Things you should know about Coolasearch.com search engine
Coolasearch.com virus mainly targets Mac users, but in the future, it might be improved and designed for Windows operating systems as well. However, no one should tolerate Coolasearch.com hijack and take actions to remove this annoying browser hijacker[1] from the system. Typically, this hijacker sneaks in the system alongside other applications that fail to adequately inform the user about promoted third-party applications that come alongside them. Once installed, Coolasearch.com redirect virus will corrupt your browsers and configure them to automatically launch Coolasearch page as a start page[2] and default new tab page. Although the page promotes something that seems to be a basic search engine, we wouldn’t recommend using it. It provides a link “Clean My Mac,” which points to a web page promoting MacKeeper[3], which starts displaying pop-ups urging to install it. Unfortunately, this program doesn’t have the best reputation[4]. To get back to the topic, we also want to add that search results provided by defined search tool can be filled with suspicious links that might point you to deceptive websites hosting spyware or rogue security applications. If you do not want to come across such sites, better stop using the described search engine right now and download a trustworthy anti-spyware program to fix the issue. If you do not want to use automatic spyware removal program, you can remove Coolasearch.com hijacker manually. To find out how, take a look at Coolasearch.com removal guidelines given below the article. 
Coolasearch.com browser hijacker is capable of collecting certain pieces of information starting from the moment it finds a path into the Mac OS X that you’re using. It instantly gains access to such data: type, name and version of operating system and other software installed on your device, also ISP, IP address, how you use internet browser, and web search related apps, web pages that you visit, content you see, offerings and ads that you click on, also your interactions on social networks through Coolasearch services. All this information is going to be analyzed and used to serve customized ads and improve operations of this browser hijacker. We must point out that this shady application admits sharing collected data with third-party companies, which means you do not know where and to who collected information is going to be sent. This is another blatant reason to get rid of the described application right away.
How do browser hijackers spread?
Browser hijackers, just like the majority of potentially unwanted programs are distributed alongside free programs and shareware using software bundling technique. When you download programs from the Internet, be extremely careful when installing them, because they might suggest you to install a couple of free third-party programs alongside them. These suggestions are usually provided in fine print below Standard/Default installation settings, which are auto-selected for the installation. If you would like to install only your chosen program without getting any additional programs, you should opt for Custom/Advanced installation settings[5] and deselect suggested programs and toolbars manually.
How can I remove Coolasearch.com hijacker from my computer system?
Nobody wants to keep suspicious programs on their computers, and browser hijackers are exactly such programs. If your computer was infected with the described hijacker, you should let it go. To remove Coolasearch.com virus, we highly suggest using anti-spyware programs, but of course, you can try to delete it manually, too. If you have no one to help you with that, use these comprehensive Coolasearch.com removal instructions provided below. In case you have any questions about the hijacker or its removal process, do not hesitate and send a question to us.
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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