Simple-finder.com is a browser hijacker that might diminish your browsing sessions

Simple-finder.com is a potentially unwanted program (PUP) that spreads as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox extensions. This browser hijacker might get installed with the help of freeware bundles. The main activities of this cyber parasite are altering search results or displaying unwanted ads.[1]
| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Name | Simple-finder.com |
| Type | Browser hijacker |
| Danger level | Medium. Might alter browser's settings and expose to potentially dangerous web content |
| Symptoms | Changed homepage, default search engine, and new tab URL address, delivery of aggressive ads, redirects to questionable sites, inability to customize web browsers, installation of unknown browser extensions. |
| To uninstall Simple-finder.com, install FortectIntego and run a full system scan | |
So-called Simple-finder.com virus does not spread itself. It’s not a dangerous computer virus.[2] It’s an annoying application that is typically hidden in freeware packages, so if you do not pay attention to the installation process or overlooked “additional downloads” you let this PUP to come to your PC as well.
Some versions of the Simple Finder might replace browser’s default homepage, built-in search engine or new tab URL address. However, the most common symptom of the infection is seeing Waiting for Simple-finder.com” alert at the bottom while redirecting to your search results page or other domain.
If browser’s startup page was not changed, such activities might be hard to notice. However, you might notice significantly decreased browsing speed. Additionally, you might encounter browser redirects to suspicious sites and lots of ads. Such activities are needed for generating revenue from online advertising.
Browser hijacker might also collect various information in order to display targeted ads, meaning they might look interesting for you and you are more willing to click on them. PUPs might track:
- technical details about your computer, operating system, and web browser;
- last visited websites and pages;
- search queries;
- clicked ads;
- IP address;
- etc.
In some cases, the hijacker can collect personal information too, for instance, if you search for your full name. Additionally, you can never be sure if this PUP hasn’t installed any browser extension that aims to steal passwords, login details or other sensitive data. Privacy protection is one of the reasons why you need to hurry up with Simple-finder.com removal.
The biggest issue here is that Simple-finder might display malicious ads and redirect to fraudulent websites. Hence, within one click you can catch ransomware, data-stealing trojan or suffer from scammers’ tricks.
Avoiding Simple-finder.com redirect problems might not be easy. The hijacker might open a new browser’s tab any minute. For this reason, you need to clean your browsers and computer. You can follow manual instructions at the end of this article, or you can speed up the procedure with anti-malware software.
If you are interested in simpler and quicker solution, to remove Simple-finder.com, you should scan your computer with FortectIntego or your preferred updated security software. However, do not forget to rest Firefox, Chrome or another web browser. In this way, you can be sure that all nasty extensions and tracking cookies are deleted.

Tips to avoid browser hijack
This browser hijacker is similar to many other cyber infections belonging to this category. It spreads bundled with free programs as an additional component. However, you can notice it and stop its installation only if you choose Custom or Advanced installation settings.
Quick or Recommended settings do not give this possibility, so if you choose it, you give indirect permission to install the whole software bundle. Security specialists from viruset.no[3] remind that correct installation of programs requires less time than dealing with viruses or PUPs.
Eliminate Simple-finder.com from your browser
To remove simple-finder.com, you have to uninstall suspicious browser extensions, reset the browser and uninstall all questionable programs from the computer. Please, follow the guide below attentively to make sure that all threats are deleted.
If you still notice hijacker’s activities, you should proceed with automatic Simple-finder.com removal. For that, you need to obtain legitimate security program, update it and run a full system scan.
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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