Web-startpage.com – a search engine that is used for marketing purposes

Web-startpage.com is a questionable search engine that redirects search queries to Yahoo and might deliver an excessive amount of online ads. The program is promoted in software packages and might enter the system silently.
The search engine is presented as a legitimate application that allows customizing the main page with photo backgrounds and choosing the language from French, Czech,[1] Lithuanian, and other languages. The Web-startpage.com also allows searching for the information in the web, image, videos and news categories.
Despite the fact that it redirects searches to Yahoo; this legitimate functionality should not trick you. The Web-startpage.com virus might still reroute searches to questionable or irrelevant websites. What is more, it might also display intrusive, aggressive and misleading ads that might also redirect to high-risk Internet sites.
Web-startpage.com redirect tendencies are suspicious. Legitimate programs reveal partnerships with third-parties in the Terms of Agreements[2] or another official document. Nevertheless, the main page includes links to them; they are not active. Therefore, you cannot learn more about the developers, their purposes or how they treat your personal information.
Usually, these questionable applications are capable of tracking browsing-related information, such as browsing history, search queries, clicked ads, etc. Typically it is used for delivering targeted ads, but it might also be shared with third-parties. As a result, your browser might start crashing due to the extensive amount of commercial content.
Stealthy infiltration, redirects, and lack of official information are the main reasons why this tool is known as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) and a browser hijacker.[3] Therefore, you should get rid of it as soon as it shows up on your browser. The best way to remove Web-startpage.com from the PC is to use reputable anti-malware, such as FortectIntego.
If you decide to opt for the manual Web-startpage.com removal, you should not forget that hijacker-related components might be installed to each of the web browser, including Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, etc. Thus, you should follow our prepared instructions carefully.

Bundling helps to promote and spread the hijacker
Various freeware and shareware spread the hijacker. This search engine might be offered to download as an optional component. However, if you install a new program under Standard/Quick setup, you might not be informed about it. These settings do not openly disclose about third-party apps and install them by default.
To avoid Web-startpage.com hijack, you should pay more attention to software installation:
- opt for Automatic/Custom settings;
- monitor installation procedure and do not rush to click “Next” button;
- reject installation of third-party software, by unmarking pre-selected entries;
- read Privacy Policy, EULA and other official documents (if they are not included, do not install software);
- choose reliable sources for downloads.
Removal of the Web-startpage.com virus
Browser hijacker can be wiped out from the system using two methods – manual and automatic. The main difference between these two options is that manual Web-startpage.com removal requires locating and deleting hijacker-related entries without any help. Meanwhile, automatic deletion requires scanning the system with reputable security software.
If you feel skilled enough and want to remove Web-startpage.com manually, you should take your time and be attentive. You have to:
- uninstall suspicious programs via Control Panel;
- uninstall unknown browser extensions from each of the web browsers;
- reset each of the web browsers.
Browser reset is necessary in order to get rid of tracking cookies and other suspicious elements that might be impossible to remove manually. Therefore, if after manual removal the hijacker comes back, you should finish elimination procedure with anti-malware.
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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