Baidu.com and Hao123: is it a virus, and how to remove it
Baidu.com is China's largest search engine, not a virus, but its Hao123 start page and links to it reach people through bundled programs, extensions and chat messages. Remove what sets it as your home page or search, reset the browser, and do not click Baidu links sent in a message.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation.
Automatic
Get a free scan and check if your PC is infected.
Fortect finds malware, unwanted programs and the Windows damage they leave behind, and repairs it in one pass.
Not sure what changed your search to baidu.com? An automatic scan checks extensions, programs and browser settings in one pass.
Do it yourself · free Remove baidu.com yourself 2 steps, about 6 minutes, no software needed.
Baidu.com: summary
| Type | Baidu.com is a legitimate search engine, not a virus; Hao123 by Baidu is a start page that acts as a browser hijacker and potentially unwanted program when a bundle sets it |
|---|---|
| Risk | Low for baidu.com opened by yourself; medium for Hao123 and whatever installed it; high for a Baidu link sent in a message you did not expect |
| Symptoms | Home page, start-up pages or new tabs open Baidu or Hao123 in Chinese; it returns after a restart; a contact sends a link to baidu.com |
| How to get rid of it | Uninstall programs you did not choose, remove the extension, reset the home page and search engine, check shortcuts' Target, then scan |
| Our check (6 October 2026) | No notification request, no pop-ups, no service worker on one visit; one redirect to www.baidu.com; two other hosts; Hao123 not tested |
| Running since | Domain registered 11 October 1999 (RDAP); company incorporated January 2000 (Wikipedia); our first report 23 February 2018 |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 11 more facts
| Domain registered | 11 October 1999 (registry record, registrar MarkMonitor) |
|---|---|
| Installed on the PC | Nothing from the page itself. Only what you add: a Baidu or Hao123 program, a bundle extra, an extension or a changed shortcut |
| Detection | No Microsoft detection name is known: the page installs nothing by itself. English Wikipedia says many antivirus programs treat Hao123 as malware |
| Damage | No harm to files; changes the start page; advertisements load every start |
| Distribution | Bundled with free programs (our 2018 report) and, per the reader reports, links in chat messages; we installed none, so this is not confirmed today |
| Evidence | Our test, English Wikipedia, Congress.gov, the registry record and our 2018 report |
| Name | Baidu.com |
| Search page | baidu.com |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 23 February 2018 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Facts checked on 6 October 2026 against our own test of baidu.com in desktop Chromium from Europe, the registry record, English Wikipedia, Congress.gov and Microsoft Support. Not tested:
- Hao123 pages or programs
- a Baidu link from a message
- the site from China
- on a phone
The Skype account is the old report's and a reader's, which we did not reproduce.
What Baidu.com and Hao123 are, and how they end up on your PC
Baidu.com is a real, large search engine and not a program, so it cannot change your browser by itself. What people complain about is Hao123, a Chinese start page owned by Baidu, and Baidu links that arrive in messages. They reach a browser when a program, an extension or a button points it there, and that source is what you remove.
- What Baidu.com is
- A Chinese search engine. English Wikipedia says Baidu was incorporated in January 2000 by Robin Li and Eric Xu and holds a dominant position in China's search market. In our test the page was titled 百度一下，你就知道 (roughly "Baidu it and you will know"), with a search box and a list of trending searches
- What Hao123 is
- A Chinese online listings portal (a page of links) run by Baidu, with versions in other languages. It is linked from the top bar of baidu.com. English Wikipedia says Hao123 has been accused of acting as a browser hijacker, because it often installs itself after another application and is hard to remove, and that many antivirus programs treat it as malware
- What it changes
- The home page, start-up pages and new tab page, and sometimes the default search provider. The old report said all three were forced on every browser; we did not install any Hao123 program, so we did not see that today
- What the old report called "Hao123 by Baidu"
- A browser plug-in. English Wikipedia describes Hao123 as a web portal, with shortcuts that software bundles install; whatever form it takes on your PC, the check is the same: what installed it, and what is it set to open
- Who it is aimed at
- Readers in China. A Western browser offers to translate the page. It can still land on a computer anywhere, usually after a program is installed or a link is clicked
Is baidu.com dangerous? What it collects
Our test on 6 October 2026
We opened baidu.com as a visitor would (clean desktop Chromium, Europe) and looked for notification requests, pop-ups, redirects and background scripts. The page was quiet on this one visit. We did not test Hao123, any installer or a Baidu link from a message.
baidu.com · desktop Chromium · Europe · 6 October 2026
- Notification requestNone on this one visit.
