Bing Hijacker Virus - How to remove

Bing.com is a legitimate and trustworthy search engine. It was developed by Microsoft and it’s similar to Google in many ways, even superior in some features.

But not everyone chooses to use Bing. Like Yahoo, this search engine is sometimes integrated into browser hijackers – malicious extensions that make unwanted changes to web browsers. Besides forcing the victim to use Bing, these hijackers log search data, inject dangerous advertisements, and open pop-up ads.

Bing redirects in short:

Malware type	Browser hijacker, adware.
Symptoms of a Bing hijacker virus	Search results always displayed by Bing, despite the default search engine being set to something else, more ads and pop-ups than normal appear during web browsing.
What causes browser hijacking	Malicious, deceptive ads online, adware bundlers and infected freeware installers.
How to stop Bing redirects	Remove all browser hijackers and unwanted apps, remove malware manually and with antivirus tools (Spyhunter for PC, Combo Cleaner for Mac, Malwarebytes, others).

How and why Bing hijacks browsers

Unexpected Bing search redirects

Although Bing.com is a safe and reputable website, some people see it hijacking and replacing their internet searches against their will:

Bing hijacking my Google searches. (Answers.microsoft.com)

Bing has hijacked my search engine. (Discussions.apple.com)

Sometimes, people who had been using other search engines, such as Google, experience a sudden and unwanted switch to Bing. Now, when they search the web, Bing is the one to return the results.

These people check their default search engine settings, and yet they can’t find a way to permanently stop redirects to Bing and restore their old search engine. Unsurprisingly, the victims of the hijacking are tense about these unprompted changes in their browsers. It this a malware attack?

The Bing hijack virus can affect Windows, macOS, and even Linux. It works on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and even Edge – all browsers that allow extensions.

How malicious add-ons hijack browsers

Bing hijacks and redirects are caused by malicious applications, most likely – malicious browser extensions. These apps and add-ons tend to have a few malicious features:

• They get installed without permission.
• They change browser and network settings to redirect internet traffic to Bing, usually through unrelated sites.
• They inject ads into Bing and other search results. They might also show malicious and fraudulent ads, redirect search queries, open new windows and tabs.
• Malicious add-ons also spy on user activity, including your search history.

In general, the Bing hijacker virus is adware: its goal is to collect data about people’s browsing habits and to force them to click on ads. In the long term, the hijacker virus can cause more serious infections by exposing the victim to dangerous websites and low-quality ads.

At the same time, Bing.com is still safe to use on its own, as long as it’s not being used by a malicious extension.

How Bing hijackers spread

Some of the sites and extensions that use (and abuse) Bing include Web Companion, Trovigo.com, Hyper-app.xyz, Fasturlapp.xyz, etc. They redirect to Bing and inject ads into Bing search results.

The Bing hijacker virus doesn’t get your informed consent before being installed. Rather, it uses deception in order to infect computers and take over browsers:

• Malicious extensions are advertised online with misleading ads (for example, fake Edge updates).
• They’re bundled with the installers of free, ad-supported programs (InstallCore).

Maybe you remember a suspicious update prompt or a bizarrely complicated app installation happening right before the Bing hijacker virus appeared?

Downloading pirated programs and games, drivers, apps from freeware sites, watching free movies online, and visiting other iffy websites can expose you to malicious ads and adware bundlers.

How to remove the Bing hijacker virus

Some search hijackers are easy to remove as simple browser extensions (instructions below). But others are more persistent and require more effort.

Here are some of the things to do to stop persistent Bing redirects:

• Find and delete programs and add-ons that are messing with your search engine settings.
• Review and, if needed, restore your browser settings.
• Delete other suspicious files and items (such as configuration profiles in macOS).

In fact, it’s good to uninstall all suspicious apps that you didn’t install yourself and that were added at or around the time that Bing hijacked your browser.

Scan your computer with an anti-malware app, such as Spyhunter for Windows, Combo Cleaner for macOS, Malwarebytes, or another. These apps can help you find all suspicious files and applications that you might miss when searching manually.

After deleting all suspicious apps, review the search settings of your browser. Set your favorite search engine (Google, DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, or even Bing) as your default and browse without the interference of hijackers and malicious extensions.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Remove malicious browser extensions

How to remove Bing Hijacker Virus using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like Bing Hijacker Virus install some of their components as regular Windows programs as well as additional software. This part of malware can be uninstalled from the Control Panel. To access it, do the following.

• Start→Control Panel (older Windows) or press Windows Key→Search and enter Control Panel and then press Enter (Windows 8, Windows 10).
• Choose Uninstall Program (if you don't see it, click in the upper right next to "View by" and select Category).
• Go through the list of programs and select entries related to Bing Hijacker Virus . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make Bing Hijacker Virus easier to find.
• Click the Uninstall button. If you're asked if you really want to remove the program, click Yes.
• In many cases anti-malware programs are better at detecting related parasites, thus I recommend installing Spyhunter to identify other programs that might be a part of this infection.

