Youhomepage.org virus (Tutorial) - Free Instructions
Youhomepage.org virus Removal Guide
What is Youhomepage.org virus?
Can I trust Youhomepage.org search engine?
Unprotected computers[1] can be infected with Youhomepage.org virus, which actually is a potentially unwanted program[2] (PUP). Keeping such application on the system means allowing it to control your browsers and change their settings the way it wants them to be. Usually, when Youhomepage.org hijack happens, user’s web browsers start redirecting[3] the user to Youhomepage.org/news website, which provides a search engine and lots of shortcuts pointing to various articles written in the Russian language. When you first look at this search engine, it doesn’t raise suspicion at all. Sadly, it actually can provide untrustworthy links to you, and this is the main reason why we do not recommend using it. If you can, just remove Youhomepage.org browser hijacker from your PC and use a trustworthy search engine (for instance, Google) instead of the one that we talk about in this article. There are several reasons not to trust this search tool, for instance:
- It doesn’t provide legal documents on its main page. You won’t find its Privacy Policy or Terms of Use documents there. Therefore, you cannot find out how this website functions, does it track you or not.
- You might discover that search results provided by this search engine are a bit strange – you might experience redirects after clicking on them, or you can also receive pop-up ads, and everyone knows that such ads can be very annoying.
- Youhomepage.org redirect virus can provide you sponsored content that can link you to unsafe places on the Internet[4]. If you prefer not to visit them, better stay away from this search engine.
An expert shows Google Chrome browser affected by Youhomepage.org virus. The browser is set to open Youhomepage.org as a homepage.
What is this search engine doing in my web browser?
If you seek for an answer to this question, you should ask yourself what programs you installed on your computer recently. Can you remember what settings did you choose for the installation? We must tell you that many free programs available on the Internet are actually bundled[5] with shady third-party applications that are usually the ones to blame for ads, browser redirects, and other problems. If you do not want to install them, we recommend choosing Custom/Advanced method for software installation. These methods will reveal the list of bundled software, and you will have the opportunity to reject the additional items by hand.
How can I remove Youhomepage.org?
Youhomepage.org removal is actually an easy task, especially if you own an anti-malware software. You just need to run it to detect suspicious files and programs. In case you do not have such program, you can try to remove Youhomepage.org virus manually using guidelines presented below. After completing these steps, please scan the system with automatic malware removal program (the scan is free) and see if the system is free of potentially unwanted files already.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of Youhomepage.org virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall all vague-looking programs you can find. It is recommended to sort recently installed programs by date – this way, you can see what day it was when a couple of suspicious programs were installed on the system.
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
Delete from macOS
Remove items from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (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 Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
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.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
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.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
You want to completely get rid of the Youhomepage.org browser hijacker and all associated files. Therefore, pay attention to these instructions and do not rush when doing as they say. We suggest you look for browser add-ons that claim to be “search enhancers,” “search tools,” etc.
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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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
Open Chrome browser and delete unwanted extensions from it. We suggest looking for shady search-related extensions, for instance, Search Protect, etc.
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 the suspicious plugins that might be 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 unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of Youhomepage.org registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting stealing programs
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online. One of the basic means to add a layer of security – choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features. However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN – it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable. Family photos, work documents, school projects – these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur: power cuts, Blue Screen of Death errors, hardware failures, crypto-malware attack, or even accidental deletion.
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, Data Recovery Pro can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
- ^ Botnet. Norton Security Center. Articles about security online.
- ^ Potentially Unwanted Programs slow down your system and can be harmful: Here’s what can you do about it. Emsisoft Blog. All about virtual security.
- ^ Gabriel E. Hall. Information about browser hijacker and removal instructions. NoVirus. Cybersecurity news and virus removal guides.
- ^ How do I avoid dangerous websites?. Lifewire. Tech Untangled.
- ^ How to avoid installing toolbars and other ‘junk’ programs when downloading free software. RicksDailyTips. Tech Tips, Techniques and Tutorials.