Search.htv-now.co – a PUP which is considered as a browser hijacker
Search.htv-now.co virus - a browser-hijacking app which gathers browsing activity-related data.
Search.htv-now.co is a browser hijacker[1] which belongs to numerous PUPs developed by Polarity Ltd. After getting into the system, the virus alters the default search provider to hxxp://query.htv-now.co and initiates other system changes, such as setting a new tab URL and adding browser helper objects to start tracking victim's browsing on the web. As a result, the user is forced to search via the new search engine every time he or she enters a search request. Continuously, this PUP also modifies the homepage by setting it to Search.htv-now.co. The virus is compatible with all web browsers, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and others that are typically overloaded by various ads to gain income for the developers.
Name
Search.htv-now.co
developer
Polarity ltd.
Type
Browser hijacker/PUP
Browsers affected
IE, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc.
Default search provider
http://query.htv-now.co
Danger level
Low. Affects only web browsers, other computer systems remain safe.
Talking about ads, various banners, pop-ups, and pop-unders might appear as a symptom of the browser hijacker infection. Such content overloads your browser and might even cause serious slowdowns while trying to surf the Internet. Also, Search.htv-now.co might redirect you to sites which can contain other even more serious dangerous such as Trojans or other malware forms. As a result, your browsing becomes an annoying and dangerous activity which cannot be avoided as the virus typically affects all web browsers.
Moreover, once Search.htv-now.co hijack is finished, it starts tracking your searches. If you checked the Polarity Privacy Policy, you could see that the virus is interested in the following information:
Search activity when you use web search services (such as search queries) (“Search Data”);
Internet protocol address (“IP Address”);
The type of browser you are using when using our Services, including your browser's “user agent” (e.g., Internet Explorer, Safari, and other browsers);
Device event information such as crashes, system activity, hardware settings, browser language, and the date and time of your request and referral URL;
Your geographic location;
The Domain name of your Internet service provider;
The source of traffic acquisition;
Date of traffic acquisition;
Time and date of certain browser events.
These tracking activities can be stopped only if you eliminate the cyber threat from your browser. What is going to happen otherwise? You will be tricked into viewing at misleading search query results which will be set to attract your attention and then redirect you to sponsored websites.
The only way to prevent these unwanted activities is to remove Search.htv-now.co virus from your PC. Use FortectIntego to proceed with the full elimination of the malware. Notice, that it is important to eliminate the cyberthreat as soon as you notice about browser modification. Otherwise, this PUP may start gathering various personal information, such as your email address, PC's IP address, and other similar content in order to gain income for the program owners.
According to IT researchers[2], this browser hijacking-app is useful only for its developers. No matter how many “useful features” it promises (the fast access to popular pages, improved searches, etc.), it can easily disrupt your browsing activity. Search.htv-now.co removal is recommended to restore your infected browser to its starter position.
Search.htv-now.co - a PUP which might overload your browser with numerous ads and redirects to sponsored websites. Browser hijackers are often distributed with the help of safe programs
It is known that some fully legitimate programs can be filled with PUPs like this one.[3] Method which is used to spread them around is called “bundling.” In this case, two or more programs are combined together and promoted as a full product which can be separated only if you monitor installation of the freeware.
Furthermore, visiting suspicious-looking pages and clicking dubious links is not going to help for your computer's safety. You can be interrupted by various content, including an unsafe one. That's why we don't recommend clicking ads or links that seem too good to be true.
To stay away from such trouble, you need to remember these tips:
Download software only from trusted sources and always look through the downloading steps which you can view in the Custom/Advanced settings section.
Be cautious while entering websites or links. Be aware that they might contain a PUP and be a serious infection source, even ransomware or Trojan type.
Run an antivirus and keep it updated regularly. This program is needed in order to increase your computer protection. It will discover various threats and alert when your systems become in danger.
Eliminate Search.htv-now.co from your infected browser at once
To remove Search.htv-now.co virus from browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and others, you need to get rid of all browser extensions, apps and other components that might be added by your browser hijacker. You will be able to see manual removal instructions below this text. However, make sure you carefully follow every step in exact order to prevent accidental issues related to your computer.
If you want to perform Search.htv-now.co removal from your PC in a faster way, download and install anti-malware software. Apps that we highly recommend for fixing computer systems are provided below. After the removal procedure is done, we strongly advise refreshing browsers that were infected by the hijack. Do this to be sure that no PUP-related content is still active and gone forever.
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.
Compatible with Microsoft Windows
Compatible with macOS
What to do if failed?
If you failed to fix virus damage using Fortect Intego, submit a question to our support team and provide as much details as possible.
Fortect Intego has a free limited scanner. Fortect Intego offers more through scan when you purchase its full version. When free scanner detects issues, you can fix them using free manual repairs or you can decide to purchase the full version in order to fix them automatically.
Look through these instructions to eliminate the PUP from 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.
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.htv-now.co 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.
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