Rgoodsearch.online: what it is and how to remove it
If you have noticed that your homepage and new tab address of your Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or MS Edge browser has changed to Rgoodsearch.online, you have a browser hijacker installed on your system. Users typically don't install it with intent but are rather tricked into doing so in one way or another.
Facts checked October 6, 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.
Automatic
Get a free scan and check if your PC is infected.
Fortect finds malware, unwanted programs and the Windows damage they leave behind, and repairs it in one pass.
If rgoodsearch.online returns after you change the search engine back, a free scan can find the program that keeps setting it.
Do it yourself · free Remove Rgoodsearch.online yourself 5 steps, about 15 minutes, no software needed.
Start the steps
Rgoodsearch.online: summary
| Distribution | Software bundling, deceptive ads, third-party websites |
|---|---|
| Damage | Installation of other potentially unwanted programs, financial losses, personal data disclosure to unknown parties |
| Name | Rgoodsearch.online |
| Type | Browser hijacker, potentially unwanted program |
| Related app | Really Good Search |
| Symptoms | Browser settings changed (homepage, new tab, and search engine altered); all searches are filled with sponsored links |
| 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 7 more facts
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; no sample analysed yet |
| Search page | rgoodsearch.online |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 17 November 2021 |
| Microsoft Defender name | Trojan:MSIL/AgentTesla.LEG!MTB |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Is Rgoodsearch.online dangerous? What it collects
From our report of Nov 2021 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Rgoodsearch.online
- You can get rid of potentially unwanted programs manually, although performing a full system scan with or another security software can be much more efficient
- After you eliminate all browser hijackers and other PUPs from your system, make sure you clean your web browsers and repair system files.
- You can also do that automatically with
Check your browser and PC
What antivirus programs call Rgoodsearch.online
Microsoft Defender reports Rgoodsearch.online as Trojan:MSIL/AgentTesla.LEG!MTB.
In a Defender name, the part before the colon is the category, the part after it is the platform, and the part after the slash is the family Microsoft assigned. A suffix after ! is an internal Microsoft marker, not a different threat.
Generic labels such as Agent, GenericKD or Malware.AI only say that a file looks malicious, not what it does; our guide to antivirus detection names shows how to read them.
- Address:
rgoodsearch.online
How to remove Rgoodsearch.online
How to remove Rgoodsearch.online 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
Rgoodsearch.online 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 rgoodsearch.online
Searches that pass through
rgoodsearch.onlinemean 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 rgoodsearch.online.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 Rgoodsearch.online. 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
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 Nov 2021 · not reviewed since
Rgoodsearch.online is a browser hijacker that is not easy to remove
If you have noticed that your homepage and new tab address of your Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or MS Edge browser has changed to Rgoodsearch.online, you have a browser hijacker installed on your system. Users typically don't install it with intent but are rather tricked into doing so in one way or another.
Most commonly, they install it along with freeware when not enough attention is being paid to the installation process. This is why people are quite surprised when they open their browser and see it completely altered.
In most cases, the browser hijacking activities start as soon as an extension known as Really Good Search is installed on the device, although it might be caused by an app under a different name. While the changes to the homepage are the most visible changes to users, they are not the most impactful ones.
The most distinctive trait of the Rgoodsearch.online virus is that it sets the "Managed by your organization" setting on the web browser, which takes control over it. This makes it much more difficult to remove it. In the meantime, the potentially unwanted program continues its operation - tracks user data, redirects to suspicious websites, and shows them an artificial layer of ads on many websites they visit.
While the app is classified as a browser hijacker, its operation and function go far beyond that.
From our report of Nov 2021 · not reviewed since
Distribution and prevention
Google's Web Store is filled with thousands of extensions that can be downloaded and installed at any time.
Initially, Really Good Search was placed on this store but was swiftly removed due to its malicious functionality. In fact, there are plenty of apps and extensions that Google removes from both Web Store and Play Store after some time. While Google uses sophisticated scanners, some malicious applications might slop through and only show up as such later.
If you have experienced Rgoodsearch.online hijack, it is likely that it happened when you downloaded the extension along with other application(s) from a third-party website. In order to avoid this, you should always pay close attention to the installation process of new programs, especially if you download them from a third-party source.
Software bundling is a well-known distribution technique where additional apps are offered to users while they are installing an app. However, these components are commonly hidden from the view thanks to pre-ticked boxes, fine print text, misleading button placements, and similar. Users often end up with additional apps because they skip through the installation steps and select Recommended settings instead of Advanced ones.
Likewise, you should always protect your computer with , , or another reputable antivirus software. Not only can it stop dangerous infections like Utjg ransomware, but it also warns them about potentially unwanted programs that might otherwise be downloaded intentionally.
From our report of Nov 2021 · not reviewed since
Rgoodsearch.online removal explained
Most browser hijackers are considered to be minor computer infections by security experts.
They usually operate within the browser environment, although they can drop certain cookies or other files within AppData or other locations. If you want to get rid of the extension, it is really easy to do in most cases - all you have to do is access browser settings.
It is important to note, however, that this app enables persistence with the "Managed by your organization" setting, which might sometimes be applied to the browser. What it does is abuse the local policy settings or prevent people from tampering with its installation. Removing it manually might be a lengthy process why we explain in our how to fix article.
Nonetheless, this might not be necessary as you could easily remove the unwanted components from your browser, as explained below.
From our report of Nov 2021 · not reviewed since
1. Remove the extension
Browser hijackers are commonly installed as extensions or add-ons, and Rgoodsearch.online is no exception.
Since the app's main scope is performed within the browser, this is where you should be starting from when attempting its removal.
