Fast Browser Search (Removal Guide) - Jul 2017 update
Fast Browser Search Removal Guide
What is Fast Browser Search?
What is Fast Browser?
Fast Browser is an untrustworthy search tool that finds its way to victims' computers with the help of software bundling technique. Once installed, Fast Browser Search virus swaps current homepage and default search address with fastbrowsersearch.com. To keep the changes and prevent the user from changing them, the browser hijacker may employ additional files and modify Registry Entries.
Fast Browser Search is a potentially unwanted application, which can also be categorized as browser hijacker. It seems that it has already annoyed hundreds of PC users who have discovered installed it on their computers behind their back.
There's no surprise that people actively look for a way that could help them delete this search engine from their browsers because Fast Browser malware is the one that tends to cause annoying redirections, slow downs, and other issues. It may also interrupt its victims with commercial advertisements and may even initiate dangerous activities on the system.
Most importantly, this browser hijacker is capable of recording users' activity on the Internet and may start collecting such information as people's search terms, websites that they like to visit, time that they spend on each of them, data that they enter, clicks and similar details.
That clearly violates privacy policy and should never be ignored. If FastBrowser Search has already hijacked each of your web browsers (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc.) and has started causing redirects to affiliate websites, you should follow a guide at the end of this post. Of course, running a full system scan with a reliable anti-spyware (try using FortectIntego) is the easiest method that can be used to remove Fast Browser Search.
In case you are looking for Fast Browser for Windows 8, 10 or other operating systems, this browser hijacker shouldn't be an option. It doesn't improve the performance of your computer – it simply starts controlling it and may even slow it down.
It goes without saying that the only way to make this hijacker go is to remove Fast Browser Search virus using a powerful anti-malware software or instructions prepared by our team.
Fast Browser Search virus is a pesky computer infection that seeks to force users to search the Internet via fastbrowsersearch.com search engine.
Avoid browser hijackers easily
Fast Browser Search is distributed via two different methods. In most of the occasions, users download it just like any other program. However, it may also show up on your machine without asking a clear permission for that. In this case, you should know that you can download this browser hijacker in a bundle with other programs.
According to security experts, it is mostly spread using download managers, video streaming software, video recording software, PDF creators and similar programs that are primarily spread on the Internet for free. If you want to prevent its infiltration, you should uncheck all checkboxes that agree to check your start page, new tab page, and default search engine.
Besides, you should also avoid installation of suspicious browser plugins, add-ons, extensions, and plugins. For getting this ability, you should always opt for Custom or Advanced installation of the freeware. You should select one of these methods at the beginning of program's installation.
If you have just noticed that your searches are redirected to FastBrowserSearch.com, it means that this hijacker is already hiding in your computer. Please, do NOT ignore that as it may try to redirect you to unknown websites that are used for spreading questionable programs. To fix your computer, you follow the guide which is given below.
Uninstall Fast Browser Search
A quick way to remove Fast Browser Search virus is to perform a complete system scan using a trustworthy anti-malware software. This will help you to stop annoying fastbrowsersearch.com redirects, pop-up ads, slow downs and similar issues. We recommend using programs listed below or those we reviewed (check the Software page on your site).
If you are determined to delete this virtual parasite manually, you should carefully read these Fast Browser Search removal guidelines that we provided. This hijacker tends to hide under various names, and that makes it a hard-to-detect computer threat.
However, if you came to this article looking for instructions on how to uninstall Fast Browser because you do not want to use an automatic spyware/malware removal tool, scroll down to see them.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of Fast Browser Search. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
To remove Fast Browser Search from Windows, you must uninstall these programs via Control Panel:
- My Web Tattoo;
- Fast Browser Search;
- Make the Web Better;
- Search Guard;
- Search Guard Plus.
In addition, you need to Program Files or Program Files x86 folder and find a folder called SGPSA. Here, find and delete these two files:
- BHO.dll;
- FBStoolbar.dll.
Then go up one folder and delete the SGPSA folder.
Now, press down Windows Key + R and type regedit. Press OK.
In Windows Registry, find HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\ and delete {F0626A63-410B-45E2-99A1-3F2475B2D695} key in it.
Now, find HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\ and delete {F0626A63-410B-45E2-99A1-3F2475B2D695} from it.
Finally, access HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\ and delete {E3EA4FD9-CADE-4ae5-84F7-086EEE888BE4} Registry key.
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- 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.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- 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.
Delete from macOS
Remove items from Applications folder:
- 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)
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- 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.
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (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 Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
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.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
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.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
To clean Firefox from FastBrowserSearch remains, delete extensions that were installed without your permission. You should look for Search Guard, Seach Assistant and My Web Tattoo extensions.
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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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
Open Google Chrome and remove FastBrowser Search extension from it. If you find any other suspicious additions such as My Web Tattoo, Fast Browser Search Toolbar Helper, delete them as well.
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 the suspicious plugins that might be 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 unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of Fast Browser Search registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting stealing programs
Stream videos without limitations, no matter where you are
There are multiple parties that could find out almost anything about you by checking your online activity. While this is highly unlikely, advertisers and tech companies are constantly tracking you online. The first step to privacy should be a secure browser that focuses on tracker reduction to a minimum.
Even if you employ a secure browser, you will not be able to access websites that are restricted due to local government laws or other reasons. In other words, you may not be able to stream Disney+ or US-based Netflix in some countries. To bypass these restrictions, you can employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN, which provides dedicated servers for torrenting and streaming, not slowing you down in the process.
Data backups are important – recover your lost files
Ransomware is one of the biggest threats to personal data. Once it is executed on a machine, it launches a sophisticated encryption algorithm that locks all your files, although it does not destroy them. The most common misconception is that anti-malware software can return files to their previous states. This is not true, however, and data remains locked after the malicious payload is deleted.
While regular data backups are the only secure method to recover your files after a ransomware attack, tools such as Data Recovery Pro can also be effective and restore at least some of your lost data.