How to remove Bing Hijacker Virus from macOS

Delete Bing Hijacker Virus from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the Bing Hijacker Virus app.
5. Select it and right-click it (or hold the Ctrl and click the left mouse button).
6. In the dropdown, click Move to Bin/Trash. You might be asked to provide your login password.

TopHow To remove Bing Hijacker Virus from Google Chrome:

• Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select More Tools→Extensions
  
• Select all malicious extensions and delete them.
  
• Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select Settings
  
• Select Manage Search engines
  
• Remove unnecessary search engines from the list
  
• Go back to settings. On Startup choose Open blank page (you can remove undesired pages from the set pages link too).
• If your homepage was changed, click on Chrome menu on the top right corner, select Settings. Select Open a specific page or set of pages and click on Set pages.
  
• Delete malicious search websites at a new Startup pages window by clicking “X” next to them.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to Bing Hijacker Virus, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on a Chrome’s menu button (three horizontal lines) and select Settings.
• Scroll to the end of the page and click on theReset browser settings button.
  
• Click on the Reset button on the confirmation box.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

How To remove Bing Hijacker Virus from Firefox:Top

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla window and select the “Add-ons” icon (Or press Ctrl+Shift+A on your keyboard).
  
• Go through Extensions and Addons list, remove everything Bing Hijacker Virus related and items you do not recognise. If you do not know the extension and it is not made by Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, Oracle or Adobe then you probably do not need it.
  
• If your homepage was changed, click on the Firefox menu in the top right corner, select Options → General. Enter a preferable URL to the homepage field and click Restore to Default.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to Bing Hijacker Virus, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla Firefox window. Click on the Help button.
  
• ChooseTroubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
  
• Click on theReset Firefox button.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
  

If the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program to identify malicious entries.

How to remove Bing Hijacker Virus from Microsoft Edge:Top

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Microsoft Edge window. Select “Extensions”.

• Select all malicious extensions and delete them.

• Click on the three-dot menu on the browser toolbar and Select Settings

• Select Privacy and Services and scroll down. Press on Address bar.

• Choose Manage search engines.

• Remove unnecessary search engines from the list: open the three-dot menu and choose Remove.

• Go back to Settings. Open On start-up.
• Delete malicious search websites at Open specific page or pages by opening the three-dot menu and clicking Delete.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to Bing Hijacker Virus, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings

• Click on Edge's menu button and select Settings. Click on the Reset Settings button on the left.
• Press the Restore settings to their default values option.

• Click on the Reset button on the confirmation box.

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

How to remove Bing Hijacker Virus from Safari:Top

Remove malicious extensions

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences.
  
• Select Extensions and uninstall Bing Hijacker Virus and other suspicious extensions.
  
• If your homepage was changed, click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences and choose General tab. Enter preferable URL to the homepage field.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings(older versions) If you are still experiencing any issues related to Bing Hijacker Virus, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Reset Safari…
  
• Select which options you want to reset (usually all of them come preselected) and click on the Reset button.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

Remove the Bing hijacker virus from Windows

How to remove Bing Hijacker Virus using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like Bing Hijacker Virus install some of their components as regular Windows programs as well as additional software. This part of malware can be uninstalled from the Control Panel. To access it, do the following.

• Start→Control Panel (older Windows) or press Windows Key→Search and enter Control Panel and then press Enter (Windows 8, Windows 10).
• Choose Uninstall Program (if you don't see it, click in the upper right next to "View by" and select Category).
• Go through the list of programs and select entries related to Bing Hijacker Virus . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make Bing Hijacker Virus easier to find.
• Click the Uninstall button. If you're asked if you really want to remove the program, click Yes.
• In many cases anti-malware programs are better at detecting related parasites, thus I recommend installing Spyhunter to identify other programs that might be a part of this infection.

Remove the Bing hijacker virus from macOS

How to remove Bing Hijacker Virus from macOS

Delete Bing Hijacker Virus from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the Bing Hijacker Virus app.
5. Select it and right-click it (or hold the Ctrl and click the left mouse button).
6. In the dropdown, click Move to Bin/Trash. You might be asked to provide your login password.

(Optional) Delete related settings

Some malicious apps make themselves difficult to delete by changing various settings and leaving behind malicious files. Remove settings related to Bing Hijacker Virus.

• Click the Apple logo in the menu bar. Open System Preferences.
• Some malicious applications set profiles to enforce unwanted settings. Remove unwanted configuration profiles.

1. 1. In System Preferences, click the Profiles icon. This icon is only visible if there are profiles on your Mac.
   2. Select unwanted profiles and remove them by pressing the minus '-'  button at the bottom.

• Some adware applications set SOCKS proxy to manipulate your internet traffic. Remove unwanted proxies:

1. 1. In System Preferences, click Network, Advanced, Proxies.
   2. If a proxy is set without your permission, uncheck it and click OK.

(Optional) Delete malicious files

Some malicious apps leave behind dangerous files in your Library folders. Delete files related to Bing Hijacker Virus.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go -> Computer.
3. In the search box, type in Bing Hijacker Virus and variations of it.
4. Delete the files that are found and that seem to be related to Bing Hijacker Virus.