MyShopSearch browser hijacker (virus) - Free Guide
MyShopSearch browser hijacker Removal Guide
What is MyShopSearch browser hijacker?
MyShopSearch is a browser hijacker that changes your search engine
Browser hijackers are an annoying occurrence for web users. MyShopSearch changes default browser settings like the homepage to Myshopsearch.com and displays deceiving advertisements while browsing the internet. This is a fake search engine because it does not provide unique search results but imports them straight from Google, which depend on your geolocation, so you might receive advertising content in your native language. By keeping this app in your system, you are putting your private information at risk of being exposed.
Additionally, pop-up ads displayed by MyShopSearch.com can be deceitful and lead users to shady websites where they can infect their devices with other PUPs and enter their personal information in an untrustworthy site
The most likely reason you are experiencing your browser behavior change is that you have a potentially unwanted application installed in your system which is performing these tasks without your knowledge. So changing your browser setting back to the way they were before will not fix it. The problem will exist until you find the program that is responsible for the operation.
| NAME | MyShopSearch |
| TYPE | Browser hijacker, potentially unwanted program |
| DISTRIBUTION | Bundled software, deceiving pop-up advertisements |
| SYMPTOMS | Browser's default search engine and other settings are altered; search results are shown from a different provider |
| DANGERS | Personal information tracking; pop-ups leading to dangerous websites |
| ELIMINATION | Remove the browser hijacker by scanning your device and finding the unwanted program performing these tasks without your consent |
| FURTHER STEPS | Use system diagnostics software FortectIntego to fix any damage caused by adware |
Bogus sites are used to show users commercial content like pop-ups and banners. Cybercriminals make money via pay-per-click ads. Alongside the malicious ads, they display legitimate ones, so it can be quite difficult to tell that something is operating in your system behind your back.
Besides being a PUP, MyShopSearch might also be a browser extension that you have added by accident or by visiting a shady website that tricked you into doing it. If you want to remove an unwanted browser extension, you can do it manually by going to your browser settings' extension section. 
Potentially unwanted programs disturb users' ease of use
Otherwise called PUPs or PUAs are one of the biggest problems you are experiencing issues while using your device. These programs can show themselves in a couple of different forms that could be anything from noticing that your device has slowed down to an unfamiliar browser extension suddenly added to your search engine.
When experiencing some kind of difficulty, it is harder for people to find the perpetrator if it is a PUP. After trying to change the system or browser settings to default, they quickly change back, which can cause a lot of confusion. Potentially unwanted programs come masked as regular apps that can seem to provide a lot of benefit for the user. But in reality, they usually just pretend to perform.
Usually, PUAs appear via bundled software. This happens when users download free app versions on third-party websites and hurry during the installation process. Users then do not notice that additional software was included as a package.
For example, this might be antivirus software that claims to be able to clean your system from unused files or clean your browsers. The program shows you that it cleaned up digital space for you when in fact, it did nothing. Instead, PUPs act in the background, collecting browsing data and using it how they want. They also can change important settings.
You can remove unneeded browser extensions or potentially unwanted programs by yourself, but if you do not know what you are doing and need assistance, we recommend using professional security software SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes – these can help try and fix any damage done if there is some.
If you had enough of scammy ads showing up on your screen, below you will find instructions on how you can remove unwanted 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 the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
![Remove extensions from Chrome]( "Remove extensions from Chrome")
Once you have successfully removed the malicious extensions from the browser, you should take a few more steps to get rid of this cyber threat completely. 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.
![Clear cache and web data from Chrome]( "Clear cache and web data from Chrome")
Protect yourself from suspicious extensions and programs
To prevent malicious extensions and PUPs from getting into your system, you can take these steps:
- When downloading apps from third-party distributors, do not rush through the installation process. Make sure there are no additional programs included together that you do not need. If you notice any, make sure to untick the boxes next to their names. Read through the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy. See what permissions you are granting for the program.
- Do not click on random ads carelessly. Check if there are no grammar or spelling mistakes and if the imaging looks professional. Also, read the domain and determine if it does not look suspicious.
- Research before adding anything to your browser. Read the reviews about extensions, look if anyone had any issues and decide if they are trustworthy.
If removing the extension did not help or you could not find it, you can reset your browser altogether. To reset Google Chrome manually, please follow these steps:
- 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.
![Reset Chrome 2]( "Reset Chrome 2")
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of MyShopSearch browser hijacker. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
Delete from macOS
Remove items from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- 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:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (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 Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
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.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
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.
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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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 unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of MyShopSearch browser hijacker registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting browser hijacker
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 Private Internet Access 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 Data Recovery Pro can also be effective and restore at least some of your lost data.
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