MS Edge (Chromium)
Note that if you managed to successfully remove Rgoodsearch.online hijacker by using this method, you should also clean your browsers thoroughly. Data such as cookies and cache should be removed to prevent the virus from returning and continuing information tracking.
You can employ to do this quickly for you or you can also follow these steps for the manual option (automatic option can also help you fix any damage done by the virus):
MS Edge (Chromium)
- 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.
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the window's top-right).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted plugin and click Remove.
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
- Click Safari > Preferences...
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
- 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.
- Click Menu and pick Options.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content, and press Clear.
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
- Click Safari > Clear History...
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
From our report of Nov 2021 · not reviewed since
2. Reset your browser
Browser reset can help users with unwanted extension removal.
The downside of this method is that it would reset all the settings for your browser. It means that you might have to redo its privacy and other preferences, redownload themes, and similar alterations.
However, your bookmarks/favorites would remain intact as long as you can log in to your Google account - this works for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and MS Edge. Likewise, it works in the same way for Mac users on Safari.
MS Edge (Chromium)
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.
- 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.
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- Click Safari > Preferences...
- Go to the Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in the menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
From our report of Nov 2021 · not reviewed since
3. Use anti-malware
As we already mentioned, the persistence techniques this browser hijacker might use can prevent its easy elimination.
If you are wondering why this app was removed from Chrome Web Store is simple - it is categorized as malicious by many security vendors and detected as follows, according to Virus Total:
As evident, many security applications recognize it as a Trojan, a relatively dangerous computer infection. Nonetheless, you should not panic as it is not as malicious as ransomware or similar, it is simply its deceptive functionality that earned it this classification.
If you have tried Rgoodsearch.online removal with the methods above and were unsuccessful (or even if you were), you should immediately after employ , , or another anti-malware and perform a full system scan. Trojans can be used to proliferate other malware, so there could be other infections present on your system. Only by using security software can you be sure that your computer is cleaned of all the nasties at once.
- Trojan.Win32.Mixer.p
- Generic.mg.a9589b3a151277c4
- Trojan.Dropper.SFX.Generic
- Trojan:MSIL/AgentTesla.LEG!MTB
- Win32:TrojanX-gen , etc.
Questions about Rgoodsearch.online
Why does my search engine keep changing to rgoodsearch.online?
Because something keeps setting it. An extension can change the search engine every time the browser starts, and an ad-supported program in Windows can do it for every browser and re-add the extension after you remove it. Some hijackers also add a policy that locks the setting.
Changing the search engine back only works once the source is gone. Remove extensions you do not recognise, uninstall programs installed around the time rgoodsearch.online first appeared, and then set the search engine again. If it still returns, check the browser for the Managed by your organization message and follow the policy steps in this guide.
Is Trojan:MSIL/AgentTesla.LEG!MTB a false positive?
Sometimes. Names ending in !ml or describing behaviour are generated by machine learning and occasionally flag cracked tools, game mods or small unsigned utilities. A false positive is likely only when the file is a program you installed from its official developer, it is signed by that developer and other scanners do not flag it.
Files from cracks, cheats, fake updates or unknown downloads are rarely false positives, whatever the detection name. If you are sure the file is genuine, you can report it to Microsoft as a false positive; never add an exclusion for Trojan:MSIL/AgentTesla.LEG!MTB just to make the alert stop.
Did rgoodsearch.online come with a program I installed?
Most likely, yes. Search hijackers such as rgoodsearch.online usually arrive with free software, where an extra offer is pre-ticked in the installer, or as an extension that promises something useful, such as file conversion, maps, recipes or streaming.
Look at Settings, Apps, Installed apps sorted by install date: whatever was installed just before the search engine changed is the main suspect. Uninstall it, then remove any extension you do not recognise. In future, choose the custom or advanced option in installers and untick extra offers, and install extensions only from the official store pages of publishers you know.
Why does Trojan:MSIL/AgentTesla.LEG!MTB keep coming back?
Because removing the file does not remove what creates it. The usual causes are a scheduled task, a startup entry, a service or a browser extension that downloads or rebuilds the file, or a second program that installed it in the first place.
Look in Task Scheduler and Startup apps for unknown entries, check Installed apps sorted by date, and run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan, which can remove items that are locked while Windows runs. Also check that no exclusions were added in Windows Security. If Trojan:MSIL/AgentTesla.LEG!MTB still returns, back up documents and reset Windows.
Why do my searches go to rgoodsearch.online?
Because the browser's default search engine was changed to it. Rgoodsearch.online did that through an extension, a program or a browser policy, and as long as that source remains, the setting points to rgoodsearch.online.
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 rgoodsearch.online?
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 Rgoodsearch.online and use that search engine directly, by typing its address or choosing it in the browser settings.
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 Rgoodsearch.online 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.
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 rgoodsearch.online or another unfamiliar domain instead of the search engine you know, the results come through a middleman. Remove Rgoodsearch.online and search directly.
I changed the search engine, but it switched back. Why?
The hijacker is still installed, and it rewrites the setting whenever the browser starts or the extension updates. Changing the setting is the last step, not the first. Find what controls it: the search settings page usually names the extension, and a greyed-out field means a policy.
Remove that source, restart the browser, then pick your search engine and delete the hijacker's entry from the list of saved search engines so it cannot be chosen by accident. Check again after a day, when extensions have had a chance to update.
Will Fortect remove Rgoodsearch.online?
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 Rgoodsearch.online, 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
- Wikipedia: Freeware (read October 6, 2026)
- How-To Geek: What Is a Browser Cookie? (read October 6, 2026)
- Virus Total: setup_x86_x64_install.exe (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)