{"id":8399,"date":"2013-05-07T04:03:56","date_gmt":"2013-05-07T04:03:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/?p=8399"},"modified":"2013-05-07T04:03:56","modified_gmt":"2013-05-07T04:03:56","slug":"remove-hotstartsearch-virus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/remove-hotstartsearch-virus\/","title":{"rendered":"Remove HotStartSearch.com virus (Removal Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>HotStartSearch<\/strong> is a browser hijacker, which is promoted via other free downloads, and once installed it will change your browser homepage and default search engine to <em>http:\/\/hotstartsearch.com<\/em>.<br \/>\nThis in itself is not considered malicious as there are many legitimate programs that change these settings as well. What is considered malicious, though, is that it will also append the argument <em>hotstartsearch.com<\/em> to random Windows shortcuts on your desktop and your Windows Start Menu.<br \/>\nHotStartSearch will display advertisements and sponsored links in your search results, and may collect search terms from your search queries.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8404\" title=\"HotStartSearch redirect\" alt=\"[Image: HotStartSearch virus]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-virus.jpg\" width=\"603\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-virus.jpg 603w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-virus-300x238.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 603px) 100vw, 603px\" \/><br \/>\nHotStartSearch got on your computer after you have installed a freeware software (video recording\/streaming, download-managers or PDF creators) that had bundled into their installation this browser hijacker.<br \/>\nFor example, when you install vPlay, you will also agree to change your default browser homepage to <em>HotStartSearch.com<\/em><br \/>\nHowever, when you uninstall vPlay from your computer, your web browser\u2019s default settings will not be restored. This means that you\u2019ll have to remove HotStartSearch.com from your favorite web browser manually.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad2681651854\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309684--placement_360520\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3957935887\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>You should <strong>always pay attention when installing software<\/strong> because often, a software installer includes optional installs, such as this HotStartSearch hijacker. Be very careful what you agree to install.<br \/>\n<strong>Always opt for the custom installation<\/strong> 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\u2019t trust.<\/p>\n<div id=\"mwtad2157044310\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309746-ad_309691-placement_360521\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"4456629336\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2>HotStartSearch.com Hijack &#8211; Virus Removal Instructions<\/h2>\n<h3>STEP 1\u00a0: Uninstall\u00a0HotStartSearch program from your computer<\/h3>\n<p>BasicSeek is installed on users computer with other free programs like video recording\/streaming, download-managers or PDF creators, therefore we will need to uninstall HotStartSearch from your computer.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad2821380835\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381396-ad_309691-placement_360566\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1471373341\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li>To uninstall <strong>HotStartSearch<\/strong>\u00a0program from your computer, click the <strong>Start<\/strong> button, then select <strong>Control Panel<\/strong>, and click on <strong>Uninstall a program.<\/strong><br \/>\nIf 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 &#8220;<em>control panel<\/em>&#8220;. Or you can right-click on a bottom left hot corner (formerly known as the Start button) and select <strong>Control Panel<\/strong> from there, then select <em>Uninstall a program<\/em>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7203\" title=\"Click on Uninstall a program\" alt=\"[Image: Uninstall a program]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/uninstall-a-program-windows.jpg\" width=\"557\" height=\"298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/uninstall-a-program-windows.jpg 557w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/uninstall-a-program-windows-300x160.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 557px) 100vw, 557px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When the <strong>Add\/Remove Programs<\/strong> or the <strong>Uninstall a Program<\/strong> screen is displayed, scroll through the list of currently installed programs and remove recently installed application. This application is rarely listed as <strong>HotStartSearch<\/strong> in the currently installed programs list.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8403\" title=\"Uninstall HotStartSearch program\" alt=\"[Image: Uninstall HotStartSearch program]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-uninstall.png\" width=\"806\" height=\"237\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-uninstall.png 806w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-uninstall-300x88.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 806px) 100vw, 806px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Please note that on some computers these programs might have a different name, search for any program developed by <strong>HotStartSearch<\/strong>\u00a0and uninstall it from your computer.<br \/>\nBecause HotStartSearch.com is installed with other additional programs, we recommend that you <strong>search and uninstall any other unwanted or unknown programs<\/strong> from your computer.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>STEP 2 : Remove the HotStartSearch residual damage from your browser<\/h3>\n<p>HotStartSearch has installed a browser extension, and has changed your homepage and default search engine to to <em>HotStartSearch.com<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h4>Remove HotStartSearch redirect from\u00a0Internet Explorer<\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li>Open Internet Explorer, click on the <strong>gear icon\u00a0<\/strong><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"[Image: icongear.jpg]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/icongear.jpg\" border=\"0\" title=\"\"> (<em>Tools<\/em> for Windows XP users)\u00a0at the top (far right), then click again on\u00a0<strong>Internet Options<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5216\" title=\"Internet Options in Internet Explorer\" alt=\"Internet Options in IE\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-internet-options.jpg\" width=\"512\" height=\"269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-internet-options.jpg 512w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-internet-options-300x157.