Holasearch.com: what it is and how to remove it
Holasearch.com is categorized as a misleading search engine that comes together with the Hola Search Toolbar. Users have been complaining that this browser hijacker unexpectedly appears on browser apps such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox but it mostly shows up on Internet Explorer.
Facts checked October 6, 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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Holasearch.com: summary
| Distribution | Suspicious products such as Holasearch come bundled with other freeware and shareware from websites such as download.com, softonic.com, soft32.com, and cnet.com |
|---|---|
| Name | Holasearch.com |
| Type | Browser hijacker/potentially unwanted program |
| Related file | This browser hijacker comes together with the Hola Search Toolbar that includes the holasearch.dll file in Internet Explorer |
| Changes | The rogue app can hijack web browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Safari, and append the http://www.holasearch.com search engine, homepage, and new tab URL bar |
| Activities | The browser hijacker can start providing advertisements that carry rogue offers and aim to earn pay-per-click income. Also, the PUP can initiate redirects to other sponsored domains some of which might be potentially dangerous, start collecting browsing-related data by including HTTP cookies, beacons, and pixels into the browser settings |
| 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
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Symptoms | A changed search engine |
| Evidence | 5 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Search page | holasearch.com |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 12 February 2020 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Is Holasearch.com dangerous? What it collects
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
Holasearch.com - a browser hijacker that can append a rogue argument to some of the Windows desktop shortcuts
Holasearch.com is categorized as a misleading search engine that comes together with the Hola Search Toolbar.
Users have been complaining that this browser hijacker unexpectedly appears on browser apps such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox but it mostly shows up on Internet Explorer.
The PUP (potentially unwanted program) leaves a rogue process named holasearch.dll that belongs to its toolbar and acts as an extension for the Explorer browser. Hola Search aims to compromise the default search provider, homepage, and new tab URL bar by setting them to http://www.holasearch.com.
If you are constantly getting redirected to Holasearch.com, this also might be a sign that you have another third-party component such as Certified Toolbar installed on your web browser. However, most of the time it is the browser hijacker that is causing all the trouble.
No matter how hard you try to reset the engine back to Google, it only stays for a while until the next time you refresh the web browser and the Hola search engine reappears.
When Holasearch.com virus gets installed on the Windows computer, it might start running questionable processes in the Windows Task Manager and inject bogus keys into the Registry section. Furthermore, you might find the http://www.holasearch.com argument included in some of the shortcuts on your desktop or on your Windows Startup Menu. If you are employing a Mac device, you might find third-party apps added to the Applications section.
Hola search, also known as ihola!, is a questionable search engine that replaces the default provider such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo. Once the settings are configured, the victim is not able to permanently reverse the engine back to its primary state.
So, once the browser hijacker infiltrates your web browser, you are stuck with its new search provider. Keep in mind that you can easily be provided with fake or misleading results if you start initiating search requests.
Holasearch.com might try to fake its useful functionality by providing quick access to e-shopping platforms such as AliExpress, eBay, and other handy websites such as Booking or Tripadvisor.
However, you can easily create fast access of your own by including bookmarks to your web browser. There is no need for using the PUP's services when you have other alternatives. Besides, the app will bring you more negative things than positive ones.
Holasearch.com is an unfair search engine, which can easily try to return for your altered search results and, with the help of them, may redirect you to its affiliate websites.
Most of these pages are likely to be filled with sponsored advertisements, however, this is not all that you can find there. Sometimes, redirecting sessions are capable of taking the user to potentially malicious domains which often relate in severe malware infections, e.g. ransomware viruses or trojans.
While we cannot claim that this program is a virus or malware, holasearch.com should not be trusted and should never be used instead of the default search engine and the start page.
Otherwise, there is no guarantee that you would not be redirected to questionable websites that are promoted just for helping them to increase their page rank or sales. Please, keep in mind that this search engine has been created for monetization purposes.
Holasearch.com itself can deliver intrusive advertisements during browsing sessions. Most of the time, developers seek to gain pay-per-click income form each click that is performed on the provided ads.
