Remove Start.mysearchs.com virus (guide)

Start.mysearchs.com is a web address that comes from a browser hijacker

Start.mysearchs.com is a fake search engine that may take over your default browser preferences. This happens when a potentially unwanted program is installed either on the affected web browser or a computer. While this type of infection is not considered severe, it mostly comes down to the fact that it spreads deceptively, hence users install it on their machines without noticing the entry.

After infiltration, the browser hijacker would change the homepage, new tab URL, and the search engine to an alternative one. This would redirect all search results to a different provider and insert ads at the top. In the background, the PUP may start gathering user data about their browsing habits for marketing purposes.

Name	Start.mysearchs.com
Type	Browser hijacker
Distribution	Usually gets installed along freeware downloaded from third-party websites
Symptoms	Altered browser settings, alternative search results and provider, presence of an unknown browser extension
Removal	Scan your machine with antivirus software or use manual guide
Optional steps	Don't forget to clean your web browsers – you can do it with Fortect Intego automatically

We can assure you that Start.mysearchs.com is neither virus nor malware. It is just another browser hijacker that is similar to taplika.com, HoistSearch.com, and many other search sites.

If this program infiltrates the computer, it immediately takes over web browsers (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer), changes their default settings, and installs its entries on Windows startup to launch every time the computer is turned on.

Therefore, changing the homepage and search engine may disappoint you because the predetermined URL may return every time the PC is rebooted or the browser restarted. You should know that such programs are mainly spread to earn money, without consideration about user experience.

To achieve this, they may alter search results and display various sponsored links and advertisements. As a result, you may be redirected to various unsafe websites to spread potentially unwanted programs and serious computer infections.

By the way, this browser hijacker may track you and collect your non-personally identifiable information (search queries, websites visited, IP address, clicks, etc.) to adjust search results and ads according to your interests. For this reason, we strongly recommend removing this search site from your computer.

Do not agree to install optional components

While installing free programs, you might notice suggestions to install optional apps alongside. Such propositions may be shown vaguely or hidden so that users do not notice them. Very often, they appear somewhere at the bottom of the check box and are written in the fine print.

Moreover, note that checkboxes that offer to install add-ons, toolbars, plug-ins, or extensions are always already pre-checked. Therefore, if you do not pay close attention to the installation process of free software, you can miss such propositions and inadvertently install PUPs on your PC.

Besides, you should beware that very often, Quick or Recommended installation mode does not disclose the presence of attachments at all. So if possible, you should always opt for Advanced or Custom installation and follow the entire installation process carefully to deselect unwanted applications.

How to remove Start.mysearchs.com virus from my computer

Since start.mysearchs.com is a browser hijacker that is capable of infiltrating every system unnoticed and then hijacking each of web browsers that are installed on it, you need to ensure that the removal process is conducted thoroughly. First of all, you should check the list of the installed programs on your computer and uninstall everything your don't recognize.

If you are not sure which programs are needed, we strongly recommend you rely on antivirus software instead, as it will automatically pinpoint the unwanted apps for you. After the elimination process is complete, you should also reset your web browsers for best result (alternatively, you could simply remove web data that has been accumulating for awhile).

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.