Remove Funmoods Search and Toolbar (Removal Instructions)

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Written by: Stelian Pilici

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Funmoods is an adware program that has changed your browser home page and default search engine to searchfunmoods.com.Apart from this unwanted changes, Funmoods has added a useless toolbar on your browser and whenever your are doing a search,it will display on the first search results their own ads.
Funmoods Search
Funmoods Seach and Toolbar got on your computer after you have installed another program that had bundled in their installer the Funmoods toolbar.Recently CNET has bundled into their downloads this unwanted program,to avoid this type of issues in the future we recommmend that you pay attention when you download any software from download.com.
Funmoods CNET
You should always pay attention when installing software because often, a software installer includes optional installs, such as this Funmoods toolbar. Be very careful what you agree to install. Always opt for the custom installation and deselect anything that is not familiar, especially optional software that you never wanted to download and install in the first place. It goes without saying that you should not install software that you don’t trust.

How to remove “Funmoods Search” (Virus Removal Guide)

This page is a comprehensive guide, which will remove “Funmoods Search” virus from your computer, and any other adware program that may have been installed during the setup process.
Please perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubt at any point, STOP and ask for our assistance.
STEP 1: Uninstall Funmoods from Windows
STEP 2: Remove Funmoods Search browser hijacker from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome with AdwCleaner
STEP 3: Remove “Ads by Funmoods Search” virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free
STEP 4: Double-check for the “Funmoods Search” malware with HitmanPro
(Optional) STEP 5: Reset Internet Explorer, Firefox or Google Chrome settings to remove “Funmoods Search” Ads

If you are using an Apple Mac OS X operating system, please follow this Remove virus from Apple Mac OS X (Pop-up Ads and Adware) guide to remove Funmoods Search malware.

STEP 1 : Uninstall Funmoods from Windows

In this first step, we will try to identify and remove any malicious program that might be installed on your computer.

  1. To uninstall a program from Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7, click the “Start” button, then click on the “Control Panel” menu option.
    [Image: Control Panel in Windows Start Menu]
    If you are using Windows 8, simply drag your mouse pointer to the right edge of the screen, select Search from the list and search for “control panel” .Or you can right-click on a bottom left hot corner (formerly known as the Start button) and select Control Panel from there.
    [Image: Type Control Panel in Windows 8 search box]
  2. When the “Control Panel” window opens click on the “Uninstall a program” option under “Programs” category. This option is shown by the arrow in the image below. If you are using the “Classic View” of the Control Panel, then you would double-click on the “Programs and Features” icon instead.
    [Image: Uninstall a program]
  3. When the “Programs and Features” or the “Uninstall a Program” screen is displayed, scroll through the list of currently installed programs and uninstall Funmoods
    This program may have a different name on your computer.
    To view the most recently installed programs, you can click on the “Installed On” column to sort your programs by the installation date. Scroll through the list, and uninstall any unwanted or unknown program.

    If you are having issues while trying to uninstall the program, you can use Revo Uninstaller to completely remove this unwanted program from your machine.

    Funmoods program
    If you cannot find any unwanted or unknown programs on your machine, then you can proceed with the next step.

STEP 2: Remove Funmoods Search browser hijacker from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome with AdwCleaner

The AdwCleaner utility will scan your computer and web browser for the “Funmoods Search” malicious files, browser extensions and registry keys, that may have been installed on your computer without your knowledge.

  1. You can download AdwCleaner utility from the below link.
    ADWCLEANER DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will automatically download “AdwCleaner” on your computer)
  2. Before starting AdwCleaner, close all open programs and internet browsers, then double-click on the AdwCleaner icon.
    AdwCleaner Icon
    If Windows prompts you as to whether or not you wish to run AdwCleaner, please allow it to run.
  3. When the AdwCleaner program will open, click on the “Scan” button as shown below.
    AdwCleaner scan button
    AdwCleaner will now start to search for the “Funmoods Search” malicious files that may be installed on your computer.
  4. To remove the “Funmoods Search” malicious files that were detected in the previous step, please click on the “Clean” button.
    Remove Funmoods Search with AdwCleaner
  5. AdwCleaner will now prompt you to save any open files or documents, as the program will need to reboot the computer. Please do so and then click on the OK button.
    AdwCleaner removing malware

STEP 3: Remove “Funmoods Search” virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free uses industry-leading technology to detect and remove all traces of malware, including worms, Trojans, rootkits, rogues, dialers, spyware, and more.
It is important to note that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware works well and should run alongside antivirus software without conflicts.

  1. You can download download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware from the below link.
    MALWAREBYTES ANTI-MALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free”)
  2. Once downloaded, close all programs, then double-click on the icon on your desktop named “mbam-setup-consumer-2.00.xx” to start the installation of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware setup program]
    Picture of User Account Control You may be presented with a User Account Control dialog asking you if you want to run this file. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
  3. When the installation begins, you will see the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Setup Wizard which will guide you through the installation process.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Setup Wizard]
    To install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware on your machine, keep following the prompts by clicking the “Next” button.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Final Setup Screen]
  4. Once installed, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will automatically start and you will see a message stating that you should update the program, and that a scan has never been run on your system. To start a system scan you can click on the “Fix Now” button.
    [Image: Click on the Fix Now button to start a scan]
    Alternatively, you can click on the “Scan” tab and select “Threat Scan“, then click on the “Scan Now” button.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Threat Scan]
  5. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now check for updates, and if there are any, you will need to click on the “Update Now” button.
    [Image: Click on Update Now to update Malwarebytes Anti-Malware]
  6. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer for the Funmoods Search virus. When Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is scanning it will look like the image below.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware while performing a scan]
  7. When the scan has completed, you will now be presented with a screen showing you the malware infections that Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware has detected. To remove the malicious programs that Malwarebytes Anti-malware has found, click on the “Quarantine All” button, and then click on the “Apply Now” button.
    [Image: Remove Funmoods Search with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware]
    Please note that the infections found may be different than what is shown in the image.
  8. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now quarantine all the malicious files and registry keys that it has found. When removing the files, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware may require a reboot in order to remove some of them. If it displays a message stating that it needs to reboot your computer, please allow it to do so.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware removing Funmoods Search]
    After your computer will restart, you should open Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and perform another “Threat Scan” scan to verify that there are no remaining threats

STEP 4: Double-check for the “Funmoods Search” malware infection with HitmanPro

HitmanPro is a second opinion scanner, designed to rescue your computer from malware (viruses, trojans, rootkits, etc.) that have infected your computer despite all the security measures you have taken (such as anti-virus software, firewalls, etc.). HitmanPro is designed to work alongside existing security programs without any conflicts. It scans the computer quickly (less than 5 minutes) and does not slow down the computer.

  1. You can download HitmanPro from the below link:
    HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “HitmanPro”)
  2. Double-click on the file named “HitmanPro.exe” (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or “HitmanPro_x64.exe” (for 64-bit versions of Windows). When the program starts you will be presented with the start screen as shown below.
    [Image: HitmanPro start-up screen]
    Click on the “Next” button, to install HitmanPro on your computer.
    [Image: HitmanPro setup options]
  3. HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for Funmoods Search malicious files.
    [Image: HitmanPro scanning for malware]
  4. When it has finished it will display a list of all the malware that the program found as shown in the image below. Click on the “Next” button, to remove Funmoods Search virus.
    [Image: HitmanPro scan results]
  5. Click on the “Activate free license” button to begin the free 30 days trial, and remove all the malicious files from your computer.
    [Image: HitmanPro Activate Free License]

(Optional) STEP 5: Reset Internet Explorer, Firefox or Google Chrome settings to remove “Funmoods Search” Ads

If you are still experiencing issues with the “Funmoods Search” ads in Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome, we will need to reset your browser to its default settings. This step needs to be performed only if your issues have not been solved by the previous steps.

Reset Internet Explorer

You can reset Internet Explorer settings to return them to the state they were in when Internet Explorer was first installed on your PC.

