Search.hroutefinder.net Hijacker - How to remove

Search.hroutefinder.net is listed as a browser hijacker for an obvious reason – once installed on a computer it can make various changes to personal settings without even asking for permission. As a result, the way you are browsing the Internet will be alternated since your homepage and a default search engine will be set to www.search.hroutefinder.net.

Some users might find it not so bad, as the website itself is well designed and might look useful, while others can be really irritated by these changes. Either way, allowing Search.hroutefinder.net to sit on your computer or using those services on a daily basis is really dangerous. Moreover, the removal of this asset might be really complicated if you have no previous experience in his field. The virus is designed specifically to be hard to remove, so just a regular removal from a control panel or extensions list is not going to work.

In case your computer is infected with Search.hroutefinder.net and you are looking for a way to get rid of it, you are in the right place. In this article, we will help you to completely eliminate this browser hijacker and also improve your security in order to ensure that this won’t happen ever again, so stay tuned.

Why Search.hroutefinder.net Is Malicious

We should start off by saying that Search.hroutefinder.net was developed by Polarity Technologies LTD and this company is infamous for developing malware just like this. There are a lot of similar viruses produced by Polarity – Find My Route, Mapsnow.com, and so on. They all work as a browser extension that can be added to all most popular web browsers, including but not limited to Microsoft Edge, Safari, Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.

In this case, Route Finder extension is presented as a free and useful tool that will provide you with easier access to various online maps and route planners. This is what they are telling users about the tool:

Search and access popular maps quick links instantly from your new tab page!

This extension configures your New Tab page to routefinder.net™ to provide these features.
You can now get maps, directions and traffic reports – all in one convenient spot! Don’t get lost. Find your way for FREE!
With routefinder.net, you can access FREE maps, quick directions, traffic reports and more -- all with one click. Go anywhere with FREE maps and directions.
With routefinder.net, you can…
• Easily search maps and satellite images. 
• Instantly get text and driving directions. 
• Get traffic reports and plan the fastest route.
So, join the thousands of users who avoid traffic and travel hassles each and every day.
The routefinder.net extension offers convenient web search and features from the Chrome New Tab page.

Unfortunately, almost none of that is true. We have already mentioned that Search.hroutefinder.net hijacker will automatically change your homepage (or new tab page) and default search engine. The new website features two general functions – there are web search and the additional toolbar with links to various websites. Some of them are actually related to routes planning and maps, while others are there only because those websites are affiliated with or even owned by Polarity. The web search is not advanced at all – vice versa, it is really unusable and even dangerous.

We highly recommend staying away from the Web search provided by the Search.hroutefinder.net because you will be exposed to various sponsored results and excessive ads that are not even relevant to you. Also, your private data will be collected and might be transferred to third parties later on.

There are some other side effects too – your computer might work slower or it can be infected with additional malware just due to the presence of Search.hroutefinder.net. Obviously, you must eliminate this tool from your computer right now.

Removal of Search.hroutefinder.net Virus

It’s easier said than done, but you can remove Search.hroutefinder.net really easy if you have right tools in your arsenal. The very fact that it was able to sneak into your computer and infect it speaks for itself – your security is too weak. So what you need to do, is to download Spyhunter and scan your computer with it. Either one of those programs should do a good job and immediately detect Search.hroutefinder.net virus. It will be removed automatically in no time. Also, you should keep one of those AM tools installed after the removal, so it could protect your system from similar threats in the future.

In case you are still confused and don’t know where to start, please scroll down below the article and take a look at step-by-step instructions on how to eliminate Search.hroutefinder.net for good. Plus, you can always ask us a question in the comments section below and we will be more than happy to answer them all.

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Search.hroutefinder.net Removal Instructions

How to remove Route Finder using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like Search.hroutefinder.net Hijacker 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 Route Finder . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make Search.hroutefinder.net Hijacker 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 Route Finder from macOS

Delete Search.hroutefinder.net Hijacker from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the Route Finder 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.hroutefinder.net Hijacker 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.hroutefinder.net Hijacker, 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.hroutefinder.net Hijacker 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.hroutefinder.net Hijacker 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 Route Finder, 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.hroutefinder.net Hijacker 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.hroutefinder.net Hijacker, 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.hroutefinder.net Hijacker from Safari:Top

Remove malicious extensions

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences.
  
• Select Extensions and uninstall Route Finder 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.hroutefinder.net Hijacker, 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.