How to remove Y2search.com redirect virus

Easy tips to delete Y2search.com virus

Y2search.com is an address of a fake search engine. Usually, the addresses of this kind appear on web browsers’ settings such as homepage, new tab page and search engine options because of system infection with browser hijacker. It is uncommon that users download/ install such apps intentionally. This is why; these apps are called potentially unwanted applications. It is worthwhile to mention that such apps are not only designed to promote fake search engines but also to collect browsing based data.

Browser hijackers modify settings like addresses of homepage, new tab pages and search engine options and replace them with the address of fake search engines that they are designed to promote. Because of such alterations made each opened tab and entered search query on the URL search bar redirect to the fake web searchers. In this particular case, all those settings and the redirections with browsing tab/ window and search query open Y2search.com website.

Illegitimate web searchers are not capable of displaying their own search results. Thus, they tend to redirect to or cause chain of redirection that end up to Google, Bing or Yahoo or other genuine search engines. Y2search.com is not an exception. However, it is not yet known which website that it redirects to its users to display search results. No matter of what searching tool it is using for showing the affiliate results, the result pages can’t be relied upon as the PUAs’ authors are allowed to manipulate them.

One more reason not to have any browser hijacker (and corresponding fake search engine) installed on computer is that they are designed to gather browsing based data. They can collect the data include IP addresses, Search queries, Viewed pages, URLs visited, ISPs, Geo-locations, ISPs and etc. These data could be shared with and/or sold to third parties/ potent crooks. Thus, the users may become the victim of identity theft, experience issues related to privacy, web browsing safety and etc.

How did Y2search.com infiltrate in?

In some cases, PUAs are distributed via deceptive ads that are designed to cause unwanted downloads and/or installation by executing certain scripts. However, the most common way of distributing PUAs is to use a deceptive marketing method called bundling. In this method, packing of one app is done with unwanted and malicious additions. Usually, the PUAs are offered as additional offers with the regular software. Such offers can be declined in Custom/Advanced settings. Users lead to the unwanted downloads/ installation when they do not change the aforementioned settings.

How to prevent PUAs installation?

It is advised to finish download/ installation process only after checking Custom/Advanced and other similar settings and seeing if they can be used to decline offers to download or install unwanted apps. Also, it is recommended to use official websites and direct links for any download. Untrustworthy downloading channels such as p2p networks, free file hosting sites and third party downloaders/installers often offer dubious and/or bundled content. Ads on any questionable pages should not be clicked as well- those ads could open the pages of same kinds or cause unwanted downloads by running certain scripts.

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 Y2search.com:

Remove the related items of Y2search.com 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 Y2search.com 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 (Y2search.com) 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 Y2search.com 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 Y2search.com 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 Y2search.com 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 Y2search.com 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 Y2search.com (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.