My: what it is and how to remove it
My-search.com is a dubious application that started to circulate the world wide in 2015. Several versions of the browser hijacker emerged, including www-mysearch.com, Search.mysearch.com and Hp.mysearch.com.
Facts checked October 7, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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My: summary
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Name | My |
| Type | Fake search engine |
| Symptoms | A changed search engine |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 5 more facts
| Evidence | 5 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
|---|---|
| Search page | my-search.com |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 10 May 2018 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
What My changes in your browser
THIS PRODUCT IS NOT SPYWARE OR ADWARE.
Is My dangerous? What it collects
From our report of May 2018 · not reviewed since
My-search.com is a browser hijacker that can collect certain information about users
My-search.com is a dubious application that started to circulate the world wide in 2015.
Several versions of the browser hijacker emerged, including www-mysearch.com, Search.mysearch.com and Hp.mysearch.com. All of these apps have same purpose: infiltrate users machines without them noticing and make changes to Google Chrome or other browser and disturb users' browsing sessions by redirecting to questionable sites, displaying invasive ads, adding additional components without permission and similar activities.
Once installed, it can do the following:
My-search.com is not malware. However, due to the above-enumerated traits has been assigned to two categories - potentially unwanted program (PUP) and browser hijacker. Nevertheless, the presence of PUP diminishes PC's resistance to malware and causes web browser's slowdowns.
Search.mysearch.com has an official End User License Agreement and Privacy Policy which can be accessed directly from the hijacked homepage (at the bottom of the page). We dug into these detailed policies, and found the following statement:
It is ironic how APN, LLC wanted to highlight such a statement in their EULA. They are right, it is not spyware and neither it is adware. However, it is a browser hijacker which falls in the same category - potentially unwanted programs.
My Search purpose is to earn money for third-parties by promoting their sites and increasing their visitor's rate. However, some of the parties may be black-minded hackers, that may manage phishing websites and try to execute a malicious JavaScript malware or inject a bunch of crypto-currency miners that can ruin your PC.
Therefore, to decrease computer's vulnerability and close the backdoor to cyber infections, remove My-search.com virus. You can do that with or follow manual My-search.com removal instructions that are given down below this article.
Also, this dubious search poses a risk to people's privacy. Statistically, most of the PUPs install tracking cookies and use them for the accumulation of browsing history, IP address, email address, and similar information.
- Cause redirects to My-search.com instead of opening preferred domain;
- Change default start page and search provider to My-search.com;
- Set My-search.com as a default new tab URL;
- Inject My Search toolbar on Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge or another web browser;
- Generate potentially dangerous advertisements;
- Return compromised search results;
- Install cookies and accumulate browsing history;
From our report of May 2018 · not reviewed since
Variations of the virus
As we already mentioned, there are few variations of MySearch.
My-search.com. This browser hijacker enters users' machines without permission and changes homepage and new tab URL to hxxp://www.my-search.com/search?aid=. All the search queries are redirected to Yahoo (meaning that My Search is participating in Yahoo's affiliate program). While redirecting, the user's IP and other data are tracked, and the browser might show the following: "Waiting for http://my-search.com/," "Connecting to http://my-search.com/," and similar.
www-mysearch.com. The version on the virus swaps your default search engine and homepage to hxxp://www-mysearch.com and lets users choose from few beautiful backgrounds on the start page. It infiltrates user's machines with other software in a bundle.
One good example is VPlay, as it offers MySearch as an additional component. Www-mysearch.com can install Windows Service, which allows it to start with every bootup. Additionally, all the searches are redirected to Bing.
Search.mysearch.com. After setting hxxp://search.mysearch.com as homepage, this browser hijacker will continually provide questionable search results. Although the search engine announces that they are "Enhanced by Google," it is entirely wrong.
As soon as you type in the search query, you will see tons of sponsored links that lead to partners' websites. Thus, if you want accurate search results, use a legitimate search engine, such as Google or Yahoo.
Hp.mysearch.com. Just like other versions of MySearch, this dubious application instantaneously modifies browser settings and sets homepage and new tab address to hxxp://hp.mysearch.com. The homepage offers various links to most popular sites on the web: Facebook, YouTube, Gmail, Instagram, etc. It also promises users "Enhanced by Google" search results, but does nothing but displaying adverts continually.
From our report of May 2018 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on My
- My-search.com, www-mysearch.com, Search.mysearch.com and Hp.mysearch.com
- Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, etc.
- Hijacked homepage and new tab URL, invasive adverts continually displayed, etc.
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
my-search.com
How to remove My
How to stop My from opening
The search page is only the end point.
