MyStart Toolbar: what it is and how to remove it
MyStart Toolbar is a suspicious browser extension that may sneak into the system via other free downloads, corrupt your default web browser's settings and may try to redirect you to predetermined websites. The extension changes user's homepage to hxxp://mystart.com/ and suggests using a vague search engine provided on it.
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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MyStart Toolbar: summary
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Name | MyStart Toolbar |
| Type | Search hijacker extension |
| 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 | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
|---|---|
| Search page | mystart.com |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 3 August 2017 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
Is MyStart Toolbar dangerous? What it collects
From our report of Aug 2017 · not reviewed since
A full description of MyStart Toolbar
MyStart Toolbar is a suspicious browser extension that may sneak into the system via other free downloads, corrupt your default web browser's settings and may try to redirect you to predetermined websites. The extension changes user's homepage to hxxp://mystart.com/ and suggests using a vague search engine provided on it.
The developer of this app, Visicom Media Inc., describes it as a "browser extension that brings the functionality of your favorite social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Youtube, MySpace, and LinkedIn to your fingertips.
It allows any social media user to quickly access social sites with handy shortcuts, perform searches, read social news, and take advantage of the built-in social apps to interact with their friends on Facebook or Twitter."
Sounds attractive, we must agree. However, in reality, this program has several serious downsides due to which it has been already categorized as a browser hijacker and a potentially unwanted program (PUP). According to security researchers, there is no need to keep this toolbar on the system. The reasons to remove it are listed and explained below.
If this toolbar gets inside your computer, it changes the homepage to mystart.com, whereas Yahoo! may appear as a default search engine .
MyStart virus may deliver altered search results that try to promote third party websites and raise their ranking. Once you receive the search results, you should look at the tab name. It says "Visicom Yahoo Search results." We can assure you that these are not identical to the real Yahoo search results.
This search provider may fill results with various sponsored links and advertisements that can redirect you to unsafe websites. In addition to MyStart redirect problem, in the extract above you may see the lines that notify about phishing sites and stealing of personal info.
At this point, we want to clarify that the browser hijacker isn't related to VisiCom Systems, Inc. - it is an entirely different company that has nothing in common with the development of potentially unwanted programs.
Be aware that this PUP itself tracks user's browsing activities and may even collect some of the personally-identifiable data, which may further be used for various proposes. For example, your email might be used to send you annoying commercial offers that you might identify as spam.
Besides, personal details collected about you can be accessed by MyStart employees. If you do not like this idea, we advise you to delete this plug-in and rely on a more reputable extension if you need one.
The hijacker reportedly actively attacks Chinese computer users. If you are from China, we kindly invite you to take a look at information about this hijacker in Wubingdu.cn site .
- First of all, MyStart spreads alongside other free programs and can be offered as an opt-in addition to you. Sadly, many users do not know how to opt out it, so it gets into computer systems without user's consent (in the majority of cases);
- The browser hijacker automatically changes browser's settings without CLEARLY informing the user first. Users find such feature annoying;
- The suspicious search tool suggested by www.mystart.com site delivers altered Yahoo results that are full of ads. Clicking these can trigger redirects to highly dangerous external sites.
- The browser hijacker doesn't let the user change browser's preferences until it gets removed from the system.
From our report of Aug 2017 · not reviewed since
It is easy to avoid potentially unwanted programs
It is quite easy to avoid installing PUPs - you only need to know their main distribution methods.
To say broadly, My Start Toolbar appears on your web browser when you accept to install it. However, much more frequently people accept to install it inadvertently when installing another free program, such as download manager or video streaming software.
Various well-known download websites, such as CNET, Brothersoft, or Softonic distribute bundled programs. Therefore, it is all in your hands if you want to avoid installation of bundled programs. The only way to avoid downloading the vague Toolbar and similar PUPs is to do a small research about the program and install it with extreme carefulness.
Always read End-User License Agreement, Privacy Policy, comments and reviews of other users because this way you may find out what additional components this program carries and what downsides does it have.