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>In the <em>Internet Options<\/em> dialog box, click on the\u00a0<strong>Advanced<\/strong>\u00a0tab, then click\u00a0on the <strong>Reset<\/strong> button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5217\" title=\"Reset button in Internet Explorer\" alt=\"Reset Internet Explorer\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-reset.jpg\" width=\"338\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-reset.jpg 338w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-reset-234x300.jpg 234w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 338px) 100vw, 338px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>In the <em>Reset Internet Explorer settings<\/em> section, check the <strong>Delete personal settings <\/strong> box, then click on\u00a0<strong>Reset<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5215\" title=\"Reset Internet Explorer to its default settings\" alt=\"Internet Explorer back to its default settings\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-default-settings.jpg\" width=\"368\" height=\"366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-default-settings.jpg 368w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-default-settings-300x298.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 368px) 100vw, 368px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When Internet Explorer finishes resetting, click <strong>Close<\/strong>\u00a0in the confirmation dialogue box and then click\u00a0<strong>OK<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Close and open Internet Explorer<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h4>Remove HotStartSearch redirect from Mozilla Firefox<\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li>At the top of the Firefox window, click the <strong>Firefox\u00a0button<\/strong>, go over to the\u00a0<strong>Help<\/strong>\u00a0sub-menu (on\u00a0<em>Windows XP<\/em>, click the\u00a0Help\u00a0menu at the top of the Firefox window), and select\u00a0<strong>Troubleshooting Information<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5213\" title=\"Troubleshooting Information in Firefox\" alt=\"Firefox Troubleshooting Information\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/firefox-options.jpg\" width=\"528\" height=\"216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/firefox-options.jpg 528w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/firefox-options-300x122.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Click the\u00a0<strong>Reset Firefox<\/strong>\u00a0button in the upper-right corner of the <em>Troubleshooting Information<\/em> page.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5214\" title=\"Reset Firefox to its default settings\" alt=\"Firefox default settings\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/firefox-reset.jpg\" width=\"454\" height=\"182\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/firefox-reset.jpg 454w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/firefox-reset-300x120.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 454px) 100vw, 454px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>To continue, click\u00a0<strong>Reset Firefox<\/strong>\u00a0in the confirmation window that opens.<\/li>\n<li>Firefox will close and be reset. When it&#8217;s done, a window will list the information that was imported. Click <strong>Finish<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h4>Remove HotStartSearch redirect from\u00a0Google Chrome<\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Remove HotStartSearch extensions from Google Chrome.<\/strong><br \/>\nClick the Chrome menu\u00a0<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4953\" title=\"Chrome menu button\" alt=\"Chrome menu\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Chrome-button.png\" width=\"29\" height=\"29\" \/>\u00a0 button on the browser toolbar, select\u00a0<strong>Tools<\/strong>\u00a0and then click on\u00a0<strong>Extensions<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5221\" title=\"Open Extensions tab in Chrome\" alt=\"Google Chrome Extensions\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/chrome-extensions.jpg\" width=\"517\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/chrome-extensions.jpg 517w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/chrome-extensions-300x148.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 517px) 100vw, 517px\" \/><br \/>\nIn the\u00a0<strong>Extensions<\/strong>\u00a0tab, remove (by clicking on the Recycle Bin) the <strong>Proxy Tool<\/strong>\u00a0and <strong>Flash Player<\/strong> extensions from Google Chrome.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8405\" alt=\"[Image: HotStartSearch Chrome extension\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-Chrome-extension.jpg\" width=\"880\" height=\"377\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-Chrome-extension.jpg 880w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-Chrome-extension-300x128.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 880px) 100vw, 880px\" \/><br \/>\n<strong>NOTE<\/strong>: HotStartSearch.com may have added additional extensions which you will need to remove. We recommend that you remove any\u00a0unwanted\u00a0or unknown extensions from Google Chrome.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Set Google Chrome default search engine from <em>HotStartSearch.com<\/em> to Google.<\/strong><br \/>\nClick the Chrome menu\u00a0<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4953\" title=\"Chrome menu button\" alt=\"Chrome menu\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Chrome-button.png\" width=\"29\" height=\"29\" \/>\u00a0 button, then select <strong>Settings<\/strong> and click on\u00a0<strong>Manage search engines<\/strong>\u00a0in the Search section.<br \/>\nIn the <em>Search Engines<\/em> dialog that appears, select <strong>Google<\/strong> and click the <strong>Make Default<\/strong> button that appears in the row.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8400\" title=\"Select Google and click on Make Default\" alt=\"[Image: hotstartsearch Chrome redirect]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-redirect.png\" width=\"783\" height=\"290\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-redirect.png 783w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-redirect-300x111.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 783px) 100vw, 783px\" \/><br \/>\nSearch for <strong>HotStartSearch<\/strong>\u00a0in the <em>Search Engines<\/em> list, and click the\u00a0<strong>X<\/strong>\u00a0button that appears at the end of the row.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8401\" title=\"Select HotStartSearch and click on X\" alt=\"[Image: remove HotStartSearch from Chrome]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-redirect-removal.png\" width=\"783\" height=\"280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-redirect-removal.png 783w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-redirect-removal-300x107.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 783px) 100vw, 783px\" \/><\/li>\n<li><strong>Change Google Chrome homepage from HotStartSearch.com to its default<\/strong>.<br \/>\nHotStartSearch Search has modified your Google settings to open their webpage whenever you start your browser, so we will need to revert this change.<br \/>\nClick the Chrome menu\u00a0<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4953\" title=\"Chrome menu button\" alt=\"Chrome menu\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Chrome-button.png\" width=\"29\" height=\"29\" \/>\u00a0 button, then select <strong>Settings<\/strong> and click on\u00a0<strong>One the New Tab page<\/strong>\u00a0in the <em>On Startup<\/em> section.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6331\" title=\"Change Google Chrome homepage to its default\" alt=\"[Image: Change Google Chrome homepage to its default]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/on-startup-Chrome-default.jpg\" width=\"424\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/on-startup-Chrome-default.jpg 424w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/on-startup-Chrome-default-300x181.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 424px) 100vw, 424px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>STEP 3: Clean up the various Windows shortcuts that have been hijacked by HotStartSearch.com<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Search for your browser shortcut (Desktop, Taskbar or Start Menu Shortcut), then right click on it and select <strong>Properties<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6692\" title=\"Desktop Shortcut properties\" alt=\"[Image: Firefox Shortcut properties]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/shortcut-properties.jpg\" width=\"377\" height=\"544\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/shortcut-properties.jpg 377w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/shortcut-properties-207x300.jpg 207w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 377px) 100vw, 377px\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7997\" title=\"Right click on browser icon from Taskbar and select Properties \" alt=\"[Image: taskbar shortcut hijacker]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/taskbar-shortcuts-hijack.jpg\" width=\"423\" height=\"220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/taskbar-shortcuts-hijack.jpg 423w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/taskbar-shortcuts-hijack-300x156.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 423px) 100vw, 423px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>In the <strong>Shortcut<\/strong> tab, in the <strong>Target<\/strong> field, remove the <em>http:\/\/www.HotStartSearch.com<\/em> argument. Basically, there should be only the path to browser executable file. Nothing more.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8402\" title=\"HotStartSearch shortcut hijack\" alt=\"[Image: HotStartSearch shortcut hijack]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-shortcuts-hijack.png\" width=\"606\" height=\"580\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-shortcuts-hijack.png 606w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/hotstartsearch-shortcuts-hijack-300x287.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If you are experiencing problems while trying to remove the HotStartSearch.com shortcut hijack, you can download <strong>Shortcut Cleaner<\/strong> from the below link, and then you&#8217;ll just need to run this utility to fix your Windows shortcuts. When it is done, it will show you a log that contains a list of shortcuts that were cleaned.<br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bleepingcomputer.com\/download\/shortcut-cleaner\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SHORTCUT CLEANER DOWNLOAD LINK<\/a><\/strong> <em>(This link will open a new webpage from where you can download Shortcut Cleaner on your computer)<\/em><\/p><div id=\"mwtad1250077433\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309686-ad_309691-placement_360569\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"6935453015\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>STEP 4: Remove HotStartSearch Search registry keys with AdwCleaner.<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>You can download\u00a0AdwCleaner\u00a0from the below link. <strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/toolslib.net\/downloads\/finish\/1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ADWCLEANER DOWNLOAD LINK<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(<em>This link will automatically download AdwCleaner on your computer<\/em>)<\/li>\n<li>Before starting this utility, close all open programs and internet browsers.<\/li>\n<li>Double click on\u00a0<strong>adwcleaner.exe<\/strong>\u00a0to run the tool.<\/li>\n<li>Click on\u00a0<strong>Delete<\/strong>, then confirm each time with\u00a0<strong>Ok<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5010\" title=\"Click on Delete to remove HotStartSearch virus\" alt=\"Adwcleaner utility\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/adwcleaner1.jpg\" width=\"425\" height=\"254\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/adwcleaner1.jpg 425w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/adwcleaner1-300x179.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 425px) 100vw, 425px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Your computer will be rebooted automatically. A text file will open after the restart.<\/li>\n<li>NEXT, double click on\u00a0<strong>adwcleaner.exe<\/strong>\u00a0to run the tool.<\/li>\n<li>Click on\u00a0<strong>Uninstall<\/strong>, then confirm with\u00a0<strong>yes<\/strong> to remove this utility from your computer.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>STEP 5: Run a computer scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>You can <strong>download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free<\/strong> from the below link, then double click on it to install this program.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/store.malwarebytes.org\/342\/cookie?affiliate=17877&amp;redirectto=http%3a%2f%2fwww.malwarebytes.org%2fproducts%2fmalwarebytes_free\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>MALWAREBYTES ANTI-MALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK<\/strong><\/a><em> (This link will open a download page in a new window from where you can download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>When the installation begins, <strong>keep following the prompts<\/strong> in order to continue with the setup process. <strong>DO NOT make any changes to default settings<\/strong> and when the program has finished installing, make sure you leave both the <strong>Update Malwarebytes&#8217; Anti-Malware<\/strong> and <strong>Launch Malwarebytes&#8217; Anti-Malware<\/strong> checked, then click on the <strong>Finish <\/strong>button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6075\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware final installation screen\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware final installation screen]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-installation.jpg\" width=\"402\" height=\"310\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-installation.jpg 402w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-installation-300x231.