Remove Quick Search Tool Browser Hijacker

Proper Guide To Delete Quick Search Tool

Quick Search Tool is a piece of rogue application that operates by making unexpected changes to browsers in order to promote a fake search engine – quicksearchtool.com. It’s a nasty browser hijacker that aims to infect prominent internet browser like Chrome, Firefox, or Edge. There are a couple of ways on how this potentially unwanted program can gain entry on the Windows computers without being noticed by the users. The trouble that this nasty PUP can cause in the compromised systems is not only limited to the unnecessary alterations of browser settings. It also has the data tracking abilities, which are used to monitor users’ online actions.

Depth Analysis of Quick Search Tool:

Quick Search Tool assigns quicksearchtool.com as the browsers’ new homepage, default search engine and new tab window URLs. And thus, during the presence of this hijacker, each time you open a new tab or do a web search via the URL bar, you are redirected to this precarious domain. Customized search tools generally don’t provide search results; they often redirect to legitimate ones like Google, Yahoo, Bing and others. This particular bogus search engine is not exceptional. It also redirects to Yahoo (search.yahoo.com). However, the web searches are still not valid as they are mixed with commercial contents and sponsored links.

Like most of the browser hijacker programs, Quick Search Tool can also browsing activities of users such as search queries typed, URLs visited, pages viewed etc. and gathers sensitive data. The collected information usually contains personally identifiable info which is often sold to third parties. Your banking details can be misused for illegal transactions or to generate illicit revenues. In summary, presence of this data-tracking threat on browsers/ can result in financial losses, severe privacy issues and even identity theft.

This nasty PUP can kick off extreme display of advertisements that redirects the browser to malware-hosting sites that can automatically download and execute additional threats such as Trojan, spyware and even dangerous Ransomware. It slows down the overall performance of the device by eating up enormous amount of memory resources and increasing the usage of CPU. Due to this, PC begins responding in a weird manner and takes longer than usual time to perform any task. And hence, you must perform an instant removal of Quick Search Tool from the computer.

Threat Summary

Name: Quick Search Tool

Type: Browser Hijacker, Redirect virus, Potentially unwanted program

Description: Aims to redirect users to affiliated sites, promote sponsored products, services and programs and make online revenues for the developers, Also steal users’ personal and confidential information and share them with hackers for evil purposes.

Symptoms: Altered default browser’s settings, default Internet search engine, Endless annoying ads, Fake pop-up messages, identity theft, new tab settings. Users are enforced to visit hijacker’s website and search the Internet using their search engines, slowness of infected system’s performance.

Distribution methods: Free software installers (bundling), Deceptive emails, malicious pop-ups ads, fake flash player installers.

Damage: Web browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to shady websites.

Removal: To get rid of this infection and other malware threats, our security researchers recommend scanning your computer with a powerful anti-malware tool.

Ways To Spread Quick Search Tool:

This pernicious hijacker has an “official” promotional site, from which it can be downloaded. However, this is not the only way that this PUA is distributed. It can also be downloaded and installed together with other programs that are available over the web to download for free. This illusive marketing technique of packing regular software with unwanted additions is called “bundling”. By rushing through download/installation processes, users risk accidentally allowing malicious tools into the machine.

How To Prevent Hijacker Intrusion?

To avoid the PUP intrusion, it is necessary to research any program before downloading and installing them. All downloads must be done from official and dependable sources. Download and installation processes must be completed with high attention; that involves – reading terms, exploring all available options, using the “Custom” or “Advanced” settings and opting-out all the additional apps, tools, features, and so on. Don’t forget to use a trustworthy anti-malware application and keep it up-to-date. However, in case your system is already infected with this hijacker, you are strongly recommended to remove Quick Search Tool from the PC as early as possible.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows Click Here For Mac

Important Note: This malware asks you to enable the web browser notifications. So, before you go the manual removal process, execute these steps.

Google Chrome (PC)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the Menu button
• Select “Settings”. Scroll the mouse downward to choose “Advanced” option
• Go to “Privacy and Security” section by scrolling downward and then select “Content settings” and then “Notification” option
• Find each suspicious URLs and click on three dots on the right side and choose “Block” or “Remove” option

Google Chrome (Android)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the menu button and then click on “Settings”
• Scroll down further to click on “site settings” and then press on “notifications” option
• In the newly opened window, choose each suspicious URLs one by one
• In the permission section, select “notification” and “Off” the toggle button

Mozilla Firefox

• On the right corner of the screen, you will notice three dots which is the “Menu” button
• Select “Options” and choose “Privacy and Security” in the toolbar present in the left side of the screen
• Slowly scroll down and go to “Permission” section then choose “Settings” option next to “Notifications”
• In the newly opened window, select all the suspicious URLs. Click on the drop-down menu and select “Block”

Internet Explorer

• In the Internet Explorer window, select the Gear button present on the right corner
• Choose “Internet Options”
• Select “Privacy” tab and then “Settings” under the “Pop-up Blocker” section
• Select all the suspicious URLs one by one and click on the “Remove” option