Besides, select Advanced or Custom installation option and deselect suggestions to install unfamiliar programs or to modify your web browser in any way. If you have already installed the browser hijacker, do not wait longer and remove it right now.
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
mystart.com
How to remove MyStart Toolbar
How to remove MyStart Toolbar and get your search engine back
Remove the extension first.
The search settings only stay fixed once nothing on the PC can change them again.
Step 1: Remove extensions you did not add
MyStart Toolbar often works through an extension, so go through the extension list of each browser:
chrome://extensionsedge://extensions- Extensions and themes in Firefox
Switch suspicious extensions off one at a time and reload the page where the problem shows, then remove the one that stops it, and any other you did not add.
Remember the other browsers and profiles on the PC. If Remove is missing or greyed out, a policy forces the extension, which the policy step deals with. Windows 11 and Windows 10 show the same pages.
Chrome on Windows 11: More > Extensions > Manage extensions. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Step 2: Put the search engine back and delete mystart.com
Searches that pass through
mystart.commean the browser's default search engine was replaced. Chrome: Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search, then Make default on Google, Bing or another engine you chose, and Delete on mystart.com.Edge has the same list under Manage search engines (search the Settings page for it), and Firefox under Settings > Search.
Look at On startup and the homepage settings too and remove the hijacker's address there. Nothing in this step differs between 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 3: Uninstall programs you did not mean to install
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11, or Settings > Apps > Apps & features in Windows 10, and sort the list by install date. Look at what appeared around the day the problem started and uninstall every program you do not recognise or did not choose.
Free converters, PDF and video tools, "system optimizers" and unknown browsers are the usual carriers of MyStart Toolbar. If a name is unclear, search for it before you remove it, so you do not uninstall a driver or a Windows component.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix
Step 4: Reset the browser
Finish the browser part with a reset, which puts the search engine, start page, new tab page and site permissions back to their defaults and switches extensions off. Chrome: Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults.
Edge: Settings > Reset settings. Firefox: Help > More troubleshooting information > Refresh Firefox, which also removes its extensions. Your bookmarks and saved passwords are kept, and the menus are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
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
Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan and remove everything it finds. Then select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now: the PC restarts and scans before Windows loads, which finds files that hide while Windows runs.
Save your work first, because the offline scan takes about 15 minutes. Both scans are built into Windows 11 and Windows 10, and a second scanner from another vendor is a useful extra opinion.
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
You should uninstall all Visicom Media Inc. related entries to complete MyStart Toolbar removal on your computer. We recommend you to find Toolbar Cleaner, Anti-phishing Domain Advisor, and similar entries.
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
Remove MyStart from Chrome using instructions we prepared. You can find them down below.
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 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.
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
To remove MyStart Toolbar and prevent its reappearance in the future, you need to uninstall Toolbar Cleaner, Anti-phishing Domain Advisor and similar entries that are related to Visicom Media Inc.
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.
Protect your privacy - employ a VPN
There are several ways how to make your online time more private - you can access an incognito tab.
However, there is no secret that even in this mode, you are tracked for advertising purposes. There is a way to add an extra layer of protection and create a completely anonymous web browsing practice with the help of VPN. This software reroutes traffic through different servers, thus leaving your IP address and geolocation in disguise.
Besides, it is based on a strict no-log policy, meaning that no data will be recorded, leaked, and available for both first and third parties. The combination of a secure web browser and VPN will let you browse the Internet without a feeling of being spied or targeted by criminals.
No backups? No problem. Use a data recovery tool
If you wonder how data loss can occur, you should not look any further for answers - human errors, malware attacks, hardware failures, power cuts, natural disasters, or even simple negligence.
In some cases, lost files are extremely important, and many straight out panic when such an unfortunate course of events happen. Due to this, you should always ensure that you prepare proper data backups on a regular basis.
If you were caught by surprise and did not have any backups to restore your files from, not everything is lost. is one of the leading file recovery solutions you can find on the market - it is likely to restore even lost emails or data located on an external device.
From our report of Aug 2017 · not reviewed since
Remove MyStart.com redirect virus
To prevent your browser from redirecting you to suspicious sites, remove MyStart virus straight away.
