Search.hplayfreemusic.co Virus - How to remove

If you noticed that Search.hplayfreemusic.co has taken over your web browser, that likely means that a browser hijacker (Play Free Music) infected your computer. Don’t get too scared – this type of malware is almost harmless and easy to remove.

Search.hplayfreemusic.co can still cause some problems. For example, if you use its search field, it reads your search queries and uses them to deliver targeted ads.

The layout of Search.hplayfreemusic.co virus is almost identical to dozens of other websites, such as Gamesearchtab.com and Home.packagesear.ch. That’s because Search.hplayfreemusic.co is actually part of an adware campaign.

About Search.hplayfreemusic.co:

Classification	Browser hijacker.
Problems with Search.hplayfreemusic.co	It lacks features that would make it worth using, it logs search data and may use it for advertising, it shows ads and promotes its own advertising-filled websites.
How browser hijackers spread	Bundled with free programs, advertised online.
How to remove Search.hplayfreemusic.co	Uninstall Play Free Music and other iffy browser add-ons, use antivirus apps (Spyhunter for Windows, Spyhunter for Mac, etc.) to find and remove malware, block unwanted browser notifications.

Why you should remove Search.hplayfreemusic.co?

There are a few reasons why you should not keep this website as your homepage. It’s bad for privacy, it promotes ad-filled videos like Totalvideos.tv, and lacks any useful features that would make it worth using. Indeed, a vanilla new tab has more features than Search.hplayfreemusic.co.

Search.hplayfreemusic.co is not a virus, but it can be a symptom of a more serious infection. Something that installs Play Free Music without asking for your permission.

This add-on can be installed on your computer when you download and install some freeware from the Internet. For instance, if you download some PDF generator or media player from an unreliable website or a torrents site, during the installation you might be offered to “enhance” your web browser with a free tool. If you let this happen, a browser add-on will be automatically added to your internet browser. This method of malware distribution is called bundling.

It is clear that this infection is relatively new, as there are almost no data on SimilarWeb for Search.hplayfreemusic.co, except for the fact that 98% of its audience comes directly to the website. If you see stats like this, then the site is either a very beloved utility, or a hijacker. That’s because all visitors come to the website immediately when they open their web browsers (and immediately leave it, without coming back).

Speaking of the website itself, it was developed and registered by Polarity Technologies LTD/Eightpoint Technologies Ltd. There are tens of browser hijackers out there, all made by this particular company, all extremely similar to one another.

The biggest concern that people should have when it comes to a new tab replacer is privacy. Here’s an extract from Search.hplayfreemusic.co’s privacy policy:

The information we collect about you may include the following:

• Device Information – This is information related to the device by which you access the Services, such as a hardware model and operating system version.
• Log Information – This is information about your use of our Services and the Services Content you access, which we automatically collect and retain in our server logs, including:
• Your Internet protocol address (“IP Address”)
• Your browser type when using our Services, including the browser’s user agent (e.g., Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer)
• Device event information such as hardware settings, browser language, system activity, crashes, and the date and time of your request and referral URL
• Diagnostic information about other extensions you have on your device, including a listing of those extensions you have prior to adding Play Free Music and those extensions you add to your device after adding Play Free Music
• Your geographic location (lat./long.)
• The Domain name of your Internet service provider
• Traffic acquisition source and date of acquisition
• Time and date of certain browser events

So, if you use Search.hplayfreemusic.co as a search provider, every search query will be recorded, as well as your IP address and other information about your computer. It’s one thing when information like this is collected by a reputable website like Google or Facebook – these companies have many eyes on them and are being held accountable by governments. However, a site like Search.hplayfreemusic.co can easily slip under everyone’s radar. You should never hand your sensitive data to a company like Polarity Technologies LTD. That is the main reason to avoid this tool and not to use the website.

Developers of Search.hplayfreemusic.co virus are clearly trying to build some traffic to their other websites, where Polarity/Eightpoint show way too many ads. They make money from advertising, boosted by all the user data that is collected by the new tab hijackers. They might also show ads with the help of browser notifications.

Finally, the presence of this add-on can make your computer or at least web browser run slower, even help other malicious applications get installed.

How to remove Search.hplayfreemusic.co

For efficient removal of the Search.hplayfreemusic.co virus, we recommend downloading a reliable anti-malware tool, such as Spyhunter for Windows, Spyhunter for Mac, and others. Scanning your computer with a good scanner should tell you whether there are any other threats besides Search.hplayfreemusic.co.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Removing Search.hplayfreemusic.co virus

How to remove hplayfreemusic virus using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like Search.hplayfreemusic.co 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 hplayfreemusic virus . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make Search.hplayfreemusic.co 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 hplayfreemusic virus from macOS

Delete Search.hplayfreemusic.co Virus from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the hplayfreemusic 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 Search.hplayfreemusic.co 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 Search.hplayfreemusic.co 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 Search.hplayfreemusic.co 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 Search.hplayfreemusic.co 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 hplayfreemusic 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 Search.hplayfreemusic.co 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 Search.hplayfreemusic.co 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 Search.hplayfreemusic.co 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 hplayfreemusic 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 Search.hplayfreemusic.co 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.

Manual removal