Mysearchcollector.xyz Redirects - How to remove

Mysearchcollector.xyz is a website that redirects searches. It functions together with the My Search Collector extension. It collects the search history of its users in a very intrusive way. Needless to say, it’s bad for privacy.

If your browser is infected with My Search Collector, Mysearchcollector.xyz may appear in your address bar before opening Bing. Unusual pop-ups can also be expected.

About Mysearchcollector.xyz:

Type of threat	Browser hijacker.
Symptoms	Mysearchcollector.xyz appears momentarily in the address bar before opening Bing, a Qualitychecker.net pop-up appears regularly.
Installation	Mysearchcollector.xyz is advertised on video streaming sites, it may be included in the installers of other programs.
How to remove Mysearchcollector.xyz	Uninstall My Search Collector and other unwanted extensions, use antivirus tools (Combo Cleaner for Mac, Spyhunter for PC, etc.) to find and remove unsafe software.

Problems with Mysearchcollector.xyz

After seeing Mysearchcollector.xyz for the first time, I immediately remembered Cheapypeasy.xyz, Toptabengine.xyz, Historyorganizer.xyz, and other similarly-looking browser hijackers. My first impression was – another redirect virus.

Indeed, Mysearchcollector.xyz and its add-on, My Search Collector, cause the browser to open Bing and deliver search results. No matter what the user’s preferred search engine is.

Unexpected Qualitychecker.net pop-ups also show up.

This is not malicious but it is disruptive. It makes the browser unpredictable and causes unnecessary stress.

Lacking features

Browser add-ons/extensions are supposed to bring useful features. What does My Search Collector offer?

According to its description on the Chrome Web Store, its main feature is to display your search history by clicking on the extension icon. If you can’t see My Search Collector’s icon, try clicking the puzzle button to the right of your address bar. In addition, the description says that My Search Collector sets your default search to Bing.

This history feature of Mysearchcollector.xyz is a bit lacking. I mean, you could also open the history window that your browser provides (Main menu -> History -> History) and use that.

If Mysearchcollector.xyz provided good value, there would be no reason to complain about its privacy violations. Lots of people use Google despite it making its money from advertising. But as it is, Mysearchcollector.xyz is just a browser hijacker.

Search redirecting

But that’s not exactly how it works.

Mysearchcollector.xyz doesn’t change the default search engine settings. Instead, here’s what it does:

1. It watches until the user tries to use Bing, Google, or Yahoo.
2. Then it reads the search query from the address and sends it to Mysearchcollector.xyz along with a user ID.
3. My Search Collector opens a Mysearchcollector.xyz in your browser, which immediately opens Bing. Your old search tab is closed at the same time. It happens very quickly.

Also, Qualitychecker.net may pop up whenever you open a new website. It usually says that it’s looking for coupons but I’ve never seen it find one for me. Oh well.

My Search Collector is able to do all that with only the “read your browsing history” permission. This is enough for it to hijack all searches.

Privacy issues

When Mysearchcollector.xyz takes the user’s search terms along with a user ID, it is getting access that is unusually intrusive.

Normally, when you search for something on a search engine, it’s between you and the search engine. Nobody else can read your search terms. That’s the magic of encryption which is used by all major search engines.

But Mysearchcollector.xyz gets around this encryption. This is bad for the user. But it’s good for Mysearchcollector.xyz if it wants to share this data with advertisers and make some money.

Unwanted installation

Mysearchcollector.xyz is advertised on video streaming sites and apps. It’s advertised with fake download buttons and video players. If you’ve used pirating sites, you know how predatory and confusing some of the ads can get. It’s very easy to accidentally download and install something shady, even if you’re careful.

It’s also possible that Mysearchcollector.xyz gets downloaded with other programs as an optional offer. Bundling is when ads are displayed inside installers to encourage people to install whatever program is being promoted. Often, these programs are unwanted toolbars and crapware.

How to remove Mysearchcollector.xyz

Depending on how My Search Collector was installed, you might need to:

• Check your computer for adware and malware.
• Check all the installed browser extensions.
• Uninstall the My Search Collector extension.

Check your computer for malware

Use an anti-malware tool, such as Combo Cleaner for macOS, Spyhunter for Windows, and others. If they detect malware or potentially unwanted programs, remove them.

Whether you got Mysearchcollector.xyz from an infected installer or from a shady advertisement, it’s likely that other adware got in the same way. It’s important to find and remove all of them at once.

Also, remember that good ad blockers and anti-malware tools can be really helpful. They can block some pop-up ads, malicious websites, and warn you about dangerous files.

Remove bad extensions

Finally, remove the My Search Collector extension and other extensions – those that you did not add yourself, those that you don’t use, and any that an antivirus scanner flagged as suspicious. Instructions for removing extensions are in the next section.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Manually remove My Search Collector

TopRemoving Mysearchcollector.xyz Redirects from Chrome

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Google Chrome window. Select “Settings”.
  
• Click “Extensions” on the left menu bar.
• Go through the extensions list and remove programs you do not need, especially similar to Mysearchcollector.xyz Redirects. Click on the trash bin icon next to Mysearchcollector.xyz Redirects or other add-ons you want to remove.
  
• Press on the “Remove” button on the Confirmation window.
  
• If unsure, you can disable them temporarily.
  
• Restart Chrome.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to Mysearchcollector.xyz Redirects, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on Chrome’s menu button (three horizontal lines) and select Settings.
  
• Scroll to the end of the page and click on the Reset 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 Mysearchcollector.xyz Redirects from Microsoft Edge:Top

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

• Go through the extensions list and remove programs you do not need, especially similar to Mysearchcollector.xyz Redirects. Click on the "Remove" icon next to Mysearchcollector.xyz Redirects or other add-ons you want to remove.

• Press on the “Remove” button on the Confirmation window.

• If unsure, you can disable them temporarily.

• Restart Microsoft Edge.