InternetSpeedUtility is a browser hijacker that replaces new tab and other browser preferences

InternetSpeedUtility virus is a program that manipulates your web browser and interferes with time online significantly. The search engine gets changed to another provider once the new browser application is installed. It mainly happens behind your back because this is a PUP[1] is intrusive and manages to infect machines during simple browsing sessions. Affected browsers and devices start running slow and can even crash from time to time because procedures in the back affect the functions of the OS. Especially when the intruder alters the registry and similar parts of the device.
InternetSpeedUtility is the hijacker that runs its searches via MyWay search engine, so there are many versions like this tool in the wilds. You might encounter them at the same time. However, these PUAs all act the same and can affect the machine significantly since processes are not controllable and the program gets installed without your permission. Make sure to remove the intruder as soon as possible because it is not a valuable addition to your device. This hijacker is not malicious, but PUP detection rate[2] shows that it is considered possibly harmful.
| Name | InternetSpeedUtility |
|---|---|
| Type | Browser hijacker, potentially unwanted program |
| IP address | 23.66.69.101 |
| Distribution | Software bundle packages, deceptive ads, fake update prompts |
| Symptoms | Unknown extension InternetSpeedUtility gets installed on the system; homepage and new tab address are set to MyWay; search results are filled with sponsored links and ads |
| Developer | Mindspark |
| Risks | Installation of other potentially unwanted programs, privacy risks due to information gathering practices, financial losses, malware infections due to malicious content exposure |
| Removal | You can uninstall potentially unwanted programs by following the manual guide below or by scanning the computer with powerful anti-malware. This way you can easily remove InternetSpeedUtility |
| Optional steps | Computer infections can cause significant damage to system files or disrupt normal settings. To revert these changes and remediate the OS, perform a full system scan with FortectIntego repair software |
InternetSpeedUtility is the program that triggers changes to the homepage, default search engine, new tab, and new page preferences on the browser. It affects Google Chrome. Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari. It can also trigger installations of the system programs besides triggering issues with the web browser directly.
DownloadManagerNow; Mindspark Toolbar; MyChristianPortal; MyVedicTab; RecipeSearch; Daily Bible Guide are all versions of the same browser hijacker that promotes and pushes MyWay search engine from Mindspark. This particular InternetSpeedUtility should provide improvements to the system and help control the machine, make the time online more pleasant.
Promotional ads and pop-ups might encourage people to install InternetSpeedUtility willingly, but the additional activities and claims in those advertisements do not match. People get frustrated when the promised internet speed check starts acting as a cyber threat and affect every session online.
You should get rid of this PUP and eliminate any traces of the hijacker by running SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes. These are the tools that act as anti-malware or security programs and can find possibly dangerous files, programs, remove InternetSpeedUtility, or any other PUPs, more significant viruses.

InternetSpeedUtility removal might come to your mind right after the intrusive behavior starts interfering with your machine. However, the machine might be more affected than you think, so you should go for a proper method that can find all affected parts. Since the Windows registry gets affected too, run FortectIntego to repair the damage there and find other possibly corrupted parts.
InternetSpeedUtility can go for common data tracking behavior that other PUP developers and commercial content creators rely on, so experts[3] recommend avoiding any interaction with commercial sites and pop-up ads, banners, or even links that appear on the screen out of nowhere.
Try to act as soon as you can and remove InternetSpeedUtility redirect from the machine properly. It might start collecting browsing data and other information about your habits, so go through settings on the web browsing programs and make sure to eliminate any suspicious programs.

Avoid web stores and promotional ads that appear suspicious
There are many sites that show free download advertisements and offer freeware, system tools, other programs, various applications. Browser hijackers, adware, and other rogue apps tend to distribute themselves with the help of software bundling and deceptive advertisements.
There are many issues with these intruders, so PUPs are not the malware, but can lead to more problems. So avoid such installations of unwanted apps by choosing Advanced or Custom installation options every time you add anything new to the machine. This way you can control what gets installed and what does not.
Stay away from any suspicious ads, so you can avoid InternetSpeedUtility virus removal processes
There are various ways to catch this intruder on the machine. The best way to remove InternetSpeedUtility on the other hand – one. Of course, you can uninstall all the apps that concern you and clear the web browser yourself, but anti-malware tools and security programs provide more in these cases.
InternetSpeedUtility removal is not the only procedure that can help you fight the potentially unwanted programs on the machine. Anti-malware tools give the opportunity to delete the intruder, but software designed for system optimization and repair helps with virus damage recovery and systems' general improvement.
Uninstall from Windows
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.

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
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.

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.

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.
- 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.

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 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.

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.

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