However, you should not trust any content that is produced by the browser hijacker as the PUP is likely to bring bogus offers and deals to the surface. Also, you might get provided by various technical support scams, fake reward claims, and other misleading messages.
Hola search can come bundled with other potentially unwanted programs such as adware, scareware, or browser hijackers. When the mentioned app arrives at your computer system, you should initiate a full investigation process and check if has not left any other questionable programs on the device. Nevertheless, the browser hijacker can act as an intermediary for malware distribution and spread dangerous virus forms such as trojans, spyware, ransomware, worms.
Finally, beware that holasearch.com may also try to collect information about your browsing habits. Typically, this program is interested in people's search terms, mostly visited websites, data that they enter when visiting them, the IP address, geographic location, and browser technical information. When this type of information is collected by using HTTP cookies or pixels, beacons, developers can share it with other parties for gaining monetary profit.
If you are willing to receive legitimate search results, you should remove Holasearch.com form each of your web browsers (Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and other ones). This will also help you to avoid redirects to unknown websites, slowdowns, various pop-up ads, and similar inconveniences.
Get rid of the PUP with the help of a reliable antimalware tool or by using the manual step-by-step guidelines that have been added to the end of this article.
Holasearch.com removal also includes fully cleaning web browser apps such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Safari as they might also be filled with various bogus extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons. If the browser hijacker has brought other suspicious or malicious programs to your computer system, you should check it for possible damage. If you discover any altered areas, try repairing them with a tool such as .
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Holasearch.com
- If you have discovered any compromised areas on your PC, you can try fixing them with
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
Browser hijackers employ stealth techniques to occupy browsers
Browser-hijacking applications can be easily downloaded to the system manually.
However, the most used method for its distribution is called bundling and the PUP can easily infiltrate your computer in a bundle with freeware and shareware. If you do not want to download a rogue app accidentally, you should start monitoring the installation of third-party software.
You should try to pay more attention to the installation process of download managers, PDF creators and similar programs by selecting Custom or Advanced installation of the freeware. After doing so, you should deselect all suspicious checkmarks that can appear during the installation of the software. Also, avoid downloading products and services from unsecured third-party downloading sources such as cnet.com, download.com, softonic.com, and soft32.com.
According to LosVirus.es specialists, browser hijackers can also invade the computer system through fake software updates. If you are browsing the Internet and get provided with a rogue update request, do not rush to agree with it. First, take your time for searching the recently released updates of the app. Then, get all required upgrades only from the official developers and original Internet sources.
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
holasearch.com
How to remove Holasearch.com
How to remove Holasearch.com 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
Holasearch.com 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 and delete holasearch.com
Searches that pass through
holasearch.commean the browser's default search engine was replaced. Chrome: Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search, then Make default on Google, Bing or another engine you chose, and Delete on holasearch.com.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 the hijacker's address there. 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 programs you did not mean to install
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11, or Settings > Apps > Apps & features in Windows 10, and sort the list by install date. Look at what appeared around the day the problem started and uninstall every program you do not recognise or did not choose.
Free converters, PDF and video tools, "system optimizers" and unknown browsers are the usual carriers of Holasearch.com. If a name is unclear, search for it before you remove it, so you do not uninstall a driver or a Windows component.
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
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Uninstall from Windows
To properly clean your Windows operating system from suspicious programs and products installed, you should apply the following instructing steps.
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.
Remove from Google Chrome
To make sure that the browser hijacker is no longer active on your Google Chrome web browser, you should apply the below-provided instructions.
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.
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.
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.
Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.
Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.
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
To erase all questionable browser helper objects from Internet Explorer and bring the web browser back to its previous state, use these guidelines.
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.
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 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 can also be effective and restore at least some of your lost data.
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
Removing Holasearch.com virus permanently
Holasearch.com removal should be taken care of as soon as you see the hijacked search engine in your web browser.
Keep in mind that the longer you postpone the elimination, the worse the annoying activities might get.
