Home.spidersally.com virus (Removal Instructions) - updated Sep 2017
Home.spidersally.com virus Removal Guide
What is Home.spidersally.com virus?
Home.spidersally.com redirect is becoming more popular problem
Home.spidersally.com is a questionable search engine that travels with Spider Sally browser extension which attaches itself to Chrome web browser. The slogan, which reads “Play and search for awesome, fee games,” falls flat as the promoted games are nothing but that. Although it redirects to Google search results page and provides a bunch of quick access links to popular social networks, email services, and other websites, it is classified as a browser hijacker.
The add-on is designed to alter browser settings, attach a customized search bar, and redirects results to Yahoo or another provider. Unfortunately, users might quickly notice that the results are filled with multiple sponsored links, which might interfere with finding relevant information online.
Name | Spider Sally |
Type | Browser hijacker |
Distribution | Third-party websites, Google Web Store, software bundles |
Symptoms |
|
Removal | Uninstall PUPs by following our manual guide or employ antivirus program |
System fix | After the elimination of adware or malware, we highly recommend running a scan with FortectIntego repair software |
The extension widely travels across the world, including Sweden,[1] China, and the United States. After the installation, it can:
- Change the default search engine;
- Read and change user’s data on visited websites;
- Read and change browsing history;
- Communicate with cooperating websites;
- Manage apps, extensions, and themes.
Therefore, the hijacker takes control over Google Chrome and controls user’s behavior online. One of the most annoying features is that it can alter the browser’s settings and track user data in the background.
However, Home.spidersally.com removal is recommended for several reasons. First of all, this tool can use various publishers and third-party tracking technologies[2] to collect information about you. The main reason why the hijacker manages browsing-related data is advertising.
Being annoyed with third-party ads is not the main issue. Possible redirect problems are even worse. Some ads might lead to harmful or misleading sites that are created by scammers[3] and cybercriminals.
We strongly recommend you stay away from pop-ups, banners, or in-text ads in order to stay safe and sound. However, the better solution is hijacker’s removal – all you have to do is find the unwanted extension and uninstall it from your web browsers. A scan with SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner antimalware can also check for other PUPs or malware that could be hiding on your system.
Wrong software installation leads to system hijack
The add-on is available on the official website spidersally.com and Chrome Web Store. However, browser hijack often occurs suddenly and unexpectedly. Indeed, this potentially unwanted program (PUP) is known for being capable of spreading in software bundles.
Quick/Standard installation settings do not openly disclose about third-party apps that might be bundled with the primary program, so they are installed without user’s knowledge. To avoid this from happening, you should opt for Advanced/Custom setup and unmark pre-selected entries as soon as you see them.
Uninstall all unwanted programs and browser extension
To remove Home.spidersally.com from Chrome, you have to uninstall the Spider Sally extension and other suspicious entries. Also, you should delete tracking cookies and web data from your browser – a reset can also do the trick. If you are not sure how to do that, please follow the guide below.
However, as we already mentioned, if you have found the app on your system seemingly out of nowhere, it might be that there are other PUPs installed without permission.
Follow the instructions below to get rid of the suspicious entries. However, you can also opt for an automatic elimination option and use anti-malware software.
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 Home.spidersally.com virus. 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
Some of the Applications on Mac OS X might be related to this cyber infection. Thus, you should look up for these entries.
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 Home.spidersally.com 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
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
- ^ UtanVirus. UtanVirus. Swedish site about computer viruses and cyber security.
- ^ Christopher Butler. Online Tracking: If They Are Watching, Should You Watch, Too?. Newfangled. Consulting services.
- ^ Cyber-Criminality, Scams and Fraud: What to Expect in 2017. FraudWatch International Blog. Cyber security insights and protection tips.