Skip to content
  • Active
  • Severity: High
  • Stealing programs
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Oct 2017

How to remove Mystartshield.com virus

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

Alice Woods · Likes to teach users about virus prevention

MyStart Shield protection might not be that trustworthy

Mystartshield.com virus

Mystartshield.com is a deceptive website that might appear in your browser after installation of MyStart Shield extension for Chrome. Although this questionable program promises to protect user's searches, it mainly delivers sponsored search results each time the victim attempts to use Chrome's omnibar as search box. The potentially unwanted program (PUP) we describe in this article takes control of browser's search settings and prevents the user from changing them.

Technical analysis of this browser hijacker shows that it comes from the same browser-hijacking software group like myStart Toolbar and myStart virus. This supposedly useful search tool was created by Visicom Media, Inc. which has been operating for more than 10 years. You should also keep a distance from a similar copy of this hijacker, known as ShieldDefense.net virus.

Typically, this potentially unwanted program shows up onto the system as a myStart Shield extension.[1] Once installed, it alters the Extensions/Add-ons section in every browser and changes browser’s search engine settings. Consequently, the user gets redirected to http://Mystartshield.com/results.php?pr= site after entering a search query into browser’s URL bar.

Experts agree that this dubious tool installs itself without notifying the user clearly; besides, it might initiate unexpected URL redirections, which makes us add it to potentially unwanted programs’ (PUP) category. It is a must to remove Mystartshield.com virus before it starts interfering your browsing sessions, or you will be forced to encounter a lot of sponsored and untrustworthy content on a daily basis.

When searching the web, you seek to receive answers to your questions quickly. Sadly, ads in search results can slow down this process and what is even worse, force you to visit websites of unknown reputation.

In the worst case, you can enter malicious or scam sites[2] and unknowingly install some browser toolbars or even more critical programs without knowing. Do not allow suspicious sites like Mystartshield.com to convince you that you need some “useful” tools before reading software reviews online.

To sum up, we have to say that the search engine itself cannot harm your computer, but the results it delivers simply cannot be called trustworthy. If you think that they are powered by Yahoo just because there is its logo in the upper right corner, you are mistaken.

If you looked at the tab name, you would notice that the search engine delivers “MyStart Shield Yahoo Search Results,” which is not the same.

Mystartshield.com browser hijacker

Sponsored search results help spyware developers earn pay-per-click revenue, and that is why they keep creating these new search tools and distributing them in the form of browser-hijacking extensions. We strongly recommend you to remove Mystartshield.com and continue using the search engine that you used before.

If you do not want the hijacker to come back, consider deleting it with anti-spyware software like FortectIntego. However, if you want to defeat the hijacker without using a security software, you can try following the directions provided in Mystartshield.com removal guide that we present below this article.

Distribution of fake search tools

Search tools like My Start Shield can be downloaded from their official websites, however, what happens more frequently is that they enter computer systems unnoticeably. This is often done with the help of software bundling, which allows spreading a pack of programs disguised under one program’s name. According to Senzavirus.it[3], here are two things that you must know to prevent installing unwanted programs:

  • You have to be careful when installing programs you downloaded from the Internet. Beware that the majority of them hide pre-checked permissions to install extra programs in the Default or Standard settings. Admit it, these settings always seemed to be the “right” ones to you, right? In reality, you cannot trust them.
  • We strongly recommend you to switch the selection to Custom/Advanced and then deselect all suspicious additions that came in tandem with your chosen program.

Uninstall Mystartshield.com with ease

You don’t have to dedicate hours for Mystartshield.com removal. The browser hijacker’s danger level is nowhere near to malware so that you could uninstall it yourself quite easily. We recommend these instructions prepared by 2-Spyware experts – they will guide you through the removal process and help you to eliminate the potentially unwanted program (PUP) with ease.

For a faster and more professional Mystartshield.com removal option, install and update an anti-spyware software like FortectIntego. It will help to detect files associated with the virus and all suspicious programs on your PC.

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

Did this guide help?

Be the first to comment

Spyware News
Privacy preferences

We use cookies to improve your experience and analyze traffic. Some cookies enable embedded content like videos and social posts. Choose what you allow — you can change this anytime.