Domain Trust Checker: what it is and how to remove it
Domain Trust Checker is a potentially unwanted program that gets added to the browser and changes various settings like the homepage, new tab address, and search engine. As with many other PUPs, like system tools, the extension most likely does not actually do anything, and the domain checking just shows random numbers to appear functional.
Facts checked October 7, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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Domain Trust Checker: summary
| Distribution | Web stores, shady websites, deceptive ads, freeware installations |
|---|---|
| NAME | Domain Trust Checker |
| TYPE | Browser hijacker; potentially unwanted program |
| SYMPTOMS | Changed browser settings, different appearance, increased amount of commercial content |
| DANGERS | The extension can manipulate the search results and lead users to dangerous websites where they could get tricked into providing their personal information or downloading PUPs, malware |
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
| 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 8 more facts
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
|---|---|
| Name | Domain Trust Checker |
| Type | Search hijacker extension |
| Symptoms | An unknown program in Installed apps |
| Evidence | 6 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Program | Domain Trust Checker |
| First seen | 30 November 2021 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
Is Domain Trust Checker dangerous? What it collects
From our report of Nov 2021 · not reviewed since
Domain Trust Checker is a bogus browser extension that monetizes user activity
Domain Trust Checker is a potentially unwanted program that gets added to the browser and changes various settings like the homepage, new tab address, and search engine.
As with many other PUPs, like system tools, the extension most likely does not actually do anything, and the domain checking just shows random numbers to appear functional.
The main purpose of such apps is to monetize user browsing activities with the help of pay-per-click advertising. The plugin may generate commercial content like surveys, banners, giveaways, cause redirects, inject promotional links in the research results. Because the developers of such add-ons do not care about user privacy or security, the ads can lead to dangerous websites where people can get tricked by social engineering techniques.
Scammers target less IT-savvy people and they can fool them into providing personal information, downloading PUAs, malware which could lead to monetary losses, or even identity theft. Phishing pages have become very sophisticated over the past years and even more experienced users can get tricked by them.
From our report of Nov 2021 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Domain Trust Checker
- Remove an extension via browser settings
- Use a maintenance tool like to clear your browsers completely and optimize the machine
How Domain Trust Checker got into your browser
From our report of Nov 2021 · not reviewed since
Although we always tell our readers to only use official web stores to get their apps from, they are not completely safe.
The problem is that web store owners have trouble deciding what is an unwanted program so users can get their browsers hijacked even from the chrome web store.
Nowadays, people have to start doing their own research because picking a random extension and trying it out is not an option anymore. Although it is quite a lengthy process, it is worth keeping your digital bubble safe.
Another way people install PUAs is without even knowing. This happens when users choose a program they want to download from a freeware platform. The owners of such sites still need to make money, so they include additional programs in the installers without notifying the users.
Because most people find the installation process boring, they just skip through the steps and rush in order to try out the newest software as soon as possible. The next time you want to install free software, follow these steps to minimize the risk of uninvited guests:
Try not to visit shady sites as they can be full of deceptive ads and sneaky redirects. For example, some illegal streaming platforms have fake "Download" and "Play" buttons.
When users click on them, a new tab opens and they get redirected to a random ad. That is why sometimes browser hijackers have their own dedicated promotional websites that boast about how great the app is making people want to try it.
Try not to get fooled by random websites, look for grammar and spelling mistakes, see if the design, images look professional, or if the text is readable. Legitimate sites will try to make everything easy to understand and read because they do not want to scare the visitors away.
The hijacker or push notification spam pages often have text that is hard to read making users exit, or do not bother reading the privacy policy, terms of use sections.
- Choose the "Custom" or "Advanced" installation method
- Read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy to find out what data will be gathered and what the app will be able to do on your device
- Check the file list and see if there are any additional apps. If you see some, untick the boxes next to their names so they would not install in your machine
How to remove Domain Trust Checker
How to remove Domain Trust Checker 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.
Step 1: Remove extensions you did not add
Domain Trust Checker often works through an extension, so go through the extension list of each browser:
chrome://extensionsedge://extensions- Extensions and themes in Firefox
Switch suspicious extensions off one at a time and reload the page where the problem shows, then remove the one that stops it, and any other you did not add.
Remember the other browsers and profiles on the PC. If Remove is missing or greyed out, a policy forces the extension, which the policy step deals with. Windows 11 and Windows 10 show the same pages.
Chrome on Windows 11: More > Extensions > Manage extensions. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Step 2: Put the search engine back
Domain Trust Checker replaces the browser's default search engine, so searches pass through its own page first.
Chrome: Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search, then Make default on Google, Bing or another engine you chose, and Delete on the entries you never added.
Edge has the same list under Manage search engines (search the Settings page for it), and Firefox under Settings > Search.
Look at On startup and the homepage settings too and remove any address you did not set. Nothing in this step differs between Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Chrome on Windows 11: check Search engine and On startup. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 3: Uninstall Domain Trust Checker
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11, or Settings > Apps > Apps & features in Windows 10.
Sort the list by install date and find Domain Trust Checker, then choose Uninstall from the three-dot menu next to it (in Windows 10, click the entry and then Uninstall).
Remove anything else installed on the same day that you do not recognise, because such programs usually arrive together in one installer. If the uninstaller opens a browser page with an offer or a survey, close it: the program is removed either way.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix
Step 4: Reset the browser
Finish the browser part with a reset, which puts the search engine, start page, new tab page and site permissions back to their defaults and switches extensions off. Chrome: Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults.
