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  • Active
  • Severity: High
  • Stealing programs
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Jul 2017

How to remove Tracepackagesearch.com virus

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Ugnius Kiguolis · The mastermind

Tracepackagesearch.com tries to convince users that it is a trustworthy search tool

Screenshot of Tracepackagesearch.com search engine

Tracepackagesearch.com is a new search site that is created by Hopebest Inc. Media. Our research reveals that this site is closely associated with potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) that hijack victim’s browser[1] and change default search provider and homepage settings.

The described hijacker might place a standalone program on the system or also add some shady extensions to web browsers at the same time. Once the virtual pest completes the hijack, victim’s web browsers will be ready to cause repetitious redirects to hxxp://Tracepackagesearch.com/ site which suggests using a particular search engine.

The website also suggests tracking one’s packages by entering their tracking numbers. Although this feature might seem handy to some, the majority of computer users wouldn’t trade their favorite search engine just to enjoy it. It is not surprising, considering that not many people need to track packages every day.

The main aim of the suspicious search site is to create an image that invites the victim to use the suggested search engine. The basic design of the website and lack of ads might seem like signs of a trustworthy tool, however, do not be fooled that easily. This search site uses tracking cookies and other technologies to spy on user’s activity online, and it does that on a very specific purpose.

TrackPackageSearch aims to collect browsing-related data such as search terms, ads clicked, websites visited or time spent on them. It then uses the aggregated data to determine what kind of content the user is interested in.

Having such valuable pieces of data not only provides the developers of the hijacker to have a glance at the market’s needs but also gives them a possibility to share collected data with third-parties such as ad networks and receive targeted advertisements in return.

As a consequence, the user receives, even more, ads on a daily basis, instead of getting relevant search results. Besides, every time a user clicks on them, HopeBest Inc. Media gets pay-per-click type income[2].

The described search tool mostly serves third-party ads in the form of search results, although the user may encounter pop-ups and banners from time to time. The worst part is that the developer of this search engine hardly cares about the security of links that it provides in the results’ pages.

Tracepackagesearch.com virus

Some of these can be highly dangerous and pose various threats to your PC or your privacy. If you’d like to protect the system, remove Tracepackagesearch.com immediately.

As the developer of the questionable tool claims, “the default search features can be disabled by removing the files that you downloaded from the HopeBest Products.” Experts from 2-Spyware suggest that the fastest way to complete TrackPackageSearch.com removal is to use an anti-spyware software like FortectIntego. However, you can also rely on manual removal instructions provided below the article. In case you are a German-speaking computer user, head to DieViren.de site for instructions[3].

Distribution of browser hijacking programs

Browser hijackers similar to the one we described today are distributed with the help of software bundling. It is an efficient technique that allows installing several programs at once.

Developers of less-known and usually potentially unwanted products collaborate with developers of popular free software and get their permission to advertise suspicious products alongside approved and popular ones.

Users tend to rush when installing free software, so they often rely on Standard/Default installation settings. These settings should not be trusted as they do not provide a possibility to deselect optional programs bundled with the primary program. To perform this change, you need to switch the installation option to Custom/Advanced first.

Remove TrackPackageSearch redirect virus

The easiest way to stop browser redirections is to remove TrackPackageSearch.com virus from Chrome, Firefox, or whichever browser got hijacked by it. If you have never attempted to remove a browser hijacker, take a look at instructions we provided below the article. We are sure that you will find them helpful.

On the other hand, you can save even more time and choose automatic TrackPackageSearch.com removal option. Simply close the affected web browser and run anti-spyware software so that it could check the entire system for you. If you do not have a security software installed yet, try one of the programs recommended by our team.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

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

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. 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.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. 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.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. 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:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

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