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How to remove software causing redirects to/through mysearch.space?

Also Known As: mysearch.space browser hijacker
Damage level: Medium

What is mysearch.space?

Mysearch.space is the address of a fake search engine. Web searchers of this kind are usually promoted by rogue and even malicious applications or browser extensions - classified as browser hijackers. Mysearch.space has been noted being pushed by the VTwitAlpha malicious browser extension. Additionally, browser hijackers are categorized as PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Applications).

mysearch.space browser hijacker

How do browser hijackers promote mysearch.space?

Browser hijackers assign fraudulent web searchers (e.g., mysearch.space) as browsers' homepage, default search engine, and new tab/window URLs. Hence, new browser tabs/windows opened and web searchers performed via the URL bar - redirect to this address.

Fake search engines usually cannot provide search results, so they redirect to legitimate ones. Mysearch.space is not an exception; it redirects (through different suspicious sites) to the Bing search engine.

Browser hijackers also use persistence-ensuring techniques to prevent browser recovery. Those promoting mysearch.space, have been observed employing the "Managed by your organization" Google Chrome browser feature for this purpose.

Most browser hijackers have data tracking abilities. Information of interest includes - browsing and search engine histories, IP addresses, personally identifiable details, etc. The collected data is then shared with and/or sold to third-parties.

In summary, the presence of data-tracking software on devices can lead to serious privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:
Name mysearch.space browser hijacker
Threat Type Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab
Browser Extension(s) VTwitAlpha
Affected Browser Settings Homepage, new tab URL, default search engine
Detection Names N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address 35.156.236.26
Symptoms Manipulated Internet browser settings (homepage, default Internet search engine, new tab settings). Users are forced to visit the hijacker's website and search the Internet using their search engines.
Distribution methods Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers.
Damage Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites.
Malware Removal (Windows)

To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner.
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Fake search engine and browser hijacker examples

Searchzone.xyzsearchfor.ccgreentabs.netrgoodsearch.online - are some examples of fake search engines, and WebCouponSearchTopSearchMapsTopAdblockSearch - a couple of browser hijackers. They look legitimate and offer "handy" features that are rarely functional.

This applies to practically all PUAs. Instead of delivering on any promises, unwanted applications can hijack browsers, force-open sites, run intrusive ad campaigns, and collect private data.

How did mysearch.space promoting software install on my computer?

PUAs are proliferated using the "bundling" tactic - packing regular programs with various supplements. Rushed download/installation processes increase the risk of allowing bundled content into the device. Furthermore, upon being clicked, intrusive ads can stealthily download/install PUAs. Some PUAs have "official" download webpages as well.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

It is highly recommended to research software and download it from official/verified channels. Untrustworthy sources, e.g., unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, etc. - commonly offer bundled content.

When downloading/installing, it is advised to read terms, study possible options, and use the "Custom/Advanced" settings to opt-out from all supplements. Intrusive adverts appear legitimate yet redirect to questionable sites (e.g., pornography, adult-dating, gambling, etc.).

If such ads and/or redirects are encountered, all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins detected - must be removed immediately. If your computer is already infected with browser hijackers, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate it.

Appearance of mysearch.space redirecting (via dubious sites) to the Bing search engine (GIF):

mysearch.space redirecting to Bing (GIF)

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
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Quick menu:

mysearch.space redirect removal:

Windows 11 users:

Accessing Apps and Features in Windows 11

Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.

Windows 10 users:

Accessing Programs and Features (uninstall) in Windows 8

Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.

Windows 7 users:

Accessing Programs and Features (uninstall) in Windows 7

Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.

macOS (OSX) users:

Uninstall app in OSX (Mac)

Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.

mysearch.space browser hijacker uninstall via Control Panