What is Browserhunt.com?
Browserhunt.com is a questionable program that users might download while clicking malicious pop-ups. As you were reading the application’s description, you probably thought it would enhance your browsing experience. However, if you are here, you probably realize that the search engine might be not as useful as it seemed to be. Unfortunately, according to our researchers at Anti-spyware-101.com, the program is a browser hijacker. It means that it might settle on user’s browser and modify default preferences, such as homepage or search engine. The worst pat about Browserhunt.com is that it could show third-party advertising and such content may redirect to potentially harmful websites. If you want to erase the browser hijacker already, you could slide below the article and follow the provided instructions.
Where does Browserhunt.com come from?
As we just mentioned, users could learn about Browserhunt.com from suspicious pop-ups. It is important to know that such ads might be displayed by other potentially harmful software. For instance, it could be that you installed adware or similar applications. Such programs could be downloaded from torrent and other unreliable file-sharing web pages. If there is a chance that you might have accessed such sites and installed any software downloaded from there, it is advisable to scan the system for possible threats.
How does Browserhunt.com work?
Browserhunt.com is a browser hijacker that does not place any data on the computer. Apparently, it can enter the system by modifying particular browser files. For example, if your default browser is Mozilla Firefox, the application should alter a file called prefs.js. It is in the C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{Unique Mozilla user ID} directory. In fact, you can open prefs.js as a Notepad document and have a look at it yourself. The file contains code lines that set various browser preferences. For example, there is a line which says “user_pref(“browser.startup.homepage”,).” The browser hijacker adds “http://Browserhunt.com” to this line, and that is how it alters default homepage.
The application is also compatible with Google Chrome and Internet Explorer. If you take a look at the removal instructions below you will see which files Browserhunt.com modifies for these two browsers. What’s more, our researchers say that the hijacker should replace only your homepage. The problem is that the provided search engine could show modified results by placing additional third-party content, e.g. sponsored links, commercial ads, coupons, and so on. Clicking these ads could be dangerous as they might redirect you to web pages that spread potentially unwanted programs, adware, etc. Also, some of the sites could distribute Trojans, ransomware, or other malicious software.
How to erase Browserhunt.com?
Firstly, you could try to get rid of it manually with the deletion instructions provided below. The instructions will show you how to locate and fix the browser hijacker’s modified data. Of course, if you do now have much experience in these matters, it might appear too complicated for you. Nevertheless, there is another way to eliminate the browser hijacker. Users could acquire a legitimate antimalware tool and use it to delete Browserhunt.com. The tool would automatically fix or erase the modified data. Then, you should be able to quickly set any web page as your default homepage.
Remove Browserhunt.com from browsers
Internet Explorer
- Press Windows Key+R, then type regedit and click OK.
- Locate the following directory: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
- Look for a Value Name called Start Page.
- Right-Click the Start Page, select Modify.
- Change current Value Data (instead of http://Browserhunt.com, type an address of a website you like).
- Click OK.
Mozilla Firefox
- Open the Explorer (Windows Key+E).
- Navigate to: C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{Unique Mozilla user ID}
- Find a file titled as Prefs.js and open it with Notepad.
- Locate this particular line: user_pref(“browser.startup.homepage”, “http://Browserhunt.com”).
- Instead of http://Browserhunt.com, type any other URL address.
- Save the document and close it.
Google Chrome
- Launch the Explorer.
- Find the following path: C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
- Find and erase these files: Preferences, Secure Preferences, and Web Data.
tested removal of Browserhunt.com*
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