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ProMusicSearch browser hijacker (fake) - Free Guide

by Lucia Danes - - | Type: Browser hijacker

ProMusicSearch browser hijacker Removal Guide

What is ProMusicSearch browser hijacker?

ProMusicSearch changes the most important settings of your browser

ProMusicSearchProMusicSearch changes the main settings in your browser making it confusing to use

A browser hijacker usually cannot do significant damage to the machine. It rather uses annoying tactics to make money from people who infect themselves. ProMusicSearch modifies browser settings like the default homepage and new tab address, and redirects search inquiries through a different search engine, making web surfing a less enjoyable experience. The hijacker can also insert ads between search results.

The name implies that you should be able to find music easier, but that is not the case. There is nothing unique about this extension. It tries to stay relevant by having multiple useless functions like a PDF file converter, calculator, currency converter, the ability to save your favorite websites.

It is not worth having this extension as all these functions are easily attainable with a click of a button on any legitimate search engine. In turn, you will receive untrustworthy search results, sponsored links, and a need to learn to navigate a whole new search engine.

Besides that, the hijacker can collect information about your browsing behavior and use it as it pleases. This can lead to more sponsored content coming your way and privacy issues.

NAME ProMusicSearch
TYPE Browser hijacker; potentially unwanted program
DISTRIBUTION Freeware downloads, deceptive ads; redirects
SYMPTOMS Browsers' settings like the homepage, new tab address, search engine are changed; Advertisements might be inserted between search results
DANGERS Altered search results can misinform users, ads lead to dubious pages; possible user privacy breach
ELIMINATION Remove an unwanted extension via browser settings or by deploying security software
FURTHER STEPS Use FortectIntego to scan your machine and repair any damage remaining after the removal

There are a dozen hijackers that look exactly the same but with a different name. It is not known who is behind these extensions or potentially unwanted programs,[1] but new ones keep appearing every day, it seems. The creators use the same template and just clone these hijackers without a hassle. Some of the other ones we wrote about are BestSearchPDF, BestStreamSearch, and CheckAMap.

The hijackers redirect users through portal.promusicsearch.com and feed.promusicsearch.com to these couple of search engines:

  • nearbyme.io
  • searchlee.com
  • bing.com
  • search.yahoo.com

Browser hijackers rarely have their own search engines. Individuals responsible just use already existing ones to make them functional. While some of these engines are known and are fine to use, the other ones are quite shady, to say the least. An increased amount of commercial content is just one thing you will notice. There are other things ProMusicSearch can do without your knowledge.

ProMusicSearch resultsProMusicSearch search results are imported from questionable engines, which prioritizes ads

Collection of data is usual for these hijackers. You can find this written in their Privacy Policy:

By Using the Product, you may enable us or third parties to access, use, and collect a variety of information, regarding your Internet Browser, your browsing habits, and information about your computer including by usage of cookies.

What they mean is, they can gather information about your browsing behavior, habits, geolocation, purchases you make, your IP address and provide it to third parties. You will not know who these entities are. If you happened to suffer some kind of consequences for this, ProMusicSearch would not be responsible.

This is why it is important to clean your browsers' cookies and cache frequently to delete any information websites have gathered about you. This can be made easy with a maintenance tool FortectIntego which can do this automatically. Frequently clearing cache can improve your device's performance too. For a manual guide, please look below the post.

ProMusicSearch browser hijackerProMusicSearch offers several useless functions to make it look more sophisticated

How did this happen?

Usually, users do not add extensions like this themselves. If they do, it is because of a deceptive ad. Who would want a browser extension called ProMusicSearch that does not have anything related to music?

People who browse through shady web pages like illegal streaming sites[2] are more likely to infect themselves with adware[3] or PUPs. You should try avoiding these low-rated pages as they can get pretty dangerous. One wrong click on a random link, and you are in trouble because you get redirected to even more questionable sites.

Bring your browser back to its primary state

Removing add-ons is possible only the manual way, so you will have to go to your browser settings for that. We have provided instructions for the most frequently used browsers. Keep in mind, in some cases, this removal method might not work because it might be a potentially unwanted program. Try this method first, and if it does not work, proceed further.

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

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 on Uninstall at the bottom.Remove extensions from Edge

MS Edge (Chromium)

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

Mozilla Firefox

  • 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.Remove extensions from Firefox

Safari

  • Click Safari > Preferences…
  • In the new window, pick Extensions.
  • Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.Remove extensions from Safari

Internet Explorer:

  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

PUPs are the sneaky intruders

One way you could have gotten in this trouble is by downloading a potentially unwanted program. A PUP is an application disguised as a handy tool. Sometimes they are completely not functional and just perform their other tasks in the background. The other possibility is that you have not downloaded the program intentionally at all.

This could have happened thanks to software bundling.[4] When you download files from third-party websites, often these programs come included as a package. If you rushed through the installation process, you might not have even noticed them.

Whenever you download something for free, make sure to choose a “Custom” or “Advanced” installation method. Do not skip through the steps; read the Terms of Use, the Privacy Policy, and uncheck the boxes next to the files that are not needed.

Identifying which program is responsible for hijacking your browser might be hard if you have never done this before. The program could be disguised as anything – an antivirus, video, or image editing software. If you are not sure, we recommend using SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes anti-malware tools that will scan your machine, eliminate it, and prevent such infections in the future. If you still want to do this yourself, here are the steps for Windows and macOS users:

Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:

  1. Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 1
  3. From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
  4. Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
  5. If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
  6. Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.Uninstall from Windows 2

If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP
  3. Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
  4. At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
  5. In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
  6. Click OK once the removal process is finished.

Instructions for Mac machines:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
  3. Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)Uninstall from Mac 1

To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
  3. In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
  4. Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.Uninstall from Mac 2

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Getting rid of ProMusicSearch browser hijacker. Follow these steps

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 on Uninstall at the bottom. 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 Privacy & security.
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. Select everything (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 Disable if you found any suspicious domain.

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

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.

  1. Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
  2. Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
  3. Right-click on them and pick Delete Advanced MS Edge reset 1
  4. Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
  5. 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 Advanced MS Edge reset 2

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. 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 unwanted plugin 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 Options.
  3. Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.

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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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 the suspicious plugins that might be 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 unwanted extensions from Safari:

  1. Click Safari > Preferences…
  2. In the new window, pick Extensions.
  3. Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall. Remove extensions from Safari

Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:

  1. Click Safari > Clear History…
  2. From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
  3. Confirm with Clear History. Clear cookies and website data from Safari

Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:

  1. Click Safari > Preferences…
  2. Go to Advanced tab.
  3. Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  4. From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches. Reset Safari

How to prevent from getting browser hijacker

Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool

Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online. One of the basic means to add a layer of security – choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features. However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN – it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.

 

Lost your files? Use data recovery software

While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable. Family photos, work documents, school projects – these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur: power cuts, Blue Screen of Death errors, hardware failures, crypto-malware attack, or even accidental deletion.

To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, Data Recovery Pro can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.

About the author
Lucia Danes
Lucia Danes - Virus researcher

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