InitialSite123.com virus. How to remove? (Uninstall guide)
InitialSite123.com is a PUP which pretends to be reliable search engine
InitialSite123.com virus is a browser hijacker which can easily start redirecting[1] you to unknown websites against your will. This virus is also known as InitialSite123 and is almost identical to Initialpage123.com. The main sign showing that you are dealing with it is its appearance instead of your homepage, a new tab page and the default search engine address. These changes are initiated only on Chrome and Firefox web browsers without users' approval and cannot be fixed easily. Despite that it is not a malicious program,[2] like a Trojan or ransomware virus, its removal procedure can be a pain in your neck because this virus immediately installs browser helper objects and similar components on your computer. If you are dealing with InitialSite123.com removal with no luck, you should know that the easiest and the most effective way to remove it is using reliable anti-malware software. 
Questions about InitialSite123.com virus
The main reason why Initialsite123 is considered an untrustworthy program is that it doesn’t really care about providing relevant information for its users. Instead, it strives for pay-per-click revenue[3], therefore, it incorporates numerous third-party links into its search results. Be careful when using the defined search tool because it might unexpectedly cause a redirect to a certain third-party website and force you to visit it. You can never know what awaits you on such sites, so better keep your distance from them. If you noticed that this search engine creates a path to shady gambling, adult-oriented or gaming websites that attack you with offers to install new programs or provide your personal information[4], stop using that search tool immediately and install a good anti-spyware software to remove the indicated browser hijacker immediately. The best way to remove it is to use Reimage or rely on manual instructions provided below the article.
Click 'Start -> Control Panel -> Programs and Features' (if you are 'Windows XP' user, click on 'Add/Remove Programs').
If you are 'Windows 10 / Windows 8' user, then right-click in the lower left corner of the screen. Once 'Quick Access Menu' shows up, select 'Control Panel' and 'Uninstall a Program'.
Right click on each of suspicious entries and select 'Uninstall'
Right click on browsers' icon and select 'Properties'
Select 'Shortcut' tab and delete 'http://isearch.babylon.com...' or other suspicious URL
Cick 'Go' and select 'Applications'
Click on every malicious entry and select 'Move to Trash'
Click on menu icon and select 'Manage add-ons'
Right click on each of malicious entries and select 'Disable'
Delete malicious URL, enter your desired domain name and click 'Apply' to save changes
Go to 'Advanced' tab and click on 'Reset' button. Now select 'Delete personal settings' and click on 'Reset' button again
Go to Settings and select 'Choose what to clear'
Select 'Clear' button
Open the start menu and select 'Task Manager'
Right-click 'Microsoft Edge' and select 'Go to details'
Select 'More details' if 'Go to details' option fails to show up
Find Microsoft Edge entries and select 'End Task'
Go to Microsoft Edge folder on your computer, right-click every entry and click 'Delete'
Find Windows PowerShell, right-click it and select 'Run as administrator'
Copy and paste a required command and press 'Enter'
Click on menu icon and select 'Add-ons'
Select 'Extensions' and look for malicious entries. Click 'Remove' to get rid of each of them
When in 'General' tab, delete malicious URL from 'Home Page' section or click on 'Restore to Default' button. Click 'OK' to save changes
Click on menu icon and then on '?'. Select 'Troubleshooting Information'
Click on 'Reset Firefox' button for a couple of times
Click on menu icon. Select 'Tools' and 'Extensions'
Look for malicious entries and delete each of them by clicking on the Trash bin icon
After clicking on menu and 'Settings', select 'Set pages'
Click 'X' to remove malicious URLs
When in 'Settings', select 'Manage search engines...'
Click 'X' to remove malicious URLs
When in 'Settings', scroll down to 'Reset browser settings' button and click on it
Click on 'Reset' button to complete your removal
Click on 'Safari' and select 'Preferences'
Go to 'Extensions' and uninstall malicious add-ons
When in 'General', delete malicious URL and enter your desired domain name
Click on 'Safari' and select 'Reset Safari...'
