Skip to content
  • Active
  • Severity: High
  • Stealing programs
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Oct 2017

How to remove Hi.fo virus

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Linas Kiguolis · Expert in social media

Reasons that explain the need of Hi.fo removal

Hi.fo virus

Hi.fo is a domain associated with a potentially unwanted program (PUP) that redirects user’s search queries to Search.hi.fo.com and serves sponsored results. This shady search tool is clearly designed for Russian-speaking users[1]; however, the majority of them keep looking for ways to remove Hi.fo from their browsers. If you have discovered that your browser keeps opening this suspicious search site without your request, too, we strongly advise reading this article.

Hi.fo virus removal can be a complicated task if you do not know where to start looking for its components. However, before we begin the explanation on how to remove Hi.fo from Chrome and other browsers, we want to explain why this suspicious domain appears in your browser.

Cybersecurity experts tend to identify such programs as “browser hijackers” since they spread silently and alter browser settings without user’s knowledge.[2] A very similar one is Hi.ru virus which we described earlier.

The sudden change of browser’s homepage and suspicious search results appearing on your screen are the first signs of a low-level computer infection. Browser hijackers are not considered malicious; however, their activities are highly annoying, and search services they provide can quickly land you on hazardous web pages, so we highly suggest thinking about Hi.fo removal options if you haven’t done so yet.

Search Hi.fo engine inserts Russian ads into search results and wants the user to click on them. Consequently, this would lead the user to external websites. Sadly, there is no way to figure out whether the websites behind ads are secure and trustworthy or not.

Visiting them can put your computer at risk, so we recommend avoiding the described search engine as much as possible. Ideally, remove Hi.fo virus using simple guidelines provided by 2-Spyware experts (scroll down the page to find them).

Hi.fo redirect virus

When experiencing never-ending redirects to http://Hi.fo/?44 or a similar domain, you should think about your security and privacy. The suspicious domain can be collecting every search query you make, websites you visit and links you click for market analysis.

Also, whatever personal details you enter into search engines can be transmitted to servers belonging to this suspicious browser hijacker developers as well. An immediate Hi.fo removal can help you to solve the issue and make your browser normal again. A very efficient system cleanup can be completed using programs like FortectIntego.

Avoiding potentially unwanted programs has never been so easy

Browser hijackers belong to “potentially unwanted programs” category, which means you can prevent their installation quite easily. Unlike ransomware or Trojans,[3] they do not employ illegal methods to trick the victim into installing them. You have to agree with their installation, which usually takes place during installation of a completely different program. For this reason, you have to inspect each software installer you encounter.

When installing free programs, look for shady-looking statements about additional software to be added to your computer. If possible, deselect such statements. When using Default or Standard installation options, you will likely won’t get permission to touch these settings at all, so we suggest picking Custom or Advanced installation mode.

Remove Hi.fo homepage from browser

Do not hesitate and remove Hi.fo virus if you installed it unknowingly. It is your choice what programs to keep on your computers and which ones to delete, so use the tutorial provided below to locate and erase components of Hi Fo Search. In case you can’t find all of them, and the described search engine still appears in Firefox, Chrome and other web browsers, consider trying the automatic removal option.

Although it is not necessary to use anti-spyware or anti-malware software for Hi.fo removal, we suggest it as a highly recommended option. It will save you tons of time and also ensure that all spyware/malware threats get eliminated at once.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.Reset Internet Explorer

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. 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.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. 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.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. 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:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

Be the first to comment

Spyware news
Privacy preferences

We use cookies to improve your experience and analyze traffic. Some cookies enable embedded content like videos and social posts. Choose what you allow — you can change this anytime.