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Foxstart has hijacked my browser searches and I cant remove it

  • 5 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 29 views
  • Last reply by FredMcD

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Hi all. I had to reinstall my Windows 10 OS on my laptop today after interruption to auto windows update and on reinstalling Firefox I somehow managed to pick up the Foxstart browser hijacker. I have searched and worked through various solutions on here and elsewhere and none of them work.

My old Bookmarks work and take me direct to sites but when I undertake a search in Firefox I get taken to the Foxstart browser and despite removing, reinstalling Firefox, running adaware SE, superantispyware, malware bytes etc etc, the problem still persists.

I cant see anything in addons/plugins etc.

Please help me to remove it! many thanks

Hi all. I had to reinstall my Windows 10 OS on my laptop today after interruption to auto windows update and on reinstalling Firefox I somehow managed to pick up the Foxstart browser hijacker. I have searched and worked through various solutions on here and elsewhere and none of them work. My old Bookmarks work and take me direct to sites but when I undertake a search in Firefox I get taken to the Foxstart browser and despite removing, reinstalling Firefox, running adaware SE, superantispyware, malware bytes etc etc, the problem still persists. I cant see anything in addons/plugins etc. Please help me to remove it! many thanks

Modified by PeggyWeggy

Chosen solution

PeggyWeggy said

I realise now that I accidentally installed Firefox from a site other than Mozilla which caused the problem. I saw the link I clicked last time when I reinstalled Firefox today.

Any time you want or need to check for upgrades, go to the web site of the True Owner of the program in question. For example, to check out Firefox, go to Mozilla.org. {web link}

You can also report such a site at; Google Report Phishing Page {web link} which is the same when done while on site by going to Help > Report Web Forgery

Help us safeguard Mozilla’s trademarks by reporting misuse {web link}

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I had found those links when I searched for a solution, but unfortunately none of them worked for me, been through all the steps suggested, doenloaded the scan tool which detected nothing and am still hijacked by the Foxstart redirect every google search in Firefox. Deep scan by Kaspersky also detects nothing.

Modified by PeggyWeggy

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That is a particularly nasty piece of Malware.

There are specialized forums for malware removal where you should be able to get help:

They contributors in those forums would have more expertise than we have.

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I did not manage to remove particular difficult malware but I have sorted the issue out on my laptop by resetting it a second time. It was fine for me to do so because I had just done it anyway so lost very little by way of apps installed. This is what caused the initial problem so it really made little difference to me. I had problems doing this but once I updated my graphics drivers, the PC allowed me to proceed.

I realise now that I accidentally installed Firefox from a site other than Mozilla which caused the problem. I saw the link I clicked last time when I reinstalled Firefox today.

Modified by PeggyWeggy

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Chosen Solution

PeggyWeggy said

I realise now that I accidentally installed Firefox from a site other than Mozilla which caused the problem. I saw the link I clicked last time when I reinstalled Firefox today.

Any time you want or need to check for upgrades, go to the web site of the True Owner of the program in question. For example, to check out Firefox, go to Mozilla.org. {web link}

You can also report such a site at; Google Report Phishing Page {web link} which is the same when done while on site by going to Help > Report Web Forgery

Help us safeguard Mozilla’s trademarks by reporting misuse {web link}