Reasons not to ignore NavSmart.info hijack

NavSmart.info virus may look like a great tool for searching the web. Unfortunately, you should stay away from this search engine as far as possible. This potentially unwanted program (PUP) will set startpage.navsmart.info as your home, new tab, and search engine address without asking for your approval in a direct way.
If your homepage or a default search engine has recently been replaced with this questionable website, it is a clear indication that your PC has been hijacked by NavSmart. In this case, you need to take care of your PC system without wasting your time. The easiest and almost effortless way to do that is to scan it with a reliable anti-spyware program.
Trying to remove NavSmart.info virus manually can end up badly if you lack skill and experience dealing with such infections. Thus, we recommend using hijacker removal guidelines we added at the end of this page.
Typically to the majority of browser hijackers, the one we discuss today cannot go without its vague components. These are additional files and programs, such as browser extensions, toolbars, quick search boxes and add-ons that the culprit installs on the computer without asking user’s permission.
This software is designed to obstruct NavSmart removal. Even if the main program is terminated, the rest of its components can set the dubious URL as the default search engine and homepage again. That is why so many users complain that Navsmart keeps coming back. In order to eliminate the virus completely, you will have to hunt all these additionally installed components down and delete the related components.
You can install this browser hijacker on your computer without realizing that as it has been actively promoted as an optional component of download managers, PDF creators, video streaming software and similar freeware. Once it is let into the system, it alters browsers' settings right away. As a result, its victim becomes incapable of avoiding this hijacker because it shows up every time he or she launches the web browser or opens a new tab.

This web page is cluttered with shortcuts leading to all sorts of places on the Internet. While some of these sites are definitely reliable, some of them might be not. It is not advisable to click on these shortcuts as you might be unexpectedly rerouted to entirely different web pages.
This potentially unwanted program is designed to reroute users to particular websites and drive web traffic to them but bear in mind that these redirects can force you to visit high-risk Internet sites, too. All of these shady redirects generate pay-per-click (or pay-per-visit) revenue for the developers of the shady search tool, however, these redirects can pose a threat to your privacy and your PC.
In our opinion, this site is untrustworthy and you should never use it instead of Google or other well-known search engine. If you have just discovered it on your web browser, you should uninstall NavSmart from your computer without hesitation. You can quickly detect and delete it with a help of an anti-spyware program like FortectIntego.
To sum up, these are the reasons why you should keep your distance from it and avoid using its services:
- According to security experts, this program should be added to “browser hijacker” category because it can show you altered search results and then redirect you to sponsored websites.
- Such activity is used for earning the money which is collected in exchange for increased visitors' traffic.
- Unfortunately, external websites you might access via this dubious search service can pose a threat to your computer and your privacy.
TIP: If your browser displays hxxp://navsmart.info/ site but there's no search engine on it, it means that the domain's registration expired and wasn't renewed. In such case, you still need to remove the hijacker that keeps redirecting you to that suspicious domain.
Methods used to promote fake search engines
You might allow Nav Smart hijack to occur when installing computer programs without paying attention to their installation process. Unfortunately, some computer users believe that all it takes to install the program is just to click “Next” button in its installation setup.
That is entirely incorrect, because by installing programs like that, you can easily contaminate your computer system with unnecessary and even dangerous programs. Now, we would like to explain what is the right way to install programs on your PC.
- When you launch an installer, do not rush.
- It is strongly advisable to look through documents it provides, and we are talking about Privacy Policy and Terms of Use documents.
- When you finish reading them, think if there were any suspicious statements that make you wonder about the reliability of your selected program.
- Next, adjust installation settings to avoid letting PUPs into your computer. Instead of leaving pre-selected option (Default or Standard), switch the selection and set Advanced or Custom settings.
- Then you will see a list of bonus apps added to your download – these are likely to be potentially unwanted programs.
- Deselect them and proceed with the installation.
Uninstall NavSmart.info using expert tips
You must remove NavSmart.info virus from your browser to continue browsing the Internet safely. In order to do it, you need to uninstall all of its components from the PC. For that, you need to check several locations on your computer, including browser settings and also a list of recently installed programs.
You can find more detailed instructions on how to uninstall this potentially unwanted software below. To complete NavSmart.info removal, scan your computer with a trustworthy anti-spyware software and see if you have deleted all components of it.
Uninstall from Windows
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.

Delete from macOS
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.

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.

Remove from Google Chrome
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.

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.

Did this guide help?
4 comments
Nina
useless search, i dont know who would want to use navsmart.info! at first, it seems normal, but later it starts to open random websites instead of ones that you want to visit!!!!
Amber
I hate this virus!!! Cannot uninstall it!!!
Mattias18
I did uninstall it using these instructions, have you even tried to use them...? Strange
Silber
nasty hijacker... I dont want it in my computer!