Search.hotspotshield.com – How to remove?

Search.hotspotshield.com Removal Tips (Uninstall Search.hotspotshield.com)

Search.hotspotshield.com is a browser hijacker that comes together with a potentially unwanted program called Hotspot Shield. This program was developed by AnchorFree. It is supposed to provide you with a secure connection while browsing Wi-Fi hotspots and help you access webpages that are not available in your country.

These may appear like useful features, however, the software has plenty of disadvantages that are not limited to the browser settings modifications. If you want to eliminate the hijacker from your browsers and go back to your original preferences, you will have to delete Search.hotspotshield.com and its related program.

How does Search.hotspotshield.com work?

Hotspot Shield has an official page at hotspotshield.com, where it is promoted as a tool that can “protect your privacy”, “secure your data”, and “unblock sites”. You can download it from the website for free or purchase its elite version. The paid version provides you with ad-free surfing, customer support, and a complete cloud-based malware protection. Its cost ranges from $19.90 to $29.95. Another method of distribution used by the program is bundling. It may enter your system bundled with other freeware. This method is not completely straightforward, so it is possible that you did not wish to acquire the application at all.

Once Hotspot Shield gets installed, it alters your home page and default search provider changing them to Search.hotspotshield.com. This site contains a search box that redirects you to Bing.com. It is clear that you do not need the hijacker if you wish to use Bing Search. Another unwanted symptom that you will notice after the hijacker takes over is that your browsers will be filled with commercial data. You will see various adverts pop-up on your screen, which will slow down your online surfing speed. If you want to get rid of all of these symptoms, you should terminate Search.hotspotshield.com as soon as you can.

How to remove Search.hotspotshield.com?

In order to erase Search.hotspotshield.com from your browsers, first, you will have to uninstall Hotspot Shield from your computer. Afterwards, you should be able to restore your browser settings without any difficulty. You can complete these tasks manually or automatically. If you choose manual Search.hotspotshield.com removal, you can use the instructions presented below the article. If, however, you want to go with a more reliable solution and not only delete Search.hotspotshield.com, but also take care of other threats that may be present on your PC, you should implement a malware removal tool instead. If you download the anti-malware from our page, it will scan your system and detect all of its issues. You will then be able to remove Search.hotspotshield.com with a click of a button. The security software will also help you make sure that your computer stays safeguarded in the future.

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Quick Menu

Step 1. Uninstall Search.hotspotshield.com and related programs.

• Windows 8
• Windows 7
• Windows XP
• Mac OS

Remove Search.hotspotshield.com from Windows 8

Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen. Once Quick Access Menu shows up, select Control Panel choose Programs and Features and select to Uninstall a software.

Uninstall Search.hotspotshield.com from Windows 7

Click Start → Control Panel → Programs and Features → Uninstall a program.

Delete Search.hotspotshield.com from Windows XP

Click Start → Settings → Control Panel. Locate and click → Add or Remove Programs.

Remove Search.hotspotshield.com from Mac OS X

Click Go button at the top left of the screen and select Applications. Select applications folder and look for Search.hotspotshield.com or any other suspicious software. Now right click on every of such entries and select Move to Trash, then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.

Step 2. Delete Search.hotspotshield.com from your browsers

• Internet Explorer
• Chrome
• Firefox
• Safari

Terminate the unwanted extensions from Internet Explorer

1. Tap the Gear icon and go to Manage Add-ons.
2. Pick Toolbars and Extensions and eliminate all suspicious entries (other than Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Oracle or Adobe)
3. Leave the window.

Change Internet Explorer homepage if it was changed by virus:

1. Tap the gear icon (menu) on the top right corner of your browser and click Internet Options.
2. In General Tab remove malicious URL and enter preferable domain name. Press Apply to save changes.

Reset your browser

1. Click the Gear icon and move to Internet Options.
2. Open the Advanced tab and press Reset.
3. Choose Delete personal settings and pick Reset one more time.
4. Tap Close and leave your browser.
5. If you were unable to reset your browsers, employ a reputable anti-malware and scan your entire computer with it.

Erase Search.hotspotshield.com from Google Chrome

1. Access menu (top right corner of the window) and pick Settings.
2. Choose Extensions.
3. Eliminate the suspicious extensions from the list by clicking the Trash bin next to them.
4. If you are unsure which extensions to remove, you can disable them temporarily.

Reset Google Chrome homepage and default search engine if it was hijacker by virus

1. Press on menu icon and click Settings.
2. Look for the “Open a specific page” or “Set Pages” under “On start up” option and click on Set pages.
3. In another window remove malicious search sites and enter the one that you want to use as your homepage.
4. Under the Search section choose Manage Search engines. When in Search Engines..., remove malicious search websites. You should leave only Google or your preferred search name.
   

Reset your browser

1. If the browser still does not work the way you prefer, you can reset its settings.
2. Open menu and navigate to Settings.
3. Press Reset button at the end of the page.
4. Tap Reset button one more time in the confirmation box.
5. If you cannot reset the settings, purchase a legitimate anti-malware and scan your PC.

Remove Search.hotspotshield.com from Mozilla Firefox

1. In the top right corner of the screen, press menu and choose Add-ons (or tap Ctrl+Shift+A simultaneously).
2. Move to Extensions and Add-ons list and uninstall all suspicious and unknown entries.

Change Mozilla Firefox homepage if it was changed by virus:

1. Tap on the menu (top right corner), choose Options.
2. On General tab delete malicious URL and enter preferable website or click Restore to default.
3. Press OK to save these changes.

Reset your browser

1. Open the menu and tap Help button.
2. Select Troubleshooting Information.
3. Press Refresh Firefox.
4. In the confirmation box, click Refresh Firefox once more.
5. If you are unable to reset Mozilla Firefox, scan your entire computer with a trustworthy anti-malware.

Uninstall Search.hotspotshield.com from Safari (Mac OS X)

1. Access the menu.
2. Pick Preferences.
3. Go to the Extensions Tab.
4. Tap the Uninstall button next to the undesirable Search.hotspotshield.com and get rid of all the other unknown entries as well. If you are unsure whether the extension is reliable or not, simply uncheck the Enable box in order to disable it temporarily.
5. Restart Safari.

Reset your browser

1. Tap the menu icon and choose Reset Safari.
2. Pick the options which you want to reset (often all of them are preselected) and press Reset.
3. If you cannot reset the browser, scan your whole PC with an authentic malware removal software.