- Pop-ups and new tabsNone on this one visit.
- Redirects on loading the pageOne:
baidu.commoved towww.baidu.com, the same company's address. It did not send us to any unrelated site. - Service workerNone registered, so nothing keeps running in the browser after you leave.
- Advertising networksNone recognised on this visit. The page loaded from only two hosts besides its own,
pss.bdstatic.comandpsstatic.cdn.bcebos.com, whose names suggest Baidu's own static content. We did not read what they do. - Hao123 linkThe top bar of the page links to hao123. We did not click it, so this test says nothing about what the Hao123 pages load.
- Where you areWe tested from Lithuania only. We did not test from China, on a phone or with a second visit.
- Installers and messagesWe installed no Baidu or Hao123 program and followed no link from a Skype-style message, so we do not know what those do today.
Low risk for the site itself Nothing unusual appeared on this one visit, from one country, in one browser. Sites can change what they show by country, device, time or a second visit, so "nothing on this one visit" clears nothing. The rating is low only for baidu.com opened by yourself. It does not cover Hao123 pages, bundled programs, or a Baidu link that arrives in a message, which are where the old report found the trouble.
A short history of Baidu, Hao123 and our report
11 October 1999
The domain is registered
The registry record (RDAP) for baidu.com shows registration on 11 October 1999. English Wikipedia says the company itself was incorporated in January 2000.
September 2011
Hao123 is launched in other languages
English Wikipedia says Hao123, Baidu's portal, got foreign-language versions from September 2011, Thai among them. It adds that Thai internet users boycotted Baidu in 2014 because Baidu's antivirus software forced hao123 as the Internet Explorer home page.
2014
A rival accuses Baidu of bundling
English Wikipedia's article on criticism of Baidu quotes the chairman of the rival 360 company, who said in 2014 that Baidu Guardian bundled unwanted software and used an Internet Explorer flaw to install it. This is an accusation from a competitor; we have not confirmed it ourselves.
12 July 2016
A reader cannot get rid of it
A reader asked us why they could not delete "this odd Chinese search engine", and called it completely useless. It is what many people mean by the problem: a Baidu page or start page they did not choose.
12 January 2018
A reader reports Baidu links in Skype messages
A reader told us friends were sending links that led to baidu.com and repeating them when asked. They had not clicked any. The picture from our 2018 guide, an illustration with the Baidu logo, a Hao123 page and an address starting
baidu.com/link?url=, is not a screenshot of a message.
Our 2018 illustration: the Baidu logo, a Hao123 page and a baidu.com/link?url= address. It is an illustration, not a capture of a real message. 23 February 2018
Our first report
Our old guide, titled only "Baidu.com", called Hao123 by Baidu a browser hijacker and a potentially unwanted program, and warned about a Skype link that spread by itself. Its second picture shows a Hao123 Lite page with a "Hot Sites" grid and two advertisement panels.
The Hao123 Lite page as pictured in our 2018 guide: a Hot Sites grid and two advertisement panels, one "Highly recommended by MacKeeper". 5 May 2025
Skype is retired
Microsoft said Skype would stay available until 5 May 2025, and its support page now says Skype is no longer available. Skype messages with a Baidu link are therefore a 2018 problem; the same trick works through any chat app.
October 2026
What we saw today
baidu.com is a working search page with trending searches and a link to hao123 in its top bar. On one visit it asked for nothing, opened no pop-ups and redirected only to
www.baidu.com.
Do Baidu.com and Hao123 redirect you to other sites?
On our visit baidu.com did not send us anywhere unrelated: the only redirect was to www.baidu.com. The old report said the Hao123 plug-in sent people to Hao123.com, cn.hao123.com and similar affiliate sites; we did not test Hao123 itself, so we neither confirm nor repeat that as a current fact.
