Search.myshoppingxp.com

Posted by Max Lehmann on January 19, 2016

What is Search.myshoppingxp.com?

Your IE, Chrome, or Firefox homepage can be modified by Search.myshoppingxp.com with and without your permission. This factor alone provides a lot of information about this strange search tool. Was it installed without your permission? If it was, you can call it a hijacker without any doubt. Well, should you classify it as a hijacker if you let it in yourself? According to our Anti-Spyware-101.com malware analysts, a search tool that can change browser settings when downloading third-party software can be identified as one. The thing is that most users do not desire to install this search tool, and they let it in by accident. If the hijacker has appeared after downloading software from myshoppingxp.com/Shopping?, it is most likely you did not realize that changes would be made to your browsers. All in all, regardless of how your browsers were hijacked, we can show you how to remove Search.myshoppingxp.com from your browsers. test test test

How does Search.myshoppingxp.com work?

Search.myshoppingxp.com is a clone of such infamous browser hijackers as Search.mydailyversexp.com and Search.mycurrentnewsxp.com. As you can tell by the names alone, these search tools are from the same family. In the cases we have analyzed, these hijackers came bundled with extensions. As mentioned before, myshoppingxp.com/Shopping? is a website that provides an installer for the hijacker we are discussing right now. This website promotes an extension called “My Shopping XP” (see the connection in the name?), and the “Install” button is followed by a disclaimer. This disclaimer informs that the homepage, new tab page, and default search tools will be modified if you continue with the installation. This disclaimer does not inform which search tool will be employed, and it does not explain how it works. However, you are provided with links to EULA and Privacy Policy documents that share more important information regarding the extension and the hijacker it comes packaged with.

Did you know that Search.myshoppingxp.com does not provide search results? You must know this if you have already used this hijacker as a normal search tool. Instead of showing its own results, it actually redirects to a third-party search engine (Yahoo Search) using the extsearch.maxwebsearch.com server. Well, we all know Yahoo Search, so what’s the big deal? Unfortunately, these search results can be modified, and that is why you need to stay away from them. If you click the sponsored links mixed in with regular Yahoo results, you might end up on sites that might be very dangerous for you to visit. Whether you visit third-party shopping sites or file-sharing sites, you should not interact with the content provided via them. In the worst case scenario, you could be scammed, and your virtual security could be jeopardized. Another thing you have to worry about is third-party cookies that could be used to collect personal data. And we can guarantee that cookies – including third-party cookies – will be installed because the hijacker and the extension rely on the information collected by them.

How to remove Search.myshoppingxp.com

You should not ignore browser hijackers, even if they seem completely harmless. As you now know, silent cookies could be installed, and a seemingly trustworthy search provider could be used to expose you to suspicious content. If you are not careful, a seemingly harmless piece of software could open up security backdoors and leak sensitive information about you, and we are sure that you do not want to deal with this. It is important that you delete Search.myshoppingxp.com from your operating system, and we have a few tips that might help you along the way. First of all, we advise that you eliminate the extension from the browsers that they are installed on. In most cases, this should be enough to restore your regular homepage and default search options. If you still find your browsers hijacked, use the steps below to change them manually. Finally, take care of the leftovers that are listed below. If all fails, or if you find other infections, use an automated malware remover to clean your operating system. Keep in mind that as long as it is infected, you will not surf the web or use your computer risk-free.

Removal Instructions

Windows XP:

Navigate to the left of the Taskbar and click Start to open a menu.
Open Control Panel and double-click Add or Remove Programs.
Identify the unwanted program, select it, and click Remove.

Windows Vista/Windows 7:

Navigate to the left of the Taskbar and click the Windows icon.
Open Control Panel and click Uninstall a program.
Identify the unwanted program, right-click it, and select Uninstall.

Windows 8/Windows 8.1/Windows 10:

Tap Win+R on the keyboard to launch RUN.
Enter Control Panel, click OK, and then move to Uninstall a program.
Right-click the unwanted program and select Uninstall.

Google Chrome:

Open the browser and tap Alt+T.
Move the cursor to the More tools section and click Extensions.
Click the trash button next to the unwanted extension and choose Remove.
Move to the menu on the left and select Settings.
Go to On Startup, choose Open a specific page or set of pages, and click Set pages.
Identify the URL of the undesirable search tool and overwrite it.
Go to Appearance, choose Show Home button, and click Change.
Identify the URL of the undesirable search tool and overwrite it.
Go to Search and click Manage search engines.
Apply the desired provider, click X to remove the undesirable one, and click Done.

Mozilla Firefox:

Open the browser and tap Alt+T.
Select Add-ons and move to the Extensions section.
Identify the undesirable extension and click the Remove button next to it.
Tap Alt+T again and click Options (the General menu will appear).
Overwrite the URL under Home Page.
In the Search menu Remove the undesirable search provider.

Internet Explorer:

Open the browser and tap Alt+T.
Select Manage Add-ons and move to the Search Providers section.
Apply the desired provider, Remove the unwanted provider, and click Close.
Tap Alt+T again and select Internet options.
Click the General tab, overwrite the Home Page URL, and click OK.

Eliminate files/registry keys

Launch the RUN dialog box (tap Win+R on the keyboard).
Enter regedit.exe, click OK, right-click the tool, and select Run as administrator.
In the pane on the left go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Tracing\My Email XP_RASAPI32.
Right-click the key and choose Delete.
Move to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Tracing\My Email XP_RASMANCS.
Right-click the key and choose Delete.
Launch Explorer (tap Win+E on the keyboard) and use the address bar at the top.
Move to C:\Users\{user}\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\*\jetpack\*@jetpack\simple-storage.
Right-click and Delete the file called “store.json”.