Keep Fast Search browser hijacker (virus) - Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge

What is Keep Fast Search browser hijacker?

Keep Fast Search changes the settings of your browser and causes redirects

Keep Fast Search changes the settings of users' browser

Keep Fast Search is classified as a browser hijacker because it changes the main settings, like the homepage, new tab address, and search engine. It adds keepfastsearch.com as a homepage and redirects users to search.yahoo. The web-based application may use various tracking technologies to collect data about users' browsing activities.

The main purpose of such apps is to generate revenue. There are several ways that this can be done. Such extensions can generate commercial content and receive payment every time you click on an ad^[1] or it can collect data using cookies and then sell them to advertising networks or other third parties.

Usually, browser add-ons are meant to provide some kind of benefits to the user that a default browser cannot. People love extensions that can block ads, dangerous pages, or automatically search for coupon codes for the biggest discounts while shopping online. Unfortunately, this is not one of those plugins and there are no functions that could be deemed beneficial. You should remove it by using our guide.

The name Keep Fast Search implies that the plugin should provide faster-searching speed but that is not true. In fact, this plugin makes the searching process longer as it redirects users to a different search engine. Before you add an extension to your browser, prompts will pop up informing you about the changes that it will make. You should pay attention to that as you can avoid such infections in the future.

Distribution methods

Usually, these types of applications appear in users' browsers after they surf through shady websites. Often the developers of rogue extensions create separate promotional websites that encourage users to download them. Often they use deceptive methods to promote their products.

You may notice that a lot of these browser plugins are “Recommended by Chrome” or “Recommended by Google” or any other well-known company. Fraudsters use these messages to appear trustworthy and make users more likely to install the program. That is why you should always do your research before pressing the “Download” button.

Use official web stores as they are the safest because the extensions that get listed go through an extensive review process. You should also read the reviews, look at the ratings, and how many users it has. Although it is rare, some browser hijackers sneak through the review process and get listed.

Keep Fast Search may collect browsing-related information

You should definitely avoid freeware distribution sites as they are filled with PUPs (potentially unwanted programs)^[2] and even malware. There is a possibility that the appearance of the Keep Fast Search is related to freeware installation as those sites often use software bundling^[3] to make their activity worthwhile. Follow the removal guide below to identify the issue and take care of it.

Remove the extension affecting your browser

The first thing you should do is go to your browser settings and check if you see Keep Fast Search in the list, any extensions with a similar name, or suspicious-looking add-ons in general. You can follow our guide if you need help:

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.

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 on Uninstall at the bottom.

MS Edge (Chromium)

• Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
• Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

Mozilla Firefox

• 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.

Safari

• Click Safari > Preferences…
• In the new window, pick Extensions.
• Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.

Internet Explorer:

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.

We suggest using FortectIntego maintenance tool to clear your browsers and to completely get rid of any remaining damage. This software is capable of getting rid of cookies and cache that are used to track your browsing activity. If you have not cleaned your browsers in a while, they can cause performance issues. The software can optimize your device and improve performance by deleting all junk files that you do not need.

Cookies collected by various websites and web-based applications can also be used to make a profit by selling them to advertising networks or other third parties. There have also been instances when browser cookies were hijacked and used for malicious purposes so we strongly recommend deploying the repair tool to prevent this from happening.

Scan the system to detect adware

If you have tried to remove the extension as shown in the guide below but were unsuccessful and still experience unwanted symptoms, there is a big chance that you have adware performing these tasks in the background of the machine without your knowledge.

Identifying a PUA can be a complicating process if you do not have experience. Often crooks disguise these programs as handy tools to make them less noticeable. It could look like an antivirus, system optimizer, media player, etc. Manual removal may also result in the renewal of the infection as you may not find all the related files.

If you are not sure what to do and you do not want to risk eliminating the wrong files, we suggest using SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes security tools that will scan your machine, eliminate it, and prevent such infections in the future by giving you a warning before a malicious program can make any changes. If manual removal is what you still prefer, we have instructions for Windows and Mac machines:

Windows 10/8:

1. Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
3. From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
4. Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
5. If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
6. Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.

Windows 7/XP:

1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
3. Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
4. At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
5. In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
6. Click OK once the removal process is finished.

Mac:

1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
2. In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
3. 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:

1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
2. Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
3. In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
4. Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.