| What the old report said | What we can show today |
|---|---|
| Redirects to suspicious websites that have nothing to do with your search | Not seen on baidu.com: one redirect, to the company's own www.baidu.com. Not tested on the Hao123 pages or on a PC with a Hao123 program installed |
| You might land on an infected page | We followed no link and so cannot rule it out or confirm it. A portal full of links and advertisements is a place where a bad link can be shown |
| It sends people to Hao123.com and cn.hao123.com for affiliate marketing | These were the 2018 destinations. Today the top bar of baidu.com carries a plain link to hao123, which we did not open |
| It earns pay-per-click revenue for its developers | A common way start pages are paid for. We saw no advertising network on baidu.com on this visit, and did not measure revenue anywhere |
What can go wrong
A start page you did not choose is a nuisance first, a privacy question second. Baidu.com itself is not malware, and the old report said so as well; the risks come from what brought Hao123 to your PC. From most to least serious:
- High
A Baidu link in a message may be the first step
If the link came from a contact's infected computer or hacked account, clicking may expose you to the next stage, which can be a download or a page asking for a password. We did not follow such a link, so we cannot say which. Do not click, and do not type a password on the page it opens.
- Medium
Whatever installed it may have installed more
If a bundle put Hao123 there, it may also have added other programs or extensions. That, not the page, is what needs cleaning. The old guide called Hao123 a potentially unwanted program for this reason.
- Medium
Settings put back by something running
English Wikipedia says Hao123 has been accused of using a Windows service, registry and browser settings to put itself back. We did not test that. If the page returns after a reset, treat it as something still running.
- Low
Advertisements on a page you open every day
The old report said third parties that sponsor the plug-in get to show their links to you. The page we saw in 2018 had two advertisement panels. A current, updated browser is much less exposed than the setups that report had in mind.
- Low
Your searches and clicks are counted by others
The old report said the program tailors advertisements to your preferences. That means visits and clicks are likely counted. We did not measure what is stored.
What the sites involved can see
- Your IP address and the city it points to
- Your browser and device details
- Your language setting
- The panels and links you click
- Search words typed into the search box
- Time of each visit
True of most start pages with a search box and advertisements. Do not type account passwords or card details into a page you did not choose.
Privacy: what the old report said and what changed
The old report raised two privacy points: a US law about browsing data, and a missing privacy policy on Hao123. Both need a correction.
| Old statement | Correction |
|---|---|
| The US Senate approved legislation that lets advertisers trade browsing data among themselves | In 2017 the US Congress passed S.J.Res.34, which nullified an FCC rule on the privacy of broadband customers, and the President signed it. It concerned internet service providers, not advertisers or Hao123, and it is not about browser hijackers. Source: Congress.gov |
| The privacy policy of baidu.com commits to protecting your privacy, but Hao123 has none | We did not read either policy in 2026. The footer of baidu.com has a "read before using Baidu" link (使用百度前必读), which we did not open. Check the policy of any page before you give it your details |
| The program may collect personally identifiable information | A start page with a search box can see what the chips above list. We did not measure what a Hao123 program stores, so treat that as possible, not shown |
How baidu.com got into your browser
The Baidu link in a chat message
The old report described a message, sent from a friend's infected computer, with a Baidu link that carried your own contact name. We could not reproduce it, so what follows is the old report's account plus what to do. The advice does not depend on whether the link is exactly as described.
| What the old report said | What we can say today | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A message with a link to a Baidu page arrived from a contact | Reader reports of this from January 2018 are in our files; Skype itself is retired, so today the same trick reaches you by another chat app | Do not click. Ask the contact by phone or another app whether they sent it |
| The link contained your own Skype name | A link that uses your name or a friend's name is built to look personal. We did not confirm how it was built | The name is not proof: treat any unexpected link the same way |
| It spreads like a worm: everyone who clicks sends it to their own contacts | A worm spreads by itself from an infected computer. The old report compared it to the Facebook video virus, which does the same with a video file. We did not test either | If you clicked, see the steps below, then tell your contacts |
| A contact's hacked computer sent it | A contact who is "not answering, just sending the link again" (the reader's words) is the sign of an infected computer or hacked account | Tell them, and ask them to change the password |
How Baidu and Hao123 get set as your home page
The old report said free software, and that part stands: bundling is the usual route, because the offer is disclosed in a way most people click past. Check these routes in this order, quickest first.
| Route | What you would see | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| A Baidu or Hao123 program | A program with Baidu, hao123 or Chinese characters in its name; the home page returns after every restart | Settings > Apps > Installed apps, search for baidu and hao123 |
| A free program installed with a pre-ticked extra | The start page changed on the day you installed something unrelated, a player, a download manager or a PDF tool | Settings > Apps > Installed apps, sorted by install date |
| A browser extension | Home page and new tab changed together; an extension you do not remember | chrome://extensions, edge://extensions or about:addons |
| A changed shortcut | Only the browser you open from one shortcut shows the portal first | Right-click the shortcut > Properties > Target |
| A link in a message | The page was opened by clicking a Baidu address you were sent; nothing is installed unless you then accept an offer | Do not accept a download or a "set as home page" prompt on the page that opens |
- 1
You are asked, in a way that is easy to miss
The installer shows the offer, often on the screen reached by the quick or recommended option. Clicking Next counts as agreeing, so it is not true that it arrived without permission, and not true that you chose it knowingly.
