Remove MoonBrowser Hijacker: Stop Unwanted Redirects

MoonBrowser: Complete Uninstall Steps

MoonBrowser pretends to be a legitimate search engine, however, it’s not more than just a browser hijacker. Like other potentially unwanted programs, it also doesn’t ask for approval to sneak into the targeted computers and make various alterations on the installed web browsers. The most prominent change is that your startpage and new tab URL would be set to another address. This would allow the hijacker to insert advertisements into your searches and monitor your online activities in the background. The app travels bundles with free programs that users generally install from unknown and untrustworthy channels.

MoonBrowser Performs Several Malicious Activities:

Soon after getting into the targeted devices, the first thing MoonBrowser does is Windows registry alteration. By doing so, it makes sure that every time the PC is started and the browser is launched, its domain will be shown with the provided commercial content. So, this hijacker might change your homepage and default search engine to its domain. Using an affected browser and the corrupted search engine is a waste of time. It is programmed for delivering commercial content to users, which may be inserted in search results.

Simple MoonBrowser pop-ups, banners, and other online advertising material are not enough because creators profit from redirecting traffic to affiliated sites. You may frequently be rerouted to multiple portals and, also bombarded with intrusive ads all the time. Even though you are a victim and can handle problems, we strongly recommend terminating this infection from your computer. Material delivered by this hijacker is not only annoying but might be harmful as well. Potentially unwanted program is not a dangerous and malicious computer infection compared with Trojans or ransomware viruses. However, MoonBrowser hijacker still can affect the device and your browsing quality.

Redirects are one of the most impactful issues related to the decreased browsing experience. You may be rerouted to suspicious web pages out of the blue when you type as essential address in the URL bar or click on a specific link. The worst part is that you might end up on an insecure site and catch other computer infections. Besides, the hijacker alters search results and includes links to affiliated sites that typically are irrelevant and useless. Remember that some ads may be contaminated as well. So, you have to resist and avoid interacting with all great offers or discounts that appear on your browser. To prevent all these intrusive activities, an instant MoonBrowser removal must be performed.

Browser Hijackers Can Be Spread By Software Bundling:

This kind of computer infections need users’ help to sneak into their PC systems, as they cannot penetrate the device alone. Developers of PUPs include them as additional apps to regular software packages. Users hardly notice when they download and install a single software or package, and they usually select the “Quick” or “Recommended” installation mode. Bu doing so, they agree to install all the optional components by just clicking the “Next” and “Agree” buttons. PUP creators are aware of this bad habit and use it to their benefit.

To guard systems from potentially unwanted programs, users should always use trustworthy sources for software downloads and monitor its installation carefully. All they have to do is to select the “Custom” or “Advanced” installation mode and “unpack” software package. You might see a number of add-ons, extensions, apps, search providers, and other PUPs in the list. Once you see the list of these objects, refuse their installation by deselecting them. But at the moment, you must remove MoonBrowser from the computer without wasting any time.

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 MoonBrowser:

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