A suspicious search engine has replaced my Chrome browser’s homepage. The address of this search engine is Search.cantstopplaying.com. Can you explain why did this web search provider has taken control over my Internet browser without my authorization?
How does Search.cantstopplaying.com hijack your computer without your knowledge?
Search.cantstopplaying.com is a dubious ‘browser hijacker’ type software that is also described as a ‘potentially unwanted program’ (PUP). If an identically named website has unexpectedly become a homepage and a default new tab page on your web browser, it means that you have decided not to pay attention to the information provided by the installer of some free program that you have recently downloaded. Search.cantstopplaying.com PUP is spread with other free programs and can be installed alongside them if you tend to rely on Default/Standard/Basic software installation option. Please, be careful when you launch the installer of any free program – read software’s Terms of Use document and look whether the software promotes third-party applications or not. Then, set proper installation settings – you should choose Advanced or Custom installation option and then deselect the agreements to install unfamiliar applications that might be added to the software that you want to install.

What does Search.cantstopplaying.com browser hijacker do once it is installed and active?
We have already informed you how this program can enter the computer system, so now it is time to discuss what does it do inside of it. Search.cantstopplaying.com hijacker starts its activities right away – it adjusts settings of your Internet browsers (IE, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and others) and sets a new homepage, default new tab page, and a new default search engine. Apparently, it sets Search.cantstopplaying.com website as the primary one – this web page provides web search engine, which looks completely normal at first glance. Unfortunately, it is a bogus search engine, which provides modified Yahoo search results. Its search outcomes commonly carry deceptive hyperlinks, which can cause Search.cantstopplaying.com redirects to partner sites. Each of such redirects is meant to drive web traffic to particular and predetermined web sources that may be insecure. Needless to mention, it is highly doubtful that any reputable websites would promote themselves in such shady way.
In case you will ever experience such redirect and encounter some suspicious offers to install software updates or to provide personal information in order to “claim your prize,” do NOT do as commanded. Such untrustworthy websites may want to convince you to provide sensitive information or talk you into downloading malicious software, so be careful. It is better to stay away from such websites. Therefore, that is why we do not recommend using Search.cantstopplaying.com search engine. We strongly recommend replacing it with another web search provider, however, you will need to remove Search.cantstopplaying.com redirect virus before doing so. You can easily wipe out it from your computer with a spyware removal program, e.g., FortectIntego. In case you wish to get rid of Search.cantstopplaying.com virus manually, proceed to page 2 to find a manual removal guide.
Search.cantstopplaying.com removal guidances
It is very important to remove Search.cantstopplaying.com virus in a proper way. While it is not a malicious computer threat, it is definitely not a good program, so you should banish it from your computer and all of its components at the same time. Otherwise, your browsing experience might gradually become unbearable.
If you are an inexperienced computer user, we strongly advise you to do deal with Search.cantstopplaying.com virus using a professional spyware removal tool. An automatic spyware removal tool can secure your PC from similar threats in the future; however, in case you want to take matters into your own hands and remove Search.cantstopplaying.com hijacker manually, we recommend following the manual Search.cantstopplaying.com removal guide, which is provided below.
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.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.

Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- 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.

Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- 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.

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.

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
zayen
finally removed this damn threat! it was stuck on my browser and I was so tired to even try to remove it again - whenever i closed and opened my browser again, it was again set as a homepage. thanks!
Hannah
Such an informative article, I have learned a lot .
trussardi
I thought this search engine was fine... hmm. should I really remove it? I kinda enjoyed the ads
alena1993
NO! I have installed a fake Java update and ended up with an aggresive adware program on my computer! had to get anti-spyware software to fix my PC. Dont rely on this search engine...