- 2
The browser opens the portal as the start page
Each time it starts, or each new tab, the portal and its advertisement panels load.
- 3
The setting is put back if the source stays
Resetting only the home page does nothing if the program or extension is still there, which is why the page seems to come back.
How to remove baidu.com
How to remove Baidu.com and get your search engine back
Remove the extension first.
The search settings only stay fixed once nothing on the PC can change them again.
Which browser shows the ads?
Reset the home page and start-up pages
Open Settings > On startup and choose Open the New Tab page, or the pages you want; remove
baidu.com or hao123if it is listed. Under Appearance, check the address next to Show home button.Set another search engine
Open Settings > Search engine, click Change next to the search engine used in the address bar and pick the one you want. Then open Manage search engines and site search and delete any entry you did not add.
Remove extensions you do not recognise
Paste
chrome://extensionsinto the address bar and click Remove on anything you did not install yourself, especially anything added around the day baidu.com or hao123 appeared.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Clear the site data
Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete, choose All time, tick Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files, and click Delete data.
Reset Chrome
Open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults and confirm with Reset settings. This resets the start page, search engine and pinned tabs and turns off extensions; bookmarks and saved passwords stay.
Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Reset the home page and start-up pages
Open Settings > Start, home, and new tabs. Choose Open the new tab page, or the pages you want, and remove
baidu.com or hao123from the list. Check the address next to Show home button.Set another search engine
Open Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Address bar and search and choose the search engine used in the address bar. Check Manage search engines for entries you did not add.
Remove extensions you do not recognise
Paste
edge://extensionsinto the address bar and click Remove under anything you did not install yourself.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Clear the site data
Open Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Delete browsing data > Choose what to clear, set All time, tick Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files, and click Clear now.
Reset Edge
Open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their default values and confirm with Reset. Extensions are turned off and the start page goes back to default; favourites, history and saved passwords stay.
Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Reset the home page
Open Settings > Home. Next to Homepage and new windows choose Firefox Home (Default), or type the address you want, and check New tabs too.
Set another search engine
Open Settings > Search and pick another engine under Default Search Engine. Under Search Shortcuts, remove any entry you did not add.
Remove add-ons you do not recognise
Paste
about:addonsinto the address bar, open Extensions, and choose Remove from the three-dot menu of anything you did not install yourself.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Clear cookies and site data
Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data > Clear Data, tick both boxes and click Clear.
Refresh Firefox
Open the menu > Help > More troubleshooting information and click Refresh Firefox. Add-ons and custom settings are removed and the home page goes back to default; bookmarks, history and passwords stay.
Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Reset the home page
Open Safari > Settings > General and replace the address in Homepage with the one you want, or clear it.
Set another search engine
Open Safari > Settings > Search and choose a different Search engine. Then check Settings > Extensions for anything you do not recognise and click Uninstall.
Remove extensions you do not recognise
In Safari > Settings > Extensions, select anything you did not install yourself and click Uninstall. Move any program you did not install on purpose from Finder > Applications to the Bin.
Clear the site data
In Safari > Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data, remove the site's data, or use History > Clear History > all history. To empty the cache as well, turn on Show features for web developers in Settings > Advanced and choose Develop > Empty Caches.
Check the Mac for apps from the ads
Search hijackers can arrive on a Mac with fake players, "cleaners" and other free downloads. In Finder > Applications, move anything unknown to the Bin. In System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions, remove unknown items. Then use Go > Go to Folder to check
/Library/LaunchAgents,~/Library/LaunchAgents,/Library/LaunchDaemonsand/Library/Application Supportfor folders and files with the same unknown names, and empty the Bin.
Then, whichever browser you use
Step 1: Uninstall programs you did not mean to install
Baidu.com rarely comes alone: it is usually installed by, or together with, a free program. In Windows 11 open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, in Windows 10 Settings > Apps > Apps & features, and sort by install date.
