Moviesfanatic.com is a fraudulent search directory which is offering quick access to movies

| Name | Moviesfanatic.com |
| Type | Browser Hijacker |
| Danger Level | Medium |
| Distribution | Spreads bundled together with freeware |
| Symptoms | Sets itself as the primary search provider by assigning to homepage, default search engine, and new tab URL |
Moviesfanatic.com is a fraudulent search engine which shares the features of a browser hijacker. In other terms, this search directory looks similar to Google, Bing or Yahoo. However, its primary goal is to hijack your regular browser and set itself as the primary search provider. This way, the potentially unwanted program (PUP) will be able to generate never-ending ads and track your activity online.
Usually, Moviesfanatic.com virus may infiltrate your computer in a bundle with freeware and shareware as an optional component. This is often done without any direct warning of the user. So, it is evident that such programs should never be trusted or let inside one's system.

After Moviesfanatic.com hijack, the user can notice slight changes which are applied to its regular browser, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer. At first, they might seem insignificant while later, the person is unable to use another search engine instead of this unreliable one.
That's the biggest problem because MovieFanatic also shares the features of an ad-supported program. In other terms, it tries to generate revenue for its developers by pay-per-click[1] marketing scheme — the contrivers gain profit from the traffic brought to affiliate websites from the fake search engine.

Even though we can't declare that each of Moviesfanatic.com search result is wrong, but you should keep in mind that one part of them can be filled with commercial content and links that may lead you to suspicious websites. In fact, there is a risk that you can end up on a site where hackers distribute malicious programs and infect your computer with one.
Finally, you should be aware of Moviesfanatic.com tracking ability. This browser hijacker is set to collect information about people's search terms, most visited websites and data that they enter when visiting them. No matter how harmless it may seem, there are lots of activities that require such information.

Note that the developers of MoviesFanatic will be able to access the following information:
- IP address;
- Geolocation;
- Clicked ads;
- Frequently visited pages;
- Search queries, etc.
Additionally, despite the fact that such data is classified as personally non-identifiable, some of the submitted details might contain personally identifiable information as well. Such actions should not be tolerated since you can never be sure that the collected details will not be misused against you in the future.

For all the reasons mentioned above, we recommend you to remove Moviesfanatic.com as soon as you notice its presence. This fake search directory might stealthily infiltrate additional components, so we suggest using a professional malware removal tool for the elimination procedure. Our top pick would be FortectIntego.
However, if you want to try manual Moviesfanatic.com removal, check the end of this article. There you will find guidelines showing how to uninstall this browser hijacker from your system and reset the modifications made.
Explaining how browser hijackers enter your system

We want to warn you, that potentially unwanted programs, including browser hijackers, are not remotely infiltrated on your system. In fact, you unconsciously can install these programs during the installation of unreliable free software online. Usually, it might be shady system optimization tools or PDF converters.
PUPs are distributed by employing a popular marketing tactic, called bundling[2]. This method is designed to offer two products as one to increase the sales. Unfortunately, many people are tricked to infiltrate browser hijackers without fully understanding it. Likewise, next time you install software, read its Privacy policy and End User's License Agreement.

Besides, you should select Custom or Advanced installation option and then carefully follow every installation step. When doing so, you should uncheck all pre-checked check marks that allow installation of PUPs. If this page has already shown up on your web browsers, you should think about its removal.
Uninstall Moviesfanatic.com virus right now

If you have noticed any of the symptoms mentioned above, it means that your computer is infected with Moviesfanatic.com virus. It is not as dangerous as ransomware-type infections. Although, its elimination might be tricky for a novice computer user and lead to system damage.
If you want to save your time and make sure that Moviesfanatic.com removal will be completed safely, NoVirus.uk team suggests choosing[3] an automatic elimination method. It requires you to get an antivirus and run a full system scan to examine and detect potentially unwanted programs. Later, the security software will uninstall them with a few clicks.
After you remove Moviesfanatic.com, do not forget to reset the alterations made by the browser hijacker to your system. Below you will find a guide showing how to reset Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer and other browsers to the primary state.
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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