Yahoo Mail redirect virus: what it is and how to remove it
Yahoo Mail redirect virus is a browser hijacker, which can infiltrate any computer if it's not protected as it should be. As soon as it gets inside, this virus hides from the user and reminds about its existence only when user tries to loggin into his/hers Yahoo account.
Facts checked October 7, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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Start the stepsYahoo Mail redirect virus: summary
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Name | Yahoo Mail redirect virus |
| Type | Ad redirect domain |
| Symptoms | An unknown program in Installed apps |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 4 more facts
| Evidence | One write-up by a security site; details still limited |
|---|---|
| Program | Yahoo Mail redirect virus |
| First seen | 18 June 2013 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
From our report of Jun 2013 · not reviewed since
What Yahoo Mail redirect virus is
Yahoo Mail redirect virus is a browser hijacker, which can infiltrate any computer if it's not protected as it should be.
As soon as it gets inside, this virus hides from the user and reminds about its existence only when user tries to loggin into his/hers Yahoo account. Instead of allowing him/her to get into the profile, virus redirects the victim to inactive search page of the Google or unknown website.
In most of the cases, this inconvenience starts appearing on all Internet browsers, including Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Beware that Yahoo Mail redirect virus can also change the start page or default search engine on your computer. If you have noticed any of these symptoms, you are highly recommended scanning the system with updated anti-spyware and eliminating Yahoo Mail redirect virus from the system.
How Yahoo Mail redirect virus got into your browser
From our report of Jun 2013 · not reviewed since
You can get infected with Yahoo Mail redirect virus if you don't follow safe browsing practices.
That means you tend to visit illegal domains, use illegal software, open spam and do other unwise things. Besides, if your PC has been infected by malware, this virus may be a cause of it. As soon as Yahoo Mail redirect virus infiltrates the system, it alters system's settings and starts annoying redirections to unwanted websites.
If you can't reach your Yahoo Mail, you should check your machine with a reputable security software and eliminate malicious entries from the PC. Otherwise, you may be redirected to the site that promotes potentially malicious applications or even malware.
How to remove Yahoo Mail redirect virus
How to stop the Yahoo Mail redirect virus redirects
Work in this order and test a few links after each step, so you know which one was the cause.
Step 1: Check the browser's extensions
Redirects on sites that normally behave mean something in the browser is sending you there. In Chrome open
chrome://extensions, in Edgeedge://extensions, in Firefox the menu > Extensions and themes.Remove every extension you do not remember adding, especially new tab, search, coupon, PDF or video downloader add-ons. The extension pages look the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Chrome on Windows 11: More > Extensions > Manage extensions. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Step 2: Reset the browser if the redirects continue
If the unwanted pages still open after the extensions are gone, put the browser's settings back to their defaults. In Chrome open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults; in Edge Settings > Reset settings; in Firefox Help > More troubleshooting information > Refresh Firefox.
Tip: Bookmarks and saved passwords stay, while site permissions, the start page and the search engine are reset.
Redirects that survive a reset in every browser point to a program installed in Windows 11 or Windows 10, so uninstall anything you do not recognise in Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Reset settings. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 3: Scan the PC if you downloaded anything from the ads
If you only saw the notifications and clicked nothing, you can stop before this step. If a notification led you to download or run something, delete that file, then scan Windows.
In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan, then choose Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and Scan now. The offline scan restarts the PC and takes about 15 minutes on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Protect your privacy - employ a VPN
There are several ways how to make your online time more private - you can access an incognito tab.
However, there is no secret that even in this mode, you are tracked for advertising purposes. There is a way to add an extra layer of protection and create a completely anonymous web browsing practice with the help of VPN. This software reroutes traffic through different servers, thus leaving your IP address and geolocation in disguise.
Besides, it is based on a strict no-log policy, meaning that no data will be recorded, leaked, and available for both first and third parties. The combination of a secure web browser and VPN will let you browse the Internet without a feeling of being spied or targeted by criminals.
No backups? No problem. Use a data recovery tool
If you wonder how data loss can occur, you should not look any further for answers - human errors, malware attacks, hardware failures, power cuts, natural disasters, or even simple negligence.
In some cases, lost files are extremely important, and many straight out panic when such an unfortunate course of events happen. Due to this, you should always ensure that you prepare proper data backups on a regular basis.
If you were caught by surprise and did not have any backups to restore your files from, not everything is lost. is one of the leading file recovery solutions you can find on the market - it is likely to restore even lost emails or data located on an external device.
From our report of Jun 2013 · not reviewed since
How to remove Yahoo Mail redirect virus?
If you think that your PC is infected with Yahoo Mail redirect virus, you should begin this procedure with scanning the system with updated anti-spyware.
1. 2. 3.
Now check Domain Name Server (DNS) settings:
1) Go Control Panel-> Network Connections -> select Local Area Connection. Then you should right-click the icon and choose Properties. 2) You should see a window. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties.
3) New window (Internet Protocol window) will show up. Click Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically. Finally, click OK to save the changes.
