Snitou.com search redirects warn about hijacked web browser

Snitou.com domain belongs to a browser hijacker that is being distributed in software bundles. This potentially unwanted program (PUP) might alter browser’s settings and trigger redirect search queries to Yahoo search via this suspicious domain. Apart from that, it might also redirect to other commercial websites or delivers lots of ads.[1]
The hijacker might replace browser’s homepage and default search engine to http://snitou.com. When you enter search queries to the browser’s search box, the PUP redirects it through http://snitou.com/?keyword=[query] until you end up and Yahoo search results page. During this process, you might see one of these statuses on the browser’s tab:
- Waiting for http://snitou.com/,
- Connecting to http://snitou.com/,
- Transferring from http://snitou.com/.
Search.yahoo.com is a reliable search provider. The problem here is the intrusion of the Snitou.com virus. This cyber infection is most likely to participate in Yahoo affiliate’s program and generate revenue by forcing users to use this search engine. However, some of the virus activities are concerning.
The main Snitou.com redirect problem is that you can never be sure if you end up on the safe website or not. Even if you click on the Yahoo search result, the hijacker might redirect you to a third-party site. Developers of the PUP get revenue for boosting traffic to partner’s website, but users might end up on a potentially dangerous site.
Hijacker’s redirects are uncontrollable, so you have to stop them by scanning the system with FortectIntego or another anti-malware/anti-spyware.[2] This will help to remove Snitou.com redirect virus and get back control over your browser. Thus, you will be able to set your preferred search engine and homepage.
However, if automatic Snitou.com removal does not seem like the right option and you want to get rid of this threat manually, you should keep scrolling to the end of the article. There you will find manual elimination guidelines.

Free programs might distribute the hijacker
These discussed search redirects to do not start out of nowhere. They often start after the installation of some free program, such as PDF converter or video player. The Snitou.com hijack might occur on two occasions:
- a user installed freeware using “Quick” or “Recommended” installation settings;
- a user left the ticks near the pre-selected entries during “Advanced” or “Custom” installation.
To avoid similar problems in the future, you should remember to be careful when installing new programs. You should not only choose reliable download source but be attentive during Advanced installation settings. Do not rush to hit “Next” button because you have to remove ticks from pre-selected “optional downloads.”
Experts from Croatia[3] remind that Quick installation settings barely inform about an installation of additional programs. Thus, using this setup, you give indirect permission these entries to get inside the PC.
Stop redirects to Snitou.com immediately
To stop annoying and suspicious redirects, you have to remove Snitou.com hijacker together with its related components. These entries might be installed on the computer or each of the browsers installed on your computer. Thus, you should follow the instructions below to locate and get rid of these entries entirely.
However, if the problem continues, you should opt for the automatic Snitou.com removal option that requires scanning the system with a security program. You can choose this method at first to get the best results.
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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