Edge: Settings > Reset settings. Firefox: Help > More troubleshooting information > Refresh Firefox, which also removes its extensions. Your bookmarks and saved passwords are kept, and the menus are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Reset settings. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 5: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan and remove everything it finds. Then select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now: the PC restarts and scans before Windows loads, which finds files that hide while Windows runs.
Save your work first, because the offline scan takes about 15 minutes. Both scans are built into Windows 11 and Windows 10, and a second scanner from another vendor is a useful extra opinion.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files.
More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
From our report of Nov 2021 · not reviewed since
Start the removal by going to your browser settings
First, you need to remove the Domain Trust Checker extension from your browser:
MS Edge (Chromium)
After you have finally got rid of the hijacker, you might still experience messed-up settings. By the way, it can also optimize your device and improve performance.
- 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 the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
- 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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
- 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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
- Click Safari > Preferences...
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
- 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.
From our report of Nov 2021 · not reviewed since
There still might be a PUP hiding in your machine
As we said before, you can infect yourself with PUAs by not paying attention during the installation process and browsing through shady sites.
If the previous removal method did not get rid of the intruder, and you still experience changed settings, you most likely have an unwanted program performing tasks without your consent. Identifying the program responsible for hijacking your browser might be difficult if you do not have experience. It could be disguised as an antivirus, image editing software, or anything else and look like a "handy" tool you may need.
If manual removal is what you prefer, we have instructions for Windows and Mac machines:
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
Questions about Domain Trust Checker
Can I safely uninstall Domain Trust Checker?
If you did not install Domain Trust Checker yourself and it is not part of your hardware or a program you rely on, yes. Uninstalling an unwanted program does not harm Windows.
Before you do, search the exact name and publisher to be sure it is not a driver tool, a printer utility or a game launcher with an odd name. Then remove it from Settings, Apps, Installed apps.
Ignore any offers or warnings in its uninstaller about losing protection or performance. Afterwards check Startup apps and your browsers for leftovers, and restart once to confirm that it does not reinstall itself.
Domain Trust Checker came back after I uninstalled it. Why?
Something else is reinstalling it. Common causes are a second program from the same publisher, a scheduled task that downloads it again, or a browser extension that keeps prompting for it. Sort Installed apps by install date and uninstall each entry from the same day that you did not choose.
Then open Task Scheduler and look in the Task Scheduler Library for tasks with updater-style names that you do not recognise. Check Startup apps in Task Manager too. If Domain Trust Checker still returns, start Windows in Safe Mode, uninstall it there and run a Microsoft Defender offline scan, which looks for loaders that ordinary scans can miss.
Should I just switch to another browser?
It may not help. Installers that add hijackers usually target every browser on the PC, and system-level changes such as the hosts file, DNS or proxy affect all browsers at once. A new browser also leaves the hijacker's program and extension in place, collecting data in the old one.
Remove Domain Trust Checker properly first. After that, use whichever browser you prefer; Chrome, Edge and Firefox all let you set and protect your own search engine. Import your bookmarks only after the old browser is clean.
I changed the search engine, but it switched back. Why?
The hijacker is still installed, and it rewrites the setting whenever the browser starts or the extension updates. Changing the setting is the last step, not the first. Find what controls it: the search settings page usually names the extension, and a greyed-out field means a policy.
Remove that source, restart the browser, then pick your search engine and delete the hijacker's entry from the list of saved search engines so it cannot be chosen by accident. Check again after a day, when extensions have had a chance to update.
Will resetting the browser remove Domain Trust Checker?
A reset disables extensions, restores the default search engine, start page and new tab, and clears temporary data and cookies. It keeps bookmarks, history and saved passwords. For many hijackers that is enough.
It does not remove a program installed in Windows, policies in the registry, changes to the hosts file or DNS, or edited shortcuts, so Domain Trust Checker can come back after a reset if one of those remains. Do the reset after removing the program and policies, not instead of it.
Is Domain Trust Checker a virus?
Not in the strict sense:
- Domain Trust Checker is unwanted software
- classed here as a search hijacker extension
- not a self-copying virus
Security programs often label such software as adware, a potentially unwanted program or a browser hijacker. It still needs removal, because it changes browser settings, shows ads and can lead you to unsafe pages. The larger risk is clicking an ad that leads to a fake update or scam page.
How did Domain Trust Checker get on my computer?
Our report lists the distribution as web stores, shady websites, deceptive ads, freeware installations. Software of this kind often comes bundled with free programs, fake updates or downloads from unofficial sites.
It can also arrive through a browser extension or a notification you allowed on a spam page. Think back to what you installed or allowed just before the first ad or redirect appeared.
Will my antivirus detect Domain Trust Checker?
Not always, because our check found no Microsoft Defender detection name for it. Our check found no Microsoft Defender detection name for it, so a scan may not name it. Update the security program first, then run a full scan instead of a quick one.
Also scan with a second on-demand scanner, because one program can miss what another finds. A clean scan does not prove the signs are gone, so check the browser extensions and installed programs by hand too.
Will Fortect remove Domain Trust Checker?
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 Domain Trust Checker, 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
- Howtogeek: PUPs Explained: What is a "Potentially Unwanted Program"? (read October 7, 2026)
- Phishing: What Is Phishing? (read October 7, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Freeware (read October 7, 2026)
- Makeuseof: Why Should You Avoid Illegal Streaming Sites? (read October 7, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)