Coupons Explore virus from your machine
You have two options to remove Search.hactivecouponsexplore.com hijacker from your computer. The first option is manual removal that requires being extra careful while following the whole process. However, to help you avoid problems related to virus removal, we made a guide that explains every little step. Make sure you follow them in the correct order, because, otherwise, the malware might be re-installed right after you restart your browser.
If you would like to proceed with the automatic Active Coupons Explore removal, you should select one of the anti-malware programs that are listed below. There are plenty of tools available on the market today. You just need to select the one that suits you the best.
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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