GsearchFinder toolbar (Virus Removal Instructions) - 2021 update
GsearchFinder toolbar Removal Guide
What is GsearchFinder toolbar?
GsearchFinder is a browser hijacker that can slow down your computer by displaying a lot of suspicious ads
GsearchFinder is a potentially unwanted program that shows advertisements. Technically, it’s not a virus, but it can still cause problems. That’s why a lot of people are looking for information about this tool.
If you often download different freeware from the Internet, do not be surprised if one day you will encounter the GsearchFinder virus residing on your PC. It is a browser hijacker program that you can unknowingly download along with other popular software.
Such widely used browsers as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox Google, or Internet Explorer can be the targets of GsearchFinder hijack. Apple users should also be careful since this PUP may infiltrate the Safari browser as well.
Just like other browser hijackers, this tool works by taking over your default browser and modifying its settings. You will quickly notice when you get infected with the GsearchFinder virus since your default search engine and homepage will be changed to Bing.com without your permission.
You will also notice a GsearchFinder search toolbar pinned on the top of your browser. This helper object will make sure you are always redirected to the assigned websites and prevent you from reverting the changes made by this virus.
GsearchFinder toolbar is yet another browser hijacker that may show questionable ads and slow down the computer.
However, be aware that the GsearchFinder redirect issue will not be the only problem causing you a headache. One in your computer, this hijacker also works as adware and injects an extensive amount of ads into your visited websites and web pages.
Most commonly ads by GsearchFinder are displayed on e-commerce sites, eBay, Amazon, or others and may offer you to obtain particular products for a relatively small price. However, you should not be deceived by such appealing propositions. The browser hijacker may often modify these ads just to trick you into clicking on them.
However, we do not advise you to do so.
When clicked, these ads may instantaneously redirect you to some dangerous websites, which may infect your system with a variety of malware and other viruses. What is more, this GsearchFinder redirect issue may also cause your personal and non-personal information to be exposed to hackers and online scammers.
In this way, you can get scammed, lose money, or become a victim of identity theft. The best way to prevent this is to remove GsearchFinder from your computer.
You should also be aware that this PUP may collect your non-personal information, such as browsing history, search queries, the sites you visit most, your IP, email address, and other data. In this way, GsearchFinder generates ads more relevant to your interests and increases the possibility of you clicking on them. Every click brings developers money since these ads are based on the pay-per-click principle.
Therefore, if you want to prevent the malicious program creators from gaining illegal profit, you should delete GsearchFinder from your computer immediately. For the removal, you can use some reputable anti-malware tools like SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes. You can also find manual removal instructions at the bottom of this article.
You probably downloaded the browser hijacker without even noticing it
Getting infected with an annoying browser hijacker is not difficult. You simply have to download some freeware from an untrusted Internet source.
Usually, the potentially unwanted program developers distribute their programs specifically through such unreliable sites and attach them to other popular programs. In this way, the users who rush through the installation by using “Quick” or “Recommended” settings install the bundled PUPs into their computers unwillingly.
To avoid installing unwanted programs on your computer, you should always follow all the steps of the installation. Using “Custom” or “Advanced” settings is essential if you want to disclose the additional programs to be installed on your computer. If you have already downloaded browser hijacker, continue reading this article for some tips on its removal.
Instructions on how to get rid of GsearchFinder
Removing potentially unwanted programs takes time. If you want to save some of it, you should obtain some trustworthy anti-spyware tool to take care of the problem for you. It will quickly and effectively remove GsearchFinder, and you will not have to worry as much about your computer’s health in the future.
You can also choose the manual GsearchFinder removal method if you feel confident about your computer skills. For that, you can use the detailed step-by-step virus removal guide prepared by our team of experts provided below.
Also, keep in mind the need to install new applications only using the custom/advanced installation method. Otherwise, you will download a potentially unwanted program again.
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 GsearchFinder toolbar. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
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)
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
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 GsearchFinder toolbar 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 browser hijacker
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices. Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using Private Internet Access VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact – you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process.