How To Remove TheMaskSearch browser hijacker

Simple Guide To Delete TheMaskSearch from PC

TheMaskSearch is a bogus search provider that pretends to be a genuine application that promises to enhance user’s online browsing experience. But it shows sponsored search results along with lots of unwanted adverts that cause unwanted browser redirection. Are you getting similar issues on your web browsers then your PC is affected by TheMaskSearch. Follow this guide and removal instruction for its complete removal.

Know About TheMaskSearch:

TheMaskSearch is a fake search engine that categorized as a web browser hijacker. It is mainly designed to infect your main web browsers and replace your default search engine with its own domain. It has been developed by the team of cyber-criminal with the main target to makes illegal money through manipulate innocent users. It looks like as a genuine search provider at the first inspection like as Google, Yahoo, and Bing etc. But it is barely differ from them. It will show sponsored search result instead of real result.  While you will search any query on it then it redirects your searches on unknown website.

It also shows various kind of annoying adverts into various forms like as commercial ads, pop-up ads, coupons, banners, discounts etc on the running webpage with the aim to generate illegal revenue on pay per click methods. Once clicking on these adverts might cause the redirection issues on phishing website as well as cause the installation of unwanted program.

More Information About TheMaskSearch:

TheMaskSearch is able to hijacker well known and mostly used web browsers like as Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari, Edge and others. It changes the default web browsers homepage, search engine and DNS setting. It can also install malicious browser extension, plug-in, add-ons, on your web browser without your consent. It can disable your System security and privacy by inactivate firewall, task manager, control panel and real antivirus program. It can gathers users online browsing habits to collect users private and sensitive information like as email-id, password, bank account details, IP address etc. and later forwarded them to the cyber offender for illegal use. It degrades the System performance and downpour surfing as well as makes the browser totally useless. Thus it is highly recommended to remove TheMaskSearch as far as possible.

TheMaskSearch: Threat Analysis

Name:  TheMaskSearch

Type:     Browser Hijacker

Short Description:            Infect your browser, show unwanted pop-up ads, and redirect your browser on potentially harmful and phishing websites.

Symptoms:         Changed default homepage and search engine, show pop-up ads, forced browser redirection on low quality websites.

Distribution Method:     Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages, spam emails, cracked software, illegal patches

Distribution Methods of TheMaskSearch:

TheMaskSearch is mostly distributed into the system via various intrusive methods. Some of the most common ways are given below.

• Spam Email Campaign: Cyber offender often used spam email campaign to spreads malicious infection which hides into the attachments of files and embedded links. Once click or open files and links then lots of infection gets installed into the System without any their knowledge.
• Freeware program: Mostly users downloading and installing freeware program from third party site without read the installation guide.   They also skip custom or advance options as well as other similar settings. Such types of the installation cause the infiltration of lots of infections.
• Updating System Software: Downloading and updating System Software from third party site such as download.com, download32.com.
• Peer to Peer sharing Files: Sharing files through peer to peer sharing network like as torrent, eMule, Gnutella etc.

How To Prevent the System from TheMaskSearch:

We are highly advice simply avoid the spam email which comes from unknown address. Before received must know the sender email address. Don’t open any files without checking grammatical error and spelling mistakes of the body content. If any file seems suspicious please do not open them. Users also must be avoiding the installation of freeware program from third party site.  Always use official and trustworthy site while downloading and installing freeware program. Read the installation guide carefully till the end. Must select Custom or Advance options as well as other similar settings.  Always update the System from relevant sources. Don’t share any files from bad network environments.

How To Remove TheMaskSearch Automatically:

If your system and web browser is already infected with TheMaskSearch virus then you are highly advice to delete this infection quickly from PC. But it is not easy to eliminate by manually.  Use Automatic removal tool to remove TheMaskSearch easily and quickly from your PC.

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 TheMaskSearch:

Remove the related items of TheMaskSearch 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 TheMaskSearch 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 (TheMaskSearch) 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 TheMaskSearch 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 TheMaskSearch 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 TheMaskSearch 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 TheMaskSearch 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 TheMaskSearch (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.