Uninstall every entry from the day the trouble began that you did not install on purpose, for example a download manager, a converter or a browser you never chose.
Keep drivers and entries from Microsoft, Intel, AMD, NVIDIA or your PC's maker unless you are sure.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix
Step 2: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
A scan finds the parts of Baidu.com that the manual steps cannot see. In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, start a Full scan and quarantine what it reports.
Follow it with Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) > Scan now, which restarts the PC and checks the disk while Windows and the malware are not running.
It takes about 15 minutes and works the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10. If either scan finds something, run the full scan again after removal until it comes back clean.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
After removal: keep your search engine and start page
If it came with a program, an ad or a link
The browser steps below are enough when only a setting changed. If you installed a program just before Hao123 or Baidu appeared, or you clicked a link in a message, do these five things as well.
- 1
Uninstall what came with it
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11 (Apps & features in Windows 10). Search for
baiduandhao123, then sort by install date and remove anything added the day the page first appeared. If User Account Control asks, click Yes (Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix). - 2
Check your browser shortcuts
Right-click the shortcut you use to start the browser and choose Properties. The Target box must end with the browser's own file name, such as
chrome.exeormsedge.exe, with nothing after it. If a web address follows, delete it and click OK. Check the desktop, the taskbar and the Start menu. - 3
Scan, then scan offline
Run a Microsoft Defender Full scan, then the Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan), which finds programs that hide while Windows runs. A scan finds what it has a name for; it does not replace the steps above.
- 4
Change your passwords if you clicked a link from a message
Use a different device if you can. Change the password of the chat account, and of your e-mail, then turn on two-step sign-in. Tell the contact whose message it was.
- 5
Check the browser again
Restart, then open the home page and search settings once more. If Baidu or Hao123 returns, something is still putting it back, and the install-date list is where to look.
How to keep it from happening again
Do
- Choose Custom or Advanced setup in installers. It shows every box and lets you untick extra programs, pre-ticked home pages and search settings.
- Read each installer screen before you click Next; the offer is often on the screen you skip.
- Untick every add-on and extra that has nothing to do with the program you went to install.
- Expect popular programs to carry offers too: the old report named Skype and Java, and we did not test either. Skype itself was retired in 2025, but the rule is the same for any installer.
- Do not click an unexpected link, even from a contact; ask them in another way first.
- Remove browser extensions you do not recognise as soon as you see them.
- After installing free software, open the browser's home page and search settings and check them once.
- Keep Microsoft Defender running and your browser up to date.
- Keep a current backup of your files (File History or OneDrive), so a failed disk or an infection does not cost you your documents.
- A VPN hides your IP address from the sites you visit; it does not remove a start page.
Don't
- Click through Quick or Basic setup without reading it. It is usually two or three Next clicks, and it quietly accepts the "additional programs".
- Accept "make this your home page" prompts from programs you did not go to install.
- Trust a program that gets into your computer behind your back, whatever it calls itself.
- Type passwords into a start page you do not remember choosing.
Questions about baidu.com
Is Baidu.com a virus?
No, Baidu.com is a real search engine, not a virus. English Wikipedia says Baidu was incorporated in January 2000 and holds a dominant position in China's search market. In our test on 6 October 2026 the site asked for no notifications, opened no pop-ups and registered no service worker, though that was one visit and clears nothing.
The trouble starts with Hao123, Baidu's start page, which English Wikipedia says has been accused of acting as a browser hijacker and is treated as malware by many antivirus programs. So the site is not the infection; whatever set it as your start page is the part to remove.
Why is Baidu.com my home page and how do I remove it?
Something changed the setting, or you accepted an offer you did not read. The usual routes are a Baidu or Hao123 program, a free program whose installer added it as an extra, a browser extension, or a shortcut with the address added.
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps and search for baidu and hao123, then sort by install date and remove what you did not choose.
After that reset the home page, start-up pages and search engine in each browser you use, and check the Target box of every browser shortcut. Restart and look again; if it returns, something is still putting it back.
Is Hao123 by Baidu a virus or a browser hijacker?
Hao123 is a web portal rather than a virus, but it behaves like a hijacker when a bundle sets it for you.
English Wikipedia says it often installs itself after another application, is hard to remove, and that many antivirus programs consider it malware; it also reports a Thai boycott of Baidu in 2014 over Hao123 being forced as the Internet Explorer home page.
