Bigslide.ru – a hijacker that changes your browser settings without permission
Bigslide.ru is a a part of a potentially unwanted application that you downloaded from the internet. Once it is installed, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, MS Edge, or any other browser is transformed: you homepage is altered to hxxp://bigslide.ru/i/start.html (which tries to imitate Google using its colors), and your searches lead to a customized results which include plenty of sponsored links and ads.
| Name | Bigslide.ru |
| Type | Browser hijacker |
| Distribution | Software bundling |
| Symptoms | Homepage and new tab URL changes; redirects to a customized search provider; sponsored links at the top of search results |
| Removal | Uninstall PUPs by following our manual guide or employ antivirus program |
| System fix | After the elimination of adware or malware, we highly recommend running a scan with FortectIntego repair software |
Browser hijackers[1] are not generally considered to be malicious, although some of their distribution and operation principles can be regarded as rater unsafe or not really beneficial to the end-user. The existence of the Bigslide.ru redirect virus might cause various performance and stability-related computer problems.
There are many similar programs that you can accidentally install while browsing the Internet – these typically come as an optional component in a software bundle. This software distribution method is generally considered deceptive if not engineered well enough within the installation wizard.
Beware of similar hijackers such as Sstartbest.ru or Safesearch5.ru[2] – they change the browser's homepage with a site that provides a simple search engine, which resembles Google or any other regular search engine.
No matter how disappointing that is, instead of providing relevant information to the user, such uninvited search tools cause unwanted redirections and also trigger annoying pop-up ads. You will quickly notice that the newly-applied search engine delivers “Custom Google search results,” filled with paid entries.
This hijacker aims to silently generate pay-per-click revenue[3] as the user clicks on sponsored search results and unwillingly visits questionable third-party websites. Not only such redirects are annoying, but they might also be dangerous.
Remember that only you are responsible for your safety online, so think twice before you start using an unknown search engine and clicking on its search results. In our opinion, it is way better to use a more trustworthy and well-known search engine instead of a suspicious one that replaces the homepage address without your knowledge.
Besides, you shouldn’t tolerate browser hijackers because they are spyware-type programs that hijack browser settings and make it difficult to change them. On top of that, you might start to experience redirections to the Bigslide.ru site, which provides various downloadable presentations.
We do not recommend you download anything from such vague sites and start thinking about PUP removal. For that, look for a reliable anti-spyware program, or use instructions that we have prepared for you. Do not delay this task if you wish to browse the Internet safely. The quickest way to delete this hijacker is to run SpyHunterCombo Cleaner and let it wipe spyware and malware threats from the system automatically.
Why am I stuck with this potentially unwanted program?
If you do not know why did a potentially unwanted program hijack your computer system, we ask you to remember the last time you installed a free program from the Internet. Have you taken the necessary measures to prevent the infiltration of spyware and malware?
You should download software from safe and reputable Internet sites only and also install them using Custom or Advanced settings (if prompted, of course)[4]. Typically, installation wizards provide two installation options to choose from – Custom/Advanced or Default/Standard. You should always go for either Advanced or Custom option because you get to configure components of your download[5].
For instance, if you accidentally download a program that contains spyware (toolbars, adware programs, etc.), you can drop off spyware-type components simply by deselecting them via these settings. Typically, Default or Standard settings do not allow you to configure anything and simply ensure that all additions will be installed without even notifying you, so do not even consider them as options.
Remove Bigslide.ru
To stop redirects and make your browser function normally again, remove the virus from the computer system. It is a mediocre computer threat – nothing too dangerous, but very annoying, so we suggest you get rid of it.
Uninstall it quickly with automatic Bigslide.ru removal tool – anti-spyware or anti-malware program (antivirus might not be able to detect it), or use instructions provided below.
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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