These steps remove what sends the browser there, then put the search engine back.
Step 1: Put the search engine back and delete my-search.com
In Chrome open Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search, make an engine you trust the default, and delete
my-search.comfrom the list.In Edge type
search engineinto the search box at the top of Settings and open Manage search engines; in Firefox use Settings > Search. Then check the homepage and the new tab page in the same settings, because hijackers change all three.If my-search.com is back after a restart, an extension, a program or a policy still sets it, so finish the other steps and check again. The settings are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Chrome on Windows 11: check Search engine and On startup. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 2: Remove extensions you did not add
In Chrome open
chrome://extensions, in Edgeedge://extensions, and in Firefox the menu > Extensions and themes.Remove every extension you do not remember adding, especially search, new tab, coupon, PDF, weather or video downloader add-ons. Check every browser and every profile, because each keeps its own list.
If an extension has no Remove button or comes back, a browser policy holds it (see "Managed by your organization" in the procedure below). The pages are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Chrome on Windows 11: More > Extensions > Manage extensions. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Step 3: Uninstall programs you did not mean to install
My rarely comes alone: it is usually installed by, or together with, a free program. In Windows 11 open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, in Windows 10 Settings > Apps > Apps & features, and sort by install date.
Uninstall every entry from the day the trouble began that you did not install on purpose, for example a download manager, a converter or a browser you never chose.
Keep drivers and entries from Microsoft, Intel, AMD, NVIDIA or your PC's maker unless you are sure.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix
Step 4: Reset the browser
A reset removes what the steps above could miss:
- changed start pages
- site permissions
- hidden settings
In Chrome open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults; in Edge Settings > Reset settings; in Firefox Help > More troubleshooting information > Refresh Firefox.
Tip: Bookmarks and saved passwords stay, while extensions are turned off and the search engine and start page return to the defaults.
Reset every browser on the PC, including Edge, which Windows 11 and Windows 10 always have.
Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Reset settings. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 5: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
A scan finds the parts of My that the manual steps cannot see. In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, start a Full scan and quarantine what it reports.
Follow it with Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) > Scan now, which restarts the PC and checks the disk while Windows and the malware are not running.
It takes about 15 minutes and works the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10. If either scan finds something, run the full scan again after removal until it comes back clean.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Uninstall from Windows
Get rid of My-search.com manually. For this purpose, delete associated malware from Programs and Features. The following tutorial will help you:
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.
Remove from Google Chrome
My-search.com hijacker can implement various unwanted activities, which is why it's removal is highly advisable. To get rid of it, you have to do the following:
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.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
My-search.com URL can be deleted form the system by these steps:
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.
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)
To fix browser hijacker infection, relaunch your web browser and follow these steps:
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.
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.
Delete from macOS
If you cannot delete My-search.com from Mac OS X, try this method:
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
Once you delete all potentially unwanted programs from the system, make sure to reset IE to eliminate My-search.com extension:
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.
Stream videos without limitations, no matter where you are
There are multiple parties that could find out almost anything about you by checking your online activity.
While this is highly unlikely, advertisers and tech companies are constantly tracking you online. The first step to privacy should be a secure browser that focuses on tracker reduction to a minimum.
Even if you employ a secure browser, you will not be able to access websites that are restricted due to local government laws or other reasons. In other words, you may not be able to stream Disney+ or US-based Netflix in some countries. To bypass these restrictions, you can employ a powerful VPN, which provides dedicated servers for torrenting and streaming, not slowing you down in the process.
Data backups are important - recover your lost files
Ransomware is one of the biggest threats to personal data.
Once it is executed on a machine, it launches a sophisticated encryption algorithm that locks all your files, although it does not destroy them. The most common misconception is that anti-malware software can return files to their previous states. This is not true, however, and data remains locked after the malicious payload is deleted.
While regular data backups are the only secure method to recover your files after a ransomware attack, tools such as can also be effective and restore at least some of your lost data.
From our report of May 2018 · not reviewed since
Entry of potentially unwanted program can be prevented
As we have pointed out before, PUPs are capable of infecting PCs without being revealed.
That's true, indeed. However, it doesn't mean that they cannot be stopped from doing so. PUP developers promote unpopular browser add-ons, extensions or toolbars via free downloads and ensure that they will be downloaded along with the main executable by pre-selecting them and including in Advanced or Custom installation method.
Consequently, people who download/install free programs inappropriately, end up with the whole software package on the system. "Inappropriate" installation is when a PC's owner selects Quick or Basic installation option and clicks Enter button all the time. Instead of that, the user should opt for Advanced installation method and choose out of free attachments before clicking Finish button.