Microsoft Edge

• Open the Microsoft Edge and click on the three dots on the right corner of the screen to open the menu
• Scroll down and select “Settings”
• Scroll down further to choose “view advanced settings”
• In the “Website Permission” option, click on “Manage” option
• Click on switch under every suspicious URL

Safari (Mac):

• On the upper right side corner, click on “Safari” and then select “Preferences”
• Go to “website” tab and then choose “Notification” section on the left pane
• Search for the suspicious URLs and choose “Deny” option for each one of them

Manual Steps to Remove Quick Search Tool:

Remove the related items of Quick Search Tool using Control-Panel

Windows 7 Users

Click “Start” (the windows logo at the bottom left corner of the desktop screen), select “Control Panel”. Locate the “Programs” and then followed by clicking on “Uninstall Program”

Windows XP Users

Click “Start” and then choose “Settings” and then click “Control Panel”. Search and click on “Add or Remove Program’ option

Windows 10 and 8 Users:

Go to the lower left corner of the screen and right-click. In the “Quick Access” menu, choose “Control Panel”. In the newly opened window, choose “Program and Features”

Mac OSX Users

Click on “Finder” option. Choose “Application” in the newly opened screen. In the “Application” folder, drag the app to “Trash”. Right click on the Trash icon and then click on “Empty Trash”.

In the uninstall programs window, search for the PUAs. Choose all the unwanted and suspicious entries and click on “Uninstall” or “Remove”.

After you uninstall all the potentially unwanted program causing Quick Search Tool issues, scan your computer with an anti-malware tool for any remaining PUPs and PUAs or possible malware infection. To scan the PC, use the recommended the anti-malware tool.

How to Remove Adware (Quick Search Tool) from Internet Browsers

Delete malicious add-ons and extensions from IE

Click on the gear icon at the top right corner of Internet Explorer. Select “Manage Add-ons”. Search for any recently installed plug-ins or add-ons and click on “Remove”.

Additional Option

If you still face issues related to Quick Search Tool removal, you can reset the Internet Explorer to its default setting.

Windows XP users: Press on “Start” and click “Run”. In the newly opened window, type “inetcpl.cpl” and click on the “Advanced” tab and then press on “Reset”.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 Users: Press the Windows logo, type inetcpl.cpl in the start search box and press enter. In the newly opened window, click on the “Advanced Tab” followed by “Reset” button.

For Windows 8 Users: Open IE and click on the “gear” icon. Choose “Internet Options”

Select the “Advanced” tab in the newly opened window

Press on “Reset” option

You have to press on the “Reset” button again to confirm that you really want to reset the IE

Remove Doubtful and Harmful Extension from Google Chrome

Go to menu of Google Chrome by pressing on three vertical dots and select on “More tools” and then “Extensions”. You can search for all the recently installed add-ons and remove all of them.

Optional Method

If the problems related to Quick Search Tool still persists or you face any issue in removing, then it is advised that your reset the Google Chrome browse settings. Go to three dotted points at the top right corner and choose “Settings”. Scroll down bottom and click on “Advanced”.

At the bottom, notice the “Reset” option and click on it.

In the next opened window, confirm that you want to reset the Google Chrome settings by click on the “Reset” button.

Remove Quick Search Tool plugins (including all other doubtful plug-ins) from Firefox Mozilla

Open the Firefox menu and select “Add-ons”. Click “Extensions”. Select all the recently installed browser plug-ins.

Optional Method

If you face problems in Quick Search Tool removal then you have the option to rese the settings of Mozilla Firefox.

Open the browser (Mozilla Firefox) and click on the “menu” and then click on “Help”.

Choose “Troubleshooting Information”

In the newly opened pop-up window, click “Refresh Firefox” button

The next step is to confirm that really want to reset the Mozilla Firefox settings to its default by clicking on “Refresh Firefox” button.

Remove Malicious Extension from Safari

Open the Safari and go to its “Menu” and select “Preferences”.

Click on the “Extension” and select all the recently installed “Extensions” and then click on “Uninstall”.

Optional Method

Open the “Safari” and go menu. In the drop-down menu, choose “Clear History and Website Data”.

In the newly opened window, select “All History” and then press on “Clear History” option.

Delete Quick Search Tool (malicious add-ons) from Microsoft Edge

Open Microsoft Edge and go to three horizontal dot icons at the top right corner of the browser. Select all the recently installed extensions and right click on the mouse to “uninstall”

Optional Method

Open the browser (Microsoft Edge) and select “Settings”

Next steps is to click on “Choose what to clear” button

Click on “show more” and then select everything and then press on “Clear” button.

Conclusion

In most cases, the PUPs and adware gets inside the marked PC through unsafe freeware downloads. It is advised that you should only choose developers website only while downloading any kind of free applications. Choose custom or advanced installation process so that you can trace the additional PUPs listed for installation along with the main program.