The main facts about Ageofcomp.com virus
The first sign that your beloved computer has been infected with Ageofcomp.com virus is changed browser’s default homepage. This computer infection is classified[1] as a potentially unwanted program. Due to its feature to take over web browsers, it is categorized as a browser hijacker too. Once it gets inside the system, it modifies targeted browser’s settings and sets http://ageofcomp.info/search/start.html as the default homepage and search engine. To force victims to use this strange engine it also modifies Registry and various Windows shortcuts. What is more, it might also install helper objects and other apps that protect Ageofcomp.com browser hijacker and prevents users from making any customizations. The purpose of this PUP is to deliver ads and sponsored links. The developers of this program generate revenue from boosting traffic to the promotional websites and pay-per-click advertising strategy. All businesses are interested in generating as much money as possible, and shady businesses[2] are not an exception. Therefore, after the attack, your browser might be filled with pop-ups, banners or in-text ads. However, you can avoid clicking eye-catching and potentially dangerous ads[3], so developers decided to force you to visit particular domains by initiating redirects. Unwanted redirects might occur when you click on the URL bar to type an address or unexpectedly. Probably, you do not want to be disturbed while surfing the Internet. That’s why you should remove Ageofcomp.com as soon as this suspicious domain replaces your homepage. Scan your device with FortectIntego and forget about unwanted activities.
Using this questionable search engine is also not recommended. Many computer users might be tricked that Custom Google search is the same as widely known and used Google; however, it’s not. Ageofcomp.com virus might alter search results and include some third-party links that would never appear on the first page of Google search results. The reason why this engine acts so unfairly is that it has been created to boost traffic to the particular websites. For this reason, some organic links are changed to the sponsored ones. Here it’s important to stop and talk about Ageofcomp.com redirect tendencies. Not only these links might lead to irrelevant sites, but also you might end up on the infected website that has been created for spreading malware. If you found yourself on some questionable site, leave it immediately and start Ageofcomp.com removal. Of course, you can check whether the link is safe or not without clicking on it[4]; however, hijacker’s removal is the better option.

When did hijack happen?
Finding new homepage might be surprising for many computer users. However, only a few of them understand they did something wrong and got infected with some cyber infection. Indeed, Ageofcomp.com hijack might have occurred during recent software installation process. Browser hijackers spread in the software bundle, so if you have recently installed some applications using Recommended/Standard setup, you might have installed hijacker as well. It happens because this installation mode does not disclose about optional components that are included in the package; it just installs them by default. However, stopping PUPs from stepping inside[5] is simple. All you have to do is to opt for Advanced/Custom setup and monitor the process. If you notice the list of additional downloads, you have to deselect all the offers and continue the installation,
Two methods to remove Ageofcomp.com virus
The first Ageofcomp.com removal option requires dedication and effort. You have to find browser hijacker and delete it with all its components. If you leave some virus-related files, you can expect another hijack soon. However, we recommend following our prepared instructions. If you follow them attentively, you should not encounter any problems. The second way to remove Ageofcomp.com is easier than first. It requires installing an anti-malware program and running a full system scan with an updated tool. However, we want to remind you to install malware removal tool carefully, using Advanced/Custom setup!
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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