We also recommend checking proxy settings:
1) Launch IE, then go Tools ->Internet Options. Click Connections tab and press Local Area Network (LAN) Settings. 2) Unselect everything or enter parameters that were given by system administrator and press OK.
1) Launch Mozilla Firefox, then go Tools ->Options. Additionally, press Advanced and open Network tab. Press Settings button. 2) Select No proxy or enter parameters that were given by system administrator and press OK.
1) Click Customize and Control Google Chrome menu -> Options. 2) Now under Google Chrome Options select Under the Hood tab -> Network -> Change proxy settings. 3) Now in the Internet Properties window, click Lan settings button -> Local Area Network (LAN) Settings 4) Uncheck the Use Proxy server for your LAN and click OK.
Finally, look for malicious entries on your browsers:
Internet Explorer: 1. Click the Start button and then select Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs. 2.
In the list of programs, find potentially malicious entries, select them, and click Change/Remove. Mozilla Firefox: 1. In your browser menu, select Tools > Add-ons. 2.
Make sure the Extensions tab is selected. 3. Select potentially malicious entries and click the Uninstall button. Google Chrome: 1.
Click On the Settings button (wrench icon.. right top.. below close button) and go to Tools. 3. Next in the sub menu choose Extensions and disable/uninstall potentially malicious entries.
Questions about Yahoo Mail redirect virus
What is Yahoo Mail redirect virus and why is it on my PC?
Yahoo Mail redirect virus is a program that was installed on the PC, most likely together with something else you downloaded. Free software sites and many installers add extra programs on setup pages with pre-ticked boxes, so the extra install looks like your choice even though nobody read the page.
Check the install date in Settings, Apps, Installed apps: the program you installed that day is the probable carrier. If you do not need Yahoo Mail redirect virus, uninstall it. If it belongs to your hardware or to a program you use, search its exact name and publisher first, because drivers and their tools can have unfamiliar names.
How do I stop programs like Yahoo Mail redirect virus from being installed again?
Most unwanted programs arrive through installers, so the fix is in how you install software. Download programs from their official sites or the Microsoft Store, not from download portals or ads above search results. During setup, choose Custom or Advanced installation and untick every extra offer, including browsers, toolbars and optimizers.
Decline update prompts that appear inside other programs unless you know them. In Windows Security, turn on reputation-based protection and potentially unwanted app blocking. These steps would most likely have stopped Yahoo Mail redirect virus before it reached the app list.
Can adware slow down my PC?
Yes. Adware runs in the background, loads ad scripts, opens extra tabs and contacts its servers, all of which use processor time, memory and bandwidth. Ad-heavy extensions also slow down every page, because they inspect and change it before you see it.
The effect is strongest on older PCs and when several adware programs arrived together. After removal, restart the PC and check Task Manager for anything still using a lot of resources that you do not recognise. Speed usually returns to normal once the ads stop.
Does adware steal passwords?
Ordinary adware is built to show ads, not to steal logins, and most of it never touches saved passwords. The line is blurry, though. Extensions that can read every page could capture what you type, and adware ads sometimes lead to phishing pages that ask for passwords directly.
If you entered credentials on a page reached through an ad, change that password from a clean device and turn on two-step verification. Otherwise, removing ad redirect domain and clearing cookies is usually enough.
I clicked on one of the ads. Am I infected?
Probably not. Clicking an ad usually only opens a page, and a page cannot install programs on an up-to-date Windows PC without your help.
You are at risk only if you then downloaded and ran a file, allowed notifications, entered card or login details, or called a phone number shown on the page. Delete any download and run a full and offline scan.
Change passwords you typed, from a clean device. Call your bank if you gave card details. If you called a number or allowed remote access, see the next question.
Why didn't my antivirus catch Yahoo Mail redirect virus?
Many security products do not block adware or notification sites by default, because users often agreed to them, even through a misleading prompt. Notification spam installs nothing at all, so there is no file to detect.
In Windows 11 you can make Microsoft Defender block potentially unwanted apps: open Windows Security > App & browser control > Reputation-based protection settings and turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking. If notifications caused the pop-ups, no scanner will report them; the fix is in the browser's site settings.
An ad showed a phone number and I called it. What now?
The number belongs to scammers, not to Microsoft or an antivirus company. If you only talked, hang up and do not call back. If you let them connect to the PC, disconnect it from the internet, uninstall the remote access program they used, such as AnyDesk, TeamViewer, ScreenConnect or UltraViewer, and run a full and offline scan.
If you paid or gave bank details, call your bank at once on the number printed on your card. Change any passwords you typed while they were connected, and report the call.
How did Yahoo Mail get on my computer?
That means you tend to visit illegal domains, use illegal software, open spam and do other unwise things. Software of this kind often comes bundled with free programs, fake updates or downloads from unofficial sites.
It can also arrive through a browser extension or a notification you allowed on a spam page. Think back to what you installed or allowed just before the first ad or redirect appeared.
Will Fortect remove Yahoo Mail redirect virus?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For Yahoo Mail redirect virus, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (read October 7, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 7, 2026)