If you want to remove Holasearch.com by yourself and already have experience in this type of field, you can go for it. Below we have provided some manual guiding steps that should be helpful while trying to clean your Windows, Mac operating systems and web browser applications such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Safari.
Questions about Holasearch.com
Is it safe to keep holasearch.com as my search engine?
It is not recommended. Searches through holasearch.com usually still return results, but the operator sees every query, often stores it with an identifier for your browser and shows extra ads or paid links. Some hijacked results lead to fake downloads or scam pages.
You also did not choose it, which means something changed your settings without asking and may still be installed. Set your own search engine back, remove the extension or program that set holasearch.com, and check the browser's other settings, such as the start page and notification permissions, for further changes made at the same time.
Did holasearch.com come with a program I installed?
Most likely, yes. Search hijackers such as holasearch.com usually arrive with free software, where an extra offer is pre-ticked in the installer, or as an extension that promises something useful, such as file conversion, maps, recipes or streaming.
Look at Settings, Apps, Installed apps sorted by install date: whatever was installed just before the search engine changed is the main suspect. Uninstall it, then remove any extension you do not recognise. In future, choose the custom or advanced option in installers and untick extra offers, and install extensions only from the official store pages of publishers you know.
Why do my searches go to holasearch.com?
Because the browser's default search engine was changed to it. Holasearch.com did that through an extension, a program or a browser policy, and as long as that source remains, the setting points to holasearch.com.
The page then passes your query to a real search provider, so the results look almost normal, with extra sponsored links on top. Changing the search engine back on its own does not last, because the source resets it. Remove the extension or program first, then the policies if any, then set your own search engine.
Is it safe to keep searching with holasearch.com?
We would not. Every query you type is logged by its operators and shared with their advertising partners, and the sponsored links at the top are chosen for payment, not relevance. Results that look like a download page or a support site may lead to scams.
The page will not damage Windows by itself, but there is no benefit in keeping it: the results come from another search engine anyway. Remove Holasearch.com and use that search engine directly, by typing its address or choosing it in the browser settings.
Which browsers does Holasearch.com affect?
We saw it in Chrome, Edge and Firefox. That does not mean the other browsers on your PC are safe: hijacker installers usually change every browser they find, and browser sync can carry an extension to other computers signed in to the same account.
Check the search engine, home page, new tab, extensions and policies in each browser you have, including ones you rarely open. Chrome and Edge profiles count separately, so switch to each profile and check it as well before you call the job done.
What does holasearch.com know about me?
It knows what you searched for while it was your search engine, when, from which IP address and with which browser, and usually which results you opened. Tracking cookies let it connect those searches into a profile. It does not see your saved passwords or files.
After removing Holasearch.com, delete the cookies and site data for holasearch.com so the profile cannot be continued, and remove it from the browser's list of saved search engines. Signing out of important sites and back in also replaces session cookies.
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.
Would an ad blocker stop Holasearch.com?
Not really. An ad blocker can hide some of the sponsored results on holasearch.com, but it does not change your search engine back or remove the extension that set it. Your searches would still pass through the hijacker's servers and be logged.
Some ad blockers include tracking filters that block parts of the redirect chain, which can break searches altogether. Remove Holasearch.com with the plan above; an ad blocker is a reasonable extra afterwards, from the official store only and from a developer with a long track record.
The results look like Google or Bing. Is that real?
Partly. Many hijacker search pages pass your query to a real search engine and show its results, so the list looks familiar. What changes is the frame around it:
- extra sponsored links at the top
- the hijacker's own tracking
- sometimes a design that copies a known search engine
You can tell by the address bar. If it shows holasearch.com or another unfamiliar domain instead of the search engine you know, the results come through a middleman. Remove Holasearch.com and search directly.
Will Fortect remove Holasearch.com?
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 Holasearch.com, 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
- Search Security: PUP (potentially unwanted program) (read October 6, 2026)
- Wikipedia: HTTP cookie (read October 6, 2026)
- Security and spyware news: LosVirus (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)