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 402px) 100vw, 402px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>On the <strong>Scanner<\/strong> tab, select <strong>Perform quick scan<\/strong> and then click on the <strong>Scan\u00a0<\/strong>button to start scanning your computer.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6076\" title=\"Run a Quick Scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Quick Scan]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-quick-scan.jpg\" width=\"521\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-quick-scan.jpg 521w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-quick-scan-300x228.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Malwarebytes&#8217; Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer as shown below.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6077\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scanning for HotStartSearch virus\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scanning for HotStartSearch virus]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan.jpg\" width=\"521\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan.jpg 521w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan-300x228.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When the Malwarebytes scan will be completed, click on\u00a0<strong>Show Result<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6078\" title=\"Malwarebytes when the system scan has completed\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scan results]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan-results.jpg\" width=\"521\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan-results.jpg 521w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan-results-300x228.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>You will now be presented with a screen showing you the malware infections that Malwarebytes&#8217; Anti-Malware has detected.Please note that the infections found may be different than what is shown in the image. Make sure that everything is <strong>Checked (ticked)<\/strong> and click on the <strong>Remove Selected <\/strong>button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6079\" title=\"Click on Remove Selected to get rid of HotStartSearch virus\" alt=\"[Image:Malwarebytes removing malware]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-virus-removal.jpg\" width=\"521\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-virus-removal.jpg 521w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-virus-removal-300x228.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>STEP 6: Run a computer scan with HitmanPro<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Download HitmanPro<\/strong> from the below link, then double click on it to start this program.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleverbridge.com\/747\/cookie?affiliate=17877&amp;redirectto=http%3a%2f%2fwww.surfright.nl%2fen%2fhitmanpro%2f&amp;product=69061s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <strong>HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK<\/strong><\/a> <em>(This link will open a new web page from where you can download HitmanPro)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>HitmanPro will start and you&#8217;ll need to follow the prompts (by clicking on the <strong>Next<\/strong> button) to start a system scan with this program.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5179\" title=\"HitmanPro installation options (Click Next)\" alt=\"HitmanPro installation\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmapro-start-scan.jpg\" width=\"497\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmapro-start-scan.jpg 497w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmapro-start-scan-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>HitmanPro will start scanning your computer for malware, as seen in the image below.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5177\" title=\"HitmanPro while scanning for HotStartSearch virus\" alt=\"HitmanPro scans for HotStartSearch virus\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan.jpg\" width=\"497\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan.jpg 497w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Once the scan is complete,you&#8217;ll see a screen which will display all the infected files that this utility has detected, and you&#8217;ll need to click on <strong>Next<\/strong> to remove these malicious files.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5178\" title=\"HitmanPro reporting scan results\" alt=\"HitmanPro scan results\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan-results.jpg\" width=\"497\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan-results.jpg 497w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan-results-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Activate free license <\/strong>to start the free 30 days trial and remove all the malicious files from your computer.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5175\" title=\"Activate HitmanPro free 30 days trial license\" alt=\"HitmanPro 30 days activation button\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-activation.jpg\" width=\"497\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-activation.jpg 497w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-activation-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove HotStartSearch redirect from your machine, please start a new thread in our <a href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/Forum-Malware-Removal-Assistance\">Malware Removal Assistance<\/a> forum.<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>HotStartSearch is a browser hijacker, which is promoted via other free downloads, and once installed it will change your browser homepage and default search engine to http:\/\/hotstartsearch.com. This in itself is not considered malicious as &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Remove HotStartSearch.com virus (Removal Guide)\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/remove-hotstartsearch-virus\/#more-8399\" aria-label=\"Read more about Remove HotStartSearch.com virus (Removal Guide)\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8404,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2725],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adware","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50","resize-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8399"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8399\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}