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the “gear icon” IE Icon Gear in the upper right part of your browser, then click again on Internet Options.
    [Image: Internet Options in Internet Explorer]
  2. In the “Internet Options” dialog box, click on the “Advanced” tab, then click on the “Reset” button.
    [Image: Reset Internet Explorer]
  3. In the “Reset Internet Explorer settings” section, select the “Delete personal settings” check box, then click on “Reset” button.
    [Image: Reset Internet Explorer to its default settings to remove Funmoods Search]
  4. When Internet Explorer has completed its task, click on the “Close” button in the confirmation dialogue box. You will now  need to close your browser, and then you can open Internet Explorer again.
    [Image Reset Internet Explorer settings]

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If you’re having problems with Firefox, resetting it can help. The reset feature fixes many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your essential information like bookmarks, passwords, web form auto-fill information, browsing history and open tabs.

  1. In the upper-right corner of the Firefox window, click the Firefox menu button ([Image: Firefox Menu button]), the click on the “Help” ([Image: Firefox Help button]) button.
    [Image: Click on the Menu button then Help]
  2. From the Help menu, choose Troubleshooting Information.
    [Image: Troubleshooting Information in Firefox]
  3. Click the “Reset Firefox” button in the upper-right corner of the “Troubleshooting Information” page.
    [Image: Reset Firefox to its default settings to remove Funmoods Search]
  4. To continue, click on the “Reset Firefox” button in the new confirmation window that opens.
    [Image: Click on the Reset Firefox button]
  5. Firefox will close itself and will revert to its default settings. When it’s done, a window will list the information that was imported. Click on the “Finish“.

Note: Your old Firefox profile will be placed on your desktop in a folder named “Old Firefox Data“. If the reset didn’t fix your problem you can restore some of the information not saved by copying files to the new profile that was created. If you don’t need this folder any longer, you should delete it as it contains sensitive information.

Reset Google Chrome

  1. Click on Chrome’s main menu button, represented by three horizontal lines ([Image: Chrome's main menu button]) .When the drop-down menu appears, select the option labeled Settings.
    [Image: Click on Settings button]
  2. Chrome’s Settings should now be displayed in a new tab or window, depending on your configuration. Next, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the Show advanced settings link (as seen in the below example).
    [Image: Click on Show advanced settings link]
  3. Chrome’s advanced Settings should now be displayed. Scroll down until the Reset browser settings section is visible, as shown in the example below. Next, click on the Reset browser settings button.
    [Image: Click on Reset browser button]
  4. A confirmation dialog should now be displayed, detailing the components that will be restored to their default state should you continue on with the reset process. To complete the restoration process, click on the Reset button.
    [Image: Click on Reset button to restore Chrome to default settings]
Your computer should now be free of the Funmoods Search browser hijacker. If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove Funmoods Search virus from your machine, please start a new thread in our Malware Removal Assistance forum.
How to Stay Safe Online

Here are 10 basic security tips to help you avoid malware and protect your device:

  1. Use a good antivirus and keep it up-to-date.

    Shield Guide

    It's essential to use a good quality antivirus and keep it up-to-date to stay ahead of the latest cyber threats. We are huge fans of Malwarebytes Premium and use it on all of our devices, including Windows and Mac computers as well as our mobile devices. Malwarebytes sits beside your traditional antivirus, filling in any gaps in its defenses, and providing extra protection against sneakier security threats.

  2. Keep software and operating systems up-to-date.

    updates-guide

    Keep your operating system and apps up to date. Whenever an update is released for your device, download and install it right away. These updates often include security fixes, vulnerability patches, and other necessary maintenance.

  3. Be careful when installing programs and apps.

    install guide

    Pay close attention to installation screens and license agreements when installing software. Custom or advanced installation options will often disclose any third-party software that is also being installed. Take great care in every stage of the process and make sure you know what it is you're agreeing to before you click "Next."

  4. Install an ad blocker.

    Ad Blocker

    Use a browser-based content blocker, like AdGuard. Content blockers help stop malicious ads, Trojans, phishing, and other undesirable content that an antivirus product alone may not stop.

