Hohosearch Removal Guide

Did your homepage change all of a sudden? Is your default search engine set to Hohosearch? Then you have clearly been infected by a browser hijacker. This type of computer infection will not kill your system or steal your banking logins and passwords, but it is still a significant threat that should not be taken lightly. After all, it performs unsolicited modifications on your browser and this way breaches your privacy. Hence, it is your job to remove Hohosearch at once; otherwise, this program may lead to even more serious computer security issues that might be hard to contain if it goes too far.

The annoying thing is that you could have possibly avoided this infection if you were more attentive during freeware installation. If you download and set up new programs on a regular basis, there is a greater chance that you will also install unwanted and potentially harmful applications. They are often included in third-party installers, and users have a chance to avoid installing them, but they tend to skip most of the steps on the installation wizard in favor of speedy installation. As a result, such programs like Hohosearch end up getting installed on target systems, and, at the first glance, it may seem that users cannot do much about it.

Nevertheless, there is always a way to terminate a program if you do not wish to continue using it. As far as this browser hijacker is concerned, it has an entry in the list of installed programs, but deleting it via Control Panel only terminates the Uninstaller file. Your browser settings remain modified, and to set them back to normal, it is advised to reset your browser settings to default. If you need any help with that, you can always contact us by leaving a comment or reaching out via Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

When this browser hijacker enters your computer, it will immediately change your homepage and default search engine. The browsers affected by this modification are Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer. You might be confused to find a different homepage the next time you open your browser, but you should not feel compelled to utilize it. Even if you think that having shortcuts to your favorite sites (like Facebook, Twitter or Amazon) on your homepage is a pretty sweet feature, you have to remember that by clicking on those links, you help this browser hijacker collect data on your web browsing habits.

This information is usually used in online marketing schemes. After the infection, you may notice that a number of random pop-ups during your browsing sessions have increased. That is because this program, just like MyStarSearch, Searchatomic.com, Yessearches, and many others, thrives on third-party advertising. It means that it promotes third-party content by offering it promotional space. Each time you click an ad that was placed there by Hohosearch, you help the program’s creators make money. This is called the pay-per-click system, and there is nothing illegal about it, but it is very common that the system gets abused by cyber criminals and other shady people.

In other words, if you do not delete this program, there is a possibility that eventually you will get exposed to extremely dangerous content, and you could get infected with Trojan, ransomware or any other malicious program. To avoid that, you need to nip the problem in the bud. Please note that you will have to scan your PC with a legitimate antispyware application because there might be some malicious files left even after you reset your browser settings.

How to delete Hohosearch

Windows 10 & Windows 8.1

1. Press Win+R and type Control Panel.
2. Click OK and go to Uninstall a program.
3. Highlight the hijacker’s entry and click Uninstall.

Windows Vista & Windows 7

1. Open the Start menu and select Control Panel.
2. Go to Uninstall a program and remove malicious application.

Windows XP

1. Click the Start button and navigate to Control Panel.
2. Access Add or remove programs and uninstall the application.

Reset Your Browser Settings

Internet Explorer

1. Press Alt+T and open Internet options.
2. Click the Advanced tab and press Reset.
3. Select the Delete personal settings option and click Reset.
4. Click Close.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Press Alt+H and click Troubleshooting information.
2. Press the Refresh Firefox button at the top right of the new tab.
3. Click Refresh Firefox again to confirm and click Finish.

Google Chrome

1. Press Alt+F and click Settings.
2. Scroll down and click Show advanced settings.
3. Scroll down to the bottom and press Reset settings.
4. Click Reset.