Select all options and click on 'Reset' button
Protecting your PC from browser hijackers
To avoid browser hijackers, adware-type programs and similar potentially unwanted software, you need to choose software download sources carefully. We strongly advise you to choose Custom or Advanced, and not Standard or Default installation settings for the setup. These settings will provide you with the list of suggested third-party downloads and allow you to drop them off. If you don’t manually configure components of your download, remember – all programs bundled with your desired software will be installed without asking you twice[5]. That is the main reason why we do not recommend choosing Standard/Basic/Express/Default settings in software installers. Such program should be avoided, because they can unintentionally collect some personally identifiable details about the user, too. To protect your PC from InitialSite123.com hijack and possibly other shady programs that try to step into the computer system without user’s permission, we suggest you
InitialSite123.com removal techniques from Chrome and Mozilla browsers
To remove InitialSite123.com virus from Chrome and Firefox web browsers, you need to follow instructions provided below. Make sure you are attentive enough to find all add-ons and extensions that look suspicious to you. You should get rid of all add-ons that belong to the same developer because they can re-install this virus on your computer behind your back. However, if you do not want to use a guide given below, you can perform InitialSite123.com removal process with the help of security software which is presented to you here:
You can remove virus damage automatically with a help of one of these programs: Reimage, Malwarebytes MalwarebytesCombo Cleaner, Plumbytes Anti-MalwareMalwarebytes Malwarebytes. We recommend these applications because they detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
To remove InitialSite123.com virus, follow these steps:
Remove InitialSite123.com from Windows systems
To remove InitialSite123 from Windows, your goal is to find all shady-looking programs or those programs that were installed without your knowledge. Make sure you uninstall them according to these rules:
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Click Start → Control Panel → Programs and Features (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
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If you are Windows 10 / Windows 8 user, then right-click in the lower left corner of the screen. Once Quick Access Menu shows up, select Control Panel and Uninstall a Program.
- Uninstall InitialSite123.com and related programs
Here, look for InitialSite123.com or any other recently installed suspicious programs. -
Uninstall them and click OK to save these changes.
- Remove InitialSite123.com from Windows shortcuts
Right click on the shortcut of Mozilla Firefox and select Properties. -
Go to Shortcut tab and look at the Target field. Delete malicious URL that is related to your virus.
Repeat steps that are given above with all browsers' shortcuts, including Internet Explorer and Google Chrome. Make sure you check all locations of these shortcuts, including Desktop, Start Menu and taskbar.
WindowsMac OS XFirefoxGoogle ChromeGet rid of InitialSite123.com from Mac OS X system
To remove this hijacker from Mac OS X, you must uninstall suspicious applications that were installed without your consent.
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If you are using OS X, click Go button at the top left of the screen and select Applications.
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Wait until you see Applications folder and look for InitialSite123.com or any other suspicious programs on it. Now right click on every of such entries and select Move to Trash.
Eliminate InitialSite123.com from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
To remove InitialSite123 from Firefox, go to the list of all installed extensions and remove this add-on. If you can't find an extension with such name, look for other extensions installed on the same day and remove all of them.
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Remove dangerous extensions
Open Mozilla Firefox, click on the menu icon (top right corner) and select Add-ons → Extensions. -
Here, select InitialSite123.com and other questionable plugins. Click Remove to delete these entries.
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Change your homepage if it was altered by virus:
Click on the menu (top right corner), choose Options → General. - Here, delete malicious URL and enter preferable website or click Restore to default.
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Click OK to save these changes.
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Reset Mozilla Firefox
Click on the Firefox menu on the top left and click on the question mark. Here, choose Troubleshooting Information. -
Now you will see Reset Firefox to its default state message with Reset Firefox button. Click this button for several times and complete InitialSite123.com removal.
Uninstall InitialSite123.com from Google Chrome
To fix Google Chrome after hijack, make sure you delete this extension from Chrome. Check what other questionable extensions are provided in the Extensions tab and delete them without a hesitation.
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Delete malicious plugins
Open Google Chrome, click on the menu icon (top right corner) and select Tools → Extensions. -
Here, select InitialSite123.com and other malicious plugins and select trash icon to delete these entries.
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Change your homepage and default search engine if it was altered by your virus
Click on menu icon and choose Settings. -
Here, look for the Open a specific page or set of pages under On startup option and click on Set pages.
- Now you should see another window. Here, delete malicious search sites and enter the one that you want to use as your homepage.
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Click on menu icon again and choose Settings → Manage Search engines under the Search section.
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When in Search Engines..., remove malicious search sites. You should leave only Google or your preferred domain name.
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Reset Google Chrome
Click on menu icon on the top right of your Google Chrome and select Settings. -
Scroll down to the end of the page and click on Reset browser settings.
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Click Reset to confirm this action and complete InitialSite123.com removal.
About the author
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References
- ^ URL redirection. Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia.
- ^ Limor Kessem. Commercial Malware Makes a Comeback in 2016. Security Intelligence. Analysis & Insight on Information Security.
- ^ Pay-Per-Click Marketing: Using PPC to Build Your Business. WordStream. Online Advertising Made Easy.
- ^ Online Safety Tips: Protecting Your Personal Information. University of Washington - DO-IT. Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology.
- ^ Top 10 Ways PUPs Sneak Onto Your Computer. And How To Avoid Them. Emsisoft Blog. All about Computer Security.