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  • Active
  • Severity: High
  • Stealing programs
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · May 2018

How to remove My-search.com

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Olivia Morelli · Ransomware analyst

My-search.com is a browser hijacker that can collect certain information about users

Illustrating My-search.com start page

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[1] 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.

Summary
Name My-search.com
Type Browser hijacker
Extension My Search
Developer APN, LLC; 
Versions My-search.com, www-mysearch.com, Search.mysearch.com and Hp.mysearch.com
Compatible browsers Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, etc.
Distribution Software bundling, web store
Symptoms Hijacked homepage and new tab URL, invasive adverts continually displayed, etc.
Elimination Automatic elimination with FortectIntego; manual – see below this post

Once installed, it can do the following:

  • 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;

My-search.com is not malware.[2] 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:

THIS PRODUCT IS NOT SPYWARE OR ADWARE.

It is ironic how APN, LLC wanted to highlight such a statement in their EULA. They are right, it is not spyware[3] 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[4] 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 FortectIntego 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. Therefore, as soon as you notice a non-typical behavior while browsing on the Internet associated with My-search.com, run a scan with a professional anti-malware and remove the PUP without delay.

My-search.com hijacker

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.

My-search.com hijacks Google Chrome

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.

My-search.com hijacker's removal guide

There are two ways to remove My-search.com website. You can either run a scan with FortectIntego or follow the guide that is given below. 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.

MySearch extension

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.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  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.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.Reset Internet Explorer

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from 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 Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. 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.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. 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.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. 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:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

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