  5. Be careful what you download.

    Trojan Horse

    A top goal of cybercriminals is to trick you into downloading malware—programs or apps that carry malware or try to steal information. This malware can be disguised as an app: anything from a popular game to something that checks traffic or the weather.

  6. Be alert for people trying to trick you.

    warning sign

    Whether it's your email, phone, messenger, or other applications, always be alert and on guard for someone trying to trick you into clicking on links or replying to messages. Remember that it's easy to spoof phone numbers, so a familiar name or number doesn't make messages more trustworthy.

  7. Back up your data.

    backup sign

    Back up your data frequently and check that your backup data can be restored. You can do this manually on an external HDD/USB stick, or automatically using backup software. This is also the best way to counter ransomware. Never connect the backup drive to a computer if you suspect that the computer is infected with malware.

  8. Choose strong passwords.

    lock sign

    Use strong and unique passwords for each of your accounts. Avoid using personal information or easily guessable words in your passwords. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your accounts whenever possible.

  9. Be careful where you click.

    cursor sign

    Be cautious when clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. These could potentially contain malware or phishing scams.

  10. Don't use pirated software.

    Shady Guide

    Avoid using Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file-sharing programs, keygens, cracks, and other pirated software that can often compromise your data, privacy, or both.

To avoid potential dangers on the internet, it's important to follow these 10 basic safety rules. By doing so, you can protect yourself from many of the unpleasant surprises that can arise when using the web.

24 thoughts on “Remove Funmoods Search and Toolbar (Removal Instructions)”

  2. Many thanks, it all worked a treat. My only concern is that I didn’t see the screen to activate hitman.

    BTW soc culé també.

  3. Hello Nick,
    Are you sure there isn’t any background process for your browser runnning?Close all your browsers,then press CTRL+ALT+DEL, look in your browser for iexplore.exe, chrome.exe or firefox.exe, and kill these process.
    Then try to uninstall Funmoods.

  4. Everything works except I can’t uninstall it. My computer says “The uninstallation requires your browsers to be closed during the process. Please make sure your browsers are closed before continuing” The problem is none of my browsers are even open. I dont understand

  5. Thank you very much! great utilities, all was free and worked like a charm! wish all the stuff on the net was like this! free, effective and true!

    THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

  6. Thank you so much! You guys are doing a great service by educating the “often defenseless” public on how to protect themselves against these intrusive and pervasive third parties!

  8. Thank you so much it was really urking my nerves to have to type in google than do a search. Laptop almost went out the window with this one haha

  9. Fun Moods has been a nightmare for me since last November. I installed it on a facebook chat screen. It took over all my browsers and must have opened up holes for some trojans and other malware. I hired a professional to get rid of it. Fun moods had reproduced itself all over my computer. And it came right back. I’ve spent last several months learning about computers and malware. Have used almost every reputable browser (trial or free). Non of them have been able to detect it. But I get a lot of stuff about tons of hidden stuff like files and a file missing in tons of logged drivers, programs and such. I think fun moods is a rootkit in my machine. Today I downloaded Vipre and saw IE’s BHO’s and there it was!!!!! BTW it has been impossible to remove through the browsers. It is hidden. I’ve used the programs you mention but am going to try in with your steps and see if one of programs can detect it. Writing this so people can know how dangerous these programs can be.

  11. I did it! I followed your directions (well, I had to copy/paste them into Word, print them out and then read and do them slooowwwwllly!) After two hours – no more Funmoods! Thank you so very much!

  12. So helpful and no-where as complex as other sites proposed! And best of all it works!
    I am truly grateful
    Thank you

  13. I am not computer smart so I will be talking redneckish probably. I had funmoods on my address bar. As I typed an address funmoods was underneath suggesting sites that didn’t work if you did click on them. I could not find funmoods in my control panel or anywhere else. I clicked on my settings and then clicked on manage add ons and there it was 2 different funmood things. I disabled them and funmoods is gone.

  18. Your “fixes” really did fix my problems with Funmoods. They are not Fun moods. They are a painmoods. Thanks.

  23. This was the most helpful, up-to-date instruction I could find on getting rid of this particular hijacker. Thank you so much for creating this post.

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