Search.medianetnow.com offers a private browsing experience; which is not true

Search.medianetnow.com is a browser hijacker which is connected to eAnswers.com virus. This bogus search tool allows users to change the background from the provided images and take advantage of “Private Search” option. Despite these two features, it's still a potentially unwanted program (PUP) and a browser hijacker.
The “Private Search” is a browser extension for Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, MS Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Opera and other popular web browsers. However, it seems to be impossible to install the extension from an official website. Therefore, it is evident that the intrusive extension spreads with bundling.
After getting inside the system, the add-on changes browser's homepage to search.medianetnow.com/search/?category=web&s=37ds&q= and redirect search results to search.yahoo.com.
After the Search.medianetnow.com hijack, you might also find an increased amount of ads and deal with redirects to dubious websites. These redirects might be triggered once you click on a search result, video or other online content.
However, Search.medianetnow.com redirect problem is more than annoying. The hijacker might trick you into visiting phishing, tech support scam or even websites that are created for spreading viruses. Thus, you should not tolerate this activity and get rid of the PUP immediately.
Some concerning information is provided in the program's Privacy policy[1] too:
eAnswers will not collect personal information (such as email, address, phone numbers, etc.). However, eAnswers.com may record non-personally identifiable information, including IP addresses, ISP, cookie information, browser type, browsing history and similar. According to the developer, the purpose of collecting this data is “for general purposes” which consists of anonymous reporting to internal and external clients. This is particularly important as it means that this information is shared to generate revenue and create personalized ads.
Additionally, the developer states that even personal information security is not guaranteed and “no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure”. Beware as this might compromise your bank accounts, social media log-in information and similar. Thus, if you value your privacy, you should remove Search.medianetnow.com from your machine immediately.
We suggest opting for automatic Search.medianetnow.com removal with security software, such as FortectIntego. It's the quickest way to get rid of the hijacker and its related components. However, if you prefer manual elimination, you can find the guidelines below the article.

Download managers might hide potentially unwanted programs
In most cases, the deceiving marketing method, called bundling, is used to infiltrate users machines with unwanted software. As stated above, freeware or shareware[2] download managers can sometimes not adequately disclose the full extent of installation. Therefore, it is vital to be cautious while going through the installation process.
Most commonly, unwanted programs hide in “Advanced/Custom” settings which majority of users tend to skip. It is advised to avoid “Recommended/Quick” mode when installing freeware.
Security specialists from Bedynet.ru[3] also reminds to choose software download sources wisely. Do not download any programs from unknown torrents or P2P networks. It may lead to infiltration of PUPs and malicious apps. Additionally, read Terms of Use and Privacy Policy in order not to get tricked by shady software developers.
Get rid of Search.medianetnow.com virus
You can remove earch.medianetnow.com virus automatically by using any legitimate anti-malware tool you can obtain online. This method brings fast results as it will take care of everything automatically and delete all the files and registries related to this unwanted program.
However, if you want to avoid using additional software, you can proceed with manual Search.medianetnow.com virus removal. Please follow our guide below. Be aware that you must perform every step with great caution as failure to do so might lead to undesired results and risk of re-infection.
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.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.

Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.

Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.

Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.

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.

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