Search.hfastrecipefinder.com (Removal Guide) - Free Instructions
Search.hfastrecipefinder.com Removal Guide
What is Search.hfastrecipefinder.com?
Search.hfastrecipefinder.com – a browser hijacker that tries to lure people with delicious recipes
Search.hfastrecipefinder.com is a potentially unwanted program[1] created by Polarity Technologies Ltd. It typically infiltrates users’ machines with software bundling (meaning, that users install it unintentionally) and makes changes to Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla Firefox or other browsers. Changes typically involve the modification of startup page, new tab URL, and replacement of a search engine.
| Summary | |
| Name | Search.hfastrecipefinder.com |
| Type | Browser hijacker |
| Compatible browsers | Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, etc. |
| Distribution | Software bundling |
| Symptoms | Altered browser settings, intrusive ads, modified search results |
| Elimination | Download and install FortectIntego; otherwise, check manual guide below |
Search.hfastrecipefinder.com virus conducts these alterations to control users’ browsing habits, record non-personally identifiable information, display intrusive sponsors’ ads, redirect users to questionable domains, promote bogus software, etc. This behavior is very typical to a browser hijacker and never brings any benefit to a user.
Some people might not consider Search.hfastrecipefinder.com removal, as they might get tempted by the allegedly improved browsing functionality. PUPs authors offer quick access buttons to Amazon, Gmail, Yahoo and various food recipes sites, such as Food Network or Yummly. Thus, it is not surprising that users who like cooking would get fascinated by these features.
Nevertheless, nothing is free, including these “benefits” offered by Fast Recipe Finder. Polarity only wants to monetize on users by (mostly) forcefully injecting a browser hijacker. Every time users click on a sponsored add, the developers gain revenue. Thus, even accidental clicks count.
Search.hfastrecipefinder.com hijack can clutter users’ browser by installing additional components without permission. This leads to multiple PUPs displaying unending ads and ruining browsing experience. Additionally, these adverts might conceal the background of legitimate sites or turn random text into hyperlinks. Although a browser hijacker is not considered to be malware, certain behavior definitely resembles it.
Speaking of malware, Search.hfastrecipefinder.com might lead users to suspicious websites, and some of them might be extremely dangerous. Users can be rerouted to hacked, phishing, porn, fake software websites or even obtain a severe virus, such as trojan, keylogger[2] or ransomware. These infections can destroy your files and steal your personally identifiable information.
Search.hfastrecipefinder.com browser hijacker may record certain non-personally identifiable information, including, but not limited to:
- URLs visited;
- Search queries;
- Links clicked;
- Browser type;
- Geolocation;
- ISP, etc.
All this data is scrutinized and compiled into one unique ID, which allows the hijacker to display targeted advertisement. Besides, by using Fast Recipe Finder users agree to the following:
BY USING THE SERVICES, YOU ARE CONSENTING TO GRANT POLARITY PERMISSION TO COLLECT YOUR URLS AND SEARCH DATA, INCLUDING SEARCH QUERIES THAT MAY CONTAIN PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION, SHARE THEM WITH THIRD PARTIES, AND USE SEARCH-RELATED COOKIES
If you want to find cooking recipes, do it without a browser hijacker – merely go to google.com or yahoo.com. You don’t need a browser hijacker to enjoy data on the internet. Therefore, do not wait and remove Search.hfastrecipefinder.com now. You can either download FortectIntego for automatic removal or can also check our step-by-step guide below this article.
Ways to avoid browser hijackers
Browser hijackers and other PUPs typically enter users’ machines without permission, as the popularity of such programs is usually low. Thus, developers look for alternative ways to spread their applications. Freeware installers often hide additional components within Recommended or Quick installation mode, making for users impossible to withdraw optional programs.
Therefore, be vigilant when it comes to software installation. Never rush the procedure by clicking “Next” several times and skip steps. When prompted, pick Advanced or Custom installation settings, so that additional components would be visible and you could decline them by de-clicking check marks.
Uninstall Search.hfastrecipefinder.com and create your own quick access buttons for recipes
As we already mentioned, you can create your personal links by adding your favorite (cooking) sites to the Bookmarks bar. Simply click Bookmarks -> Bookmark This Page and select the Bookmarks Bar. Repeat this process for every page you like.
Now, you should remove Search.hfastrecipefinder.com virus. You can download reputable security software and perform a full system scan. Don’t forget that a browser hijacker might have installed additional components which might be hard to find and anti-malware program will detect and eliminate all of them.
If you do not wish to install additional software, you should check our illustrated instructions below. This Search.hfastrecipefinder.com removal method might take quite some time, however. Additionally, security experts[3] warn that incorrect removal may damage system files, so do not tamper it them if you are not sure what you are doing and choose automatic elimination method instead.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of Search.hfastrecipefinder.com. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
To delete Search.hfastrecipefinder.com from Windows, follow these steps:
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
Delete from macOS
Mac users should follow this guide:
Remove items from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Reset MS Edge browser to default:
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (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 Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
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.
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.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- 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
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.
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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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 the suspicious plugins that might be 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 unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of Search.hfastrecipefinder.com registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting stealing programs
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.
If this free guide helped you and you are satisfied with our service, please consider making a donation to keep this service alive. Even a smallest amount will be appreciated.
- ^ Margaret Rouse . PUP (potentially unwanted program). SearchSecurity. Site that teaches about security.
- ^ Nikolay Grebennikov . Keyloggers: How they work and how to detect them (Part 1). Kaspersky Lab. Security researchers.
- ^ Avirus. Avirus. Hungarian cybersecurity news and articles.