Search.MovieGoat.com search tool might not be that reliable after all
Search.MovieGoat.com is a web page that you might see on your Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or another web browser. If you have installed a Movie Goat app intentionally – you are probably expecting these changes. However, many people find this URL appended to their browsers seemingly out of nowhere, mainly because they are not directly asked for permission by the app during the installation of freeware.
The new homepage and new tab are not the only changes that the hijacker initiates. Once used, the search engine redirects all search results to searchlee.com – a provider which shows results with little to no sense based on a keyword used. While searching for a “hijacker,” the top result provided was “My hijab, myself.” Well, that's weird.
| Name | Search.MovieGoat.com |
| Type | Browser hijacker |
| Distribution | Software bundles, third-party websites |
| Activities | Searches redirected to searchlee.com; ads show up during searches; cookies and other tracking technologies are used to record user data |
| Uninstall | Delete unwanted apps as per instructions below or scan your PC with reputable anti-malware software |
| System fix | If your system was affected by unwanted or malicious program use FortectIntego to fix virus damage automatically |
It is important to note that Movie Goat is not malware[1] but a potentially unwanted program instead. Such labels were added because of its suspicious activity on computer systems that it manages to land on – mainly, the changes to the homepage and new tab functionality, which completely alters the way users search the web.
This service is available at the indicated new start page set by default by this potentially unwanted program. Considering that it changes browser settings without adequately informing the computer user first, we have added it to browser hijackers[2] list. These apps, which not malicious, can be very annoying, and the most infamous examples are the Delta-Homes hijacker[3] and the Trotux.com virus[4].
There are a few things that go wrong right after the infiltration of the unwanted app. First of all, instead of getting relevant search results, you might start getting sponsored ones, and it is a well-known fact that these results can be more dangerous than organic ones.
We do not recommend clicking them because they might instantly take you to third-party sites that you would normally try to avoid visiting. Some of these sites might contain inappropriate content, shady download links and other content that you would like to avoid or protect your children from it.
On top of that, the installed extension collects some data derived from user’s browsing sessions, for example:
- Clicked links and visited websites;
- Technical computer or phone/tablet information
- Browser type and local language settings
- Search logs and search queries, and more.
It promises to use this information to perform research analytics and respond to user’s requests and feedback, and so on. It also explains that it uses collected data to develop and deliver advertising, and it also shares the information with third parties such as advertising companies for this purpose.
You can never know where such information can end up, so we suggest removing this app from the system to prevent it from collecting data about your browsing habits. Below you will find extensive guidelines on how to uninstall programs from your macOS or Windows computers and then remediate your browsers accordingly. If you want to do that quicker – rely on FortectIntego.
You can stop browser hijackers easily
If you want to stop browser hijackers before they get installed behind your back on your system, carefully read the information provided in software installers[5]. It doesn’t matter what kind of program you downloaded, make sure you install it attentively.
Read all information provided in the setup and choose the right installation settings. We advise choosing Custom or Advanced settings – then just deselect optional programs or browser add-ons bundled with your desired software and proceed with the installation. Picking Recommended settings is precisely what results in the unexpected appearance of a browser hijacker.
Get rid of Search.MovieGoat.com hijack
Nobody wants to surf the Internet via the web browser that acts suspiciously. Therefore, if your browser has been hijacked, we suggest removing the cause of the problems first. The easiest way to remove the unwanted app is to use an automatic spyware removal tool.
However, you can remove the described browser hijacker just as efficiently and all by yourself if you use the removal guidelines provided below. Remember that you can always send a question to our support team in case you have any concerns about the described browser hijacker.
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.
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