FVD Speed Dial. Operating principle: browser hijacking

FVD Speed Dial – a legitimate browser addon that delivers “Welcome to FVD Speed Dial Quick Tour” pop-ups on Chrome

FVD Speed Dial

FVD Speed Dial is a browser add-on developed by Nimbus Web Inc., acts as a browser-hijacking application.^[1] This component is available for web browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera and has its own promotion website. If you give this page a visit, you will see that the application is promoted by describing many useful functions that it includes – it replaces the new tab and homepage with 3D predefined images for quick bookmarks. Furthermore, some users might find it very comfortable to use as FVD Speed Dial is compatible with all Windows, Android, and Mac OS.

Once you install FVD Speed Dial on your computer or device, this program will set your web browser search engine to mys.yoursearch.me or my.yoursearch.me and the user will be forced to use the new search section. Also, zones such as the homepage, new tab URL will also relate to this browser-hijacking application.

Besides changing the search provider to Bing, the app also began exhibiting suspicious behavior. Users said that Welcome to FVD Speed Dial Quick Tour keeps popping up each time they launch Google Chrome web browser. Without a doubt, this behavior is intrusive and unwelcome and should be eliminated immediately – check the bottom section of this article for the instructions.

Name	FVD Speed Dial
Type	Browser hijacker
Search engine set to	Bing
Engine(s)	mys.yoursearch.me or my.yoursearch.me
Suitable for	Chrome, Firefox, etc.
OS-based	Mac, Windows, Android
Handy features	Fast access to websites that are most frequently visited, enhanced bookmarks appearance, monitoring backgrounds, backups
Annoying activities	Redirecting to affiliate sources, advertising during browser sessions, Welcome to FVD Speed Dial Quick Tour popup each time the browser is started
Dangers	Redirects can take you to malicious websites
Removal	You can delete the browser hijacker quickly by following our instructions below
Additional tips	Scan your machine with anti-malware and then fix any damage that could have been sustained due to malware infection with Fortect Intego repair software

Even though this application is not a virus, it still has the name of FVD Speed Dial as it can be secretly distributed throughout third-party sources. This also is one of the main reasons why this add-on is categorized as a browser hijacker and potentially unwanted program. If you visit the app's website, you will see that developers describe it as a very handy tool:

The best tool for saving and organizing the links to your favorite sites. Classy design, dial customization, convenient backup – all these are just a few of the features that will be available to you.

However, one of the most attractive things about FVD Speed Dial is that this application can be downloaded for free. Besides this, the official website promotes other features of the browser hijacker such as fast access to popular websites, monitoring the background, changing the size and colors, also saving backups of important data.

Sadly, FVD Speed Dial hijack might bring much more unpleasant things and activities than beneficial ones. Besides changing browser settings, the browser hijacker can also start causing redirects to affiliate websites. This activity is not only annoying but can also relate to landing on potentially dangerous sources.

If you have been wondering is FVD Speed Dial safe, this is the answer for you. The browser hijacker itself is not a harmful application but it still can bring damage to your computer indirectly. Redirects from this program can relate to malicious program downloads such as ransomware viruses, spyware, or Trojan horses.

FVD Speed Dial hijack

Furthermore, FVD Speed Dial might start displaying pop-up notifications while using the infected web browser for collecting benefits from the pay-per-click technique. If this happens, advertisements might start overloading your computer screen and overusing system resources for ad-promoting purposes.

FVD Speed Dial removal is the best thing to do if you started receiving rogue actions from this PUP or if you just one to bring your original search engine back. Also, by eliminating the browser hijacker, you will prevent other activities, for example, collection of your browsing data (links clicked, bookmarks saved, pages visited, etc).

You can remove FVD Speed Dial with the help of reputable anti-malware software such as SpyHunter Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes Malwarebytes. Also, you can take a look at the below-given step-by-step guide if you are looking for manual guidelines. You will find instructions at the end of this page and be able to eliminate all unwanted extensions,^[2] add-ons, and plug-ins within a few clicks. If you find more suspicious/malicious programs on your computer, you should also ensure that it is remediated with Fortect Intego or similar repair software after the elimination process is complete.

Browser hijackers distribute secretly just like other PUPs

Some browser-hijacking applications are beautifully promoted on their own official websites and most of them are completely legitimately distributed throughout the Web. However, these types of programs are still linked to the PUP category because they can reach the targeted system unknowingly throughout other free software.

Such things happen all the time and the best way to prevent them is by opting for safe configuration. Our suggestion would be the Custom or Advanced installation mode which allows controlling all incoming objects. Additionally, be aware of all Quick and Recommended options as these do not include protection from suspicious apps.

According to security specialists,^[3] secret PUP distribution can also happen while just visiting third-party sources and clicking on links/advertisements that are provided there. A reputable anti-malware tool with a secure browsing feature is the best security measure that you can take while dealing with secondary sources on the Internet sphere.

FVD Speed Dial browser hijacker

FVD Speed Dial removal guide(automatic + manual)

If you are happy with the extension and don't mind ads and redirects, you can keep it installed. However, nobody likes the fact that Welcome to FVD Speed Dial Quick Tour keeps popping up – an annoying pop-up disturbs users' online activities. To fix this, you should immediately update your Google Chrome browser, as well as the extension itself. You can delete the extension if you are unhappy about it, however.

FVD Speed Dial removal is not that hard of a process if you combine it with ransomware or trojan elimination. However, it still requires the user's full attention, especially when the person is completing the removal by using the manual technique. Here you will need to clean both the infected operating system and web browser applications.

Make sure that once you remove FVD Speed Dial virus from your Windows or Mac machine, you take a look at your browser apps. The browser hijacker can have filled browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Safari with questionable add-ons, plug-ins, and extensions.

Another way to get rid of FVD Speed Dial hijack is by opting for automatic repair software. These programs are more trustworthy and can handle the entire process in two-three minute length. However, just make sure that you choose a reputable program, otherwise, you might not be that satisfied with the results as you were expecting to be.

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