Our 2018 report called it a potentially unwanted program for the same reason. We tested only baidu.com, not Hao123 itself, so we describe what others report and cannot say what the pages load today.
Why can't I delete this Chinese search engine?
The page cannot be deleted because it is a website; what you remove is whatever points your browser at it. A reader asked us this in July 2016. Uninstall programs with baidu or hao123 in the name, remove unknown extensions, then change the home page, start-up pages and default search engine.
If the setting keeps coming back, check that the shortcut Target ends with chrome.exe or msedge.exe and nothing more. On Chrome or Edge, a Managed by your organization notice means a policy holds the setting. Restart and check after a few minutes, because a program that puts the page back runs in the background.
I got a link to baidu.com from a friend on Skype. Am I infected?
Not if you did not click it, but your friend probably is. A reader asked us this in January 2018: friends sent links to baidu.com and repeated them when asked.
The old report called it a worm that sends the link on to every contact of whoever clicks, and said the link carried the recipient's name; we did not reproduce it. Do not click, and ask the contact through another app.
If you clicked, run a Microsoft Defender Full scan and the offline scan, change the account and e-mail passwords from another device, and warn your contacts. Skype was retired on 5 May 2025, but the trick works in any chat app.
Does Baidu.com redirect to other sites?
On our visit it did not send us anywhere unrelated. On 6 October 2026 baidu.com moved to www.baidu.com, the same company's address, and no further.
The old report said the Hao123 plug-in redirected to Hao123.com, cn.hao123.com and similar affiliate sites, and that is what we cannot confirm: we did not open Hao123, and the top bar of baidu.com carries a link to it.
One quiet visit does not prove it never happens, because advertising can change by country, device or visit. If your browser opens Baidu or Hao123 by itself, look for the program or extension that does it.
Is it safe to use Baidu.com or to enter passwords on it?
We would not type passwords or card details into a page you did not choose, and one visit cannot call any site safe. Baidu.com is a real search engine with a login button, and used on purpose by someone who reads Chinese it is an ordinary service.
In our test it contacted only two other hosts, named like Baidu's own static content, and showed no advertising network. If you did not choose it, do not use it, and remove what set it. Use your own bookmarks for banking and e-mail, and keep the browser updated.
How do I remove Baidu or Hao123 from Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari?
Remove the extension, then reset the home page and search engine. In Chrome open chrome://extensions, remove what you did not add, then Settings > On startup and Settings > Search engine. In Edge open edge://extensions, then Settings > Start, home, and new tabs.
In Firefox open about:addons, then Settings > Home and Settings > Search. In Safari on a Mac open Settings > Extensions and uninstall unknown ones, then Settings > General to clear the Homepage address. Then uninstall any baidu or hao123 program from Windows, or from the Applications folder on a Mac, and clear the browser's site data.
Is it safe to remove Hao123 with an anti-malware program?
Yes, run a scan, but do the manual steps as well. The old report advised an anti-malware scan of the whole system and said it would leave you free of the hijacker; we cannot promise that, because a scan only finds what the program has a name for.
Run a Microsoft Defender Full scan, then the offline scan, and do the uninstall, extension, shortcut and settings checks above. Restart, and open the home page and search settings once more. If Baidu or Hao123 comes back, something is still putting it there, and the install-date list in Installed apps is where to look.
Will Fortect remove Baidu.com?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For Baidu.com, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- Our own test of baidu.com: desktop Chromium from Europe, redirects, pop-ups, notifications and hosts contacted (read October 6, 2026)
- Registry record (RDAP) for baidu.com: registered 11 October 1999 (read October 6, 2026)
- English Wikipedia: Baidu (incorporated January 2000 by Robin Li and Eric Xu, dominant in China's search market) (read October 6, 2026)
- English Wikipedia: Hao123 (Baidu portal, accused of browser hijacking, bundled software, foreign versions from September 2011) (read October 6, 2026)
- English Wikipedia: Criticisms of Baidu (the 2014 accusation about Baidu Guardian bundling) (read October 6, 2026)
- Congress.gov: S.J.Res.34, 115th Congress, nullifying the FCC broadband privacy rule (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Support: Skype is retiring in May 2025 (read October 6, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Change your default search engine (no longer online) (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Support: Change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge (read October 6, 2026)
- Mozilla Support: Change your default search settings in Firefox (read October 6, 2026)
- Apple Support: Change your search settings in Safari on Mac (read October 6, 2026)