Since this program may cause infiltration of various suspicious programs on your PC and initiate annoying modifications on your web browser, you should consider which method you are going to use for MyStart removal.
You can either use a guide which is given below or install a reliable anti-spyware program. The most effective ones are given right below. Once you install one of these programs, you should update it and run a full system scan.
Questions about MyStart Toolbar
Is it safe to keep mystart.com as my search engine?
It is not recommended. Searches through mystart.com usually still return results, but the operator sees every query, often stores it with an identifier for your browser and shows extra ads or paid links. Some hijacked results lead to fake downloads or scam pages.
You also did not choose it, which means something changed your settings without asking and may still be installed. Set your own search engine back, remove the extension or program that set mystart.com, and check the browser's other settings, such as the start page and notification permissions, for further changes made at the same time.
Is mystart.com a virus?
It is a browser hijacker, not a virus in the classic sense. mystart.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.
Why do my searches go to mystart.com?
Because the browser's default search engine was changed to it. MyStart Toolbar did that through an extension, a program or a browser policy, and as long as that source remains, the setting points to mystart.com.
The page then passes your query to a real search provider, so the results look almost normal, with extra sponsored links on top. Changing the search engine back on its own does not last, because the source resets it. Remove the extension or program first, then the policies if any, then set your own search engine.
Is it safe to keep searching with mystart.com?
We would not. Every query you type is logged by its operators and shared with their advertising partners, and the sponsored links at the top are chosen for payment, not relevance. Results that look like a download page or a support site may lead to scams.
The page will not damage Windows by itself, but there is no benefit in keeping it: the results come from another search engine anyway. Remove MyStart Toolbar and use that search engine directly, by typing its address or choosing it in the browser settings.
Which browsers does MyStart Toolbar affect?
We saw it in Chrome, Edge and Firefox. That does not mean the other browsers on your PC are safe: hijacker installers usually change every browser they find, and browser sync can carry an extension to other computers signed in to the same account.
Check the search engine, home page, new tab, extensions and policies in each browser you have, including ones you rarely open. Chrome and Edge profiles count separately, so switch to each profile and check it as well before you call the job done.
What does mystart.com know about me?
It knows what you searched for while it was your search engine, when, from which IP address and with which browser, and usually which results you opened. Tracking cookies let it connect those searches into a profile. It does not see your saved passwords or files.
After removing MyStart Toolbar, delete the cookies and site data for mystart.com so the profile cannot be continued, and remove it from the browser's list of saved search engines. Signing out of important sites and back in also replaces session cookies.
Would an ad blocker stop MyStart Toolbar?
Not really. An ad blocker can hide some of the sponsored results on mystart.com, but it does not change your search engine back or remove the extension that set it. Your searches would still pass through the hijacker's servers and be logged.
Some ad blockers include tracking filters that block parts of the redirect chain, which can break searches altogether. Remove MyStart Toolbar with the plan above; an ad blocker is a reasonable extra afterwards, from the official store only and from a developer with a long track record.
The results look like Google or Bing. Is that real?
Partly. Many hijacker search pages pass your query to a real search engine and show its results, so the list looks familiar. What changes is the frame around it:
- extra sponsored links at the top
- the hijacker's own tracking
- sometimes a design that copies a known search engine
You can tell by the address bar. If it shows mystart.com or another unfamiliar domain instead of the search engine you know, the results come through a middleman. Remove MyStart Toolbar and search directly.
Should I just switch to another browser?
It may not help. Installers that add hijackers usually target every browser on the PC, and system-level changes such as the hosts file, DNS or proxy affect all browsers at once. A new browser also leaves the hijacker's program and extension in place, collecting data in the old one.
Remove MyStart Toolbar properly first. After that, use whichever browser you prefer; Chrome, Edge and Firefox all let you set and protect your own search engine. Import your bookmarks only after the old browser is clean.
Will Fortect remove MyStart Toolbar?
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 MyStart Toolbar, 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: Yahoo Redirect virus. How to remove? (Uninstall guide) (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)