How safe is CoolSearch.info?
CoolSearch.info virus is not considered a reliable search engine. Technically, it is a browser hijacker[1] which seeks to change the default search engine, the start page and the new URL on each of your browsers. After doing so, it starts displaying sponsored search results to its user. Besides, it can also modify your Windows registry[2] and append its argument to various shortcuts preventing you from getting rid of it easily. CoolSearch.info hijack is usually ignored because this search engine claims that it delivers results from “Custom Google Search.” It may look like reliable service; however, it’s not. Developers of this search engine are capable of modifying these search results and replacing them with sponsored links. This unfair activity generates pay-per-click and similar revenue from the affiliates[3] of Cool Search. Meanwhile, users are tricked into visiting questionable websites that are interested in boosting traffic in a shady way. As you can see, this search engine not only uses sneaky ways to trick its victims into using its service but also does not complete its main function properly. Unfortunately, it’s not the only reason why you should remove CoolSearch.info from your computer.
Before you click search results brought to you by this hijacker, you should know that some of them can lead you to the potentially dangerous websites[4] because the developers of this hijacker do not monitor third parties that they promote. Hence, you may be tricked into visiting infected, phishing or tech support scam sites that seek to push people into installing or purchasing suspicious software. Talking about worrying CoolSearch.info redirect tendencies, we have to mention that browser hijacker can also deliver ads[5] seeking to lead you to the shady installs, such as ransomware executable files. All these issues can seriously reduce your browsing quality and security. We recommend performing automatic CoolSearch.info removal immediately with a help of FortectIntego or other reputable anti-malware software to protect yourself from these negative activities on your computer.

When was my browser hijacked?
Whenever you download and install freeware and shareware, you can expect to encounter Cool Search virus. Developers of the potentially unwanted applications attach programs as extra components to the regular software. Users are often unaware that they are installing not a single program, but the whole package that may be full of PUPs. The majority of people rely on Basic or Recommended installation modes, and they make a huge mistake. It’s the easiest way to install unwanted applications like CoolSearch.info browser hijacker. The problem is that this setup does not warn about additional applications and do not ask users’ permission to install them; they are installed by default. However, you can prevent this from happening by using Custom/Advance settings for new software installation. During the installation, you may notice the list of applications that are offered to you as well. Deselect all of them and stop them from entering the system.
CoolSearch.info removal solutions
Nevertheless, browser hijacker cannot damage your computer’s system or took your files to the hostage; it is still not worth keeping. It can help you to encounter these unpleasant features. Protect yourself and remove CoolSearch.info virus right now! The quickest way to get rid of the hijacker is to scan the computer with updated antivirus or anti-malware program. However, if you do not want to install new software or feel capable of eliminating hijacker on your own, you have another option – manual CoolSearch.info removal. This method requires investigating computer’s system and deleting all virus-related files on your own. Our prepared step-by-step guide below will help you to that!
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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