From our report of May 2018 · not reviewed since
My-search.com hijacker's removal guide
There are two ways to remove My-search.com website.
However, there are a handful automatic removal advantages. First of all, this way you'll save your precious time. Second of all, professional anti-malware tool will remove all suspicious and dangerous programs from the system; hence ensuring full protection and improving performance.
If, however, you have some IT knowledge and have some spare time to clean your PC's litter, carefully follow the instructions and remove My-search.com virus. Once done, don't forget to reset the affected web browser. Otherwise, My-search.com redirects will keep harassing you.
Questions about My
Why does my search engine keep changing to my-search.com?
Because something keeps setting it. An extension can change the search engine every time the browser starts, and an ad-supported program in Windows can do it for every browser and re-add the extension after you remove it. Some hijackers also add a policy that locks the setting.
Changing the search engine back only works once the source is gone. Remove extensions you do not recognise, uninstall programs installed around the time my-search.com first appeared, and then set the search engine again. If it still returns, check the browser for the Managed by your organization message and follow the policy steps in this guide.
Is my-search.com a virus?
It is a browser hijacker, not a virus in the classic sense. my-search.com is a search page that an extension or program set as your default without a clear choice from you.
It does not destroy files or spread to other PCs, but it takes control of your searches, collects them and shows ads, and the software behind it is often bundled with other unwanted programs.
Many antivirus products flag such software as potentially unwanted. Removing the extension or program and resetting the search engine is enough in most cases. A full scan afterwards checks for anything else that came with it.
What is my-search.com?
It is the search page used by the browser hijacker My. It has no search index of its own: it forwards your queries to another search engine and adds ads and tracking along the way.
People rarely choose it on purpose; it becomes the default search engine, home page or new tab after an extension, program or policy changes the browser settings. The page itself is not malware, but it should not be in your browser if you did not set it. The steps above remove the source and restore your settings.
Is my-search.com dangerous?
It is not designed to infect the PC, but it is not neutral either. It logs searches, adds sponsored results that are hard to tell apart from real ones, and its ad partners are not checked as strictly as those of major search engines.
Some hijacker pages have shown ads for fake updates, tech support scams and unwanted software. The main harm is to privacy. Remove My, and if you entered personal data on sites reached through its results, check those sites carefully.
Do I have to fix every browser?
Yes, every one where the search engine or start page changed. In the cases we checked, My affected Chrome, Edge and Firefox.
Each browser stores its own search settings and extensions, so fixing one does not fix the others, and Windows-level changes such as shortcuts can affect each browser differently. Work through them one at a time:
- remove the extension
- check the policies
- restore the search engine
- start page
If you sync a browser, stay signed in so the fix spreads to your other computers.
Did my-search.com record my searches?
Almost certainly. Logging is the point of a hijacker search page: each query, with your IP address, browser details and the result you clicked, is valuable to advertisers.
The operators of my-search.com can store and share that data under their own privacy policy, which you never agreed to knowingly. There is no way to delete it from their side. What you can do is stop the flow:
- remove My
- clear cookies and site data for my-search.com
- treat sensitive searches made in the meantime as known to a third party
Is only one browser affected?
Often not. Programs that install hijackers tend to change every browser they find, and sync can carry the extension to other computers signed in to the same browser account. Check Chrome, Edge and Firefox, even the ones you rarely use, and look at the shortcut targets on the desktop and taskbar for each.
If you use sync, remove the extension while signed in so the removal syncs too. Also check the On startup setting and the new tab page, because hijackers change those as well as the search engine.
Can I just block my-search.com?
You can, but it treats the symptom. Blocking the domain in a firewall or the hosts file makes searches fail instead of redirecting, while the extension or program that set it keeps running and collecting data.
Hijacker operators also switch to new domains in updates, so a block may stop working within weeks. Remove the source instead, then set your own search engine. If you want extra protection afterwards, turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking in Windows Security, which stops many hijacker installers before they run.
Why can't I change my search engine back?
Because something keeps setting it. If an extension controls the search engine, Chrome and Edge show a note that an extension is controlling this setting, and your change is reverted. If a policy controls it, the field is greyed out and the browser shows Managed by your organization.
Remove the extension first, then the policies, and only then change the search engine; the change will stay. If it still reverts, look for a program in Installed apps or a scheduled task that reinstalls the extension.
Will Fortect remove My?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For My, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- 2-Spyware: Computer viruses and malware (read October 7, 2026)
- Naked Security: Ransomware that's 100% pure JavaScript, no download required (read October 7, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 7, 2026)