Search.hideyoursearch.win hijacker corrupts your browsing sessions

Search.hideyoursearch.win is a fake search engine which supposedly enhances your browsing experience. It is visually identical to few other potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) like Search.seemoviesonline.stream, Search.kshowonline.stream, and others. Unsurprisingly, these browser hijackers[1] are created by the same developer – ChumSearch.
This unreliable search engine is offered on Chrome Web Store as an extension for Google Chrome. However, there is a high possibility that the developers will also create new versions of Hideyoursearch_DS Search for other browsers, like Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc.
Despite the fact that the visual look of Search.hideyoursearch.win is almost identical to most popular search engines, like Google, Bing, Yahoo and others, they have no connection with each other. Additionally, this potentially unwanted program performs alterations on the browser without your permission.
Soon after Search.hideyoursearch.win hijack occurs, the suspicious app changes user's homepage, search engine and new tab URL to hxxp://search.hideyoursearch.win/. Unfortunately, people cannot reverse such modifications easily.
It is also worth mentioning that Hideyoursearch.win is closely affiliated to Mackeeper pop-up ads which bother users with never-ending offers to get this system maintenance tool. Likewise, it is evident that this shady search engine is interested in increasing advertising revenue rather than enhancing users' browsing sessions.
If that is not enough, Search.hideyoursearch.win redirect to sponsored websites occurs continuously. These domains belong to third-parties, and ChumSearch takes no responsibility for any damage caused by linking you to their realms. Without a doubt, this activity is dangerous as the delivered content can be remarkably hazardous and lead to malware installation.

HideYourSearch program records non-personally identifiable infromation (non-PII)[1] data (in addition to some personally identifiable information), which is stated in ChumSearch’s privacy policy:
When you Use the Software & Services, we automatically collect and store the following types of information:
- Technical Information;
- Usage Information;
- Social Networks;
- Registration Related Information;
- Support Related Information.
Be aware that such data collection indicates a tracking of personal details, including names, addresses, e-mails, phone numbers, etc. There are no guarantees that the company will protect your information against exposure. Therefore, we advise you to remove Search.hideyoursearch.win from your machine.
If you struggle with Search.hideyoursearch.win removal, try our manual elimination guidelines. You can find them at the end of this article or try to get rid of the browser hijacker automatically with FortectIntego.
There are several ways to avoid infections
The first step to the malware-free computer is carefulness. Despite the fact that this browser hijacker is offered on Chrome Web Store, it can also spread via software-bundles.
Likewise, people should pay extreme attention when installing third-party applications — they might carry a PUP inside their installers. Additionally, BedyNet.ru[2] team says that there are several precautionary measures users should take while browsing the internet:
- Never use Recommended/Quick mode when installing freeware from the web as they are known to be integrated with adware and other unwanted programs;
- Read online reviews about the program/extension you are about to install. The best way to find out whether the product is useful or not is by hearing it from those who have already used the services;
- Download and install a professional security software. Additionally, keep it regularly updated;
- Do not click on intrusive ads[3], no matter how tempting the offers are;
- If you have been redirected to a dubious website – leave it immediately as browsing in such domains might lead to malware infections.
Remove Search.hideyoursearch.win virus from your machine
Even if you are experiencing all the symptoms of a browser hijacker, do not panic. There are two simple ways how you can get rid of Search.hideyoursearch.win from your computer permanently.
If you would like to attempt to remove Search.hideyoursearch.win virus from your computer by yourself, we have prepared a tutorial which you can find below. However, please be aware that performing the procedure incorrectly might lead you to damaged computer files and hijacker reappearance right after the browser restart.
Therefore, if you are not a proficient computer user, we advise you to proceed with Search.hideyoursearch.win removal using a robust anti-malware tool instead. This method is easy to perform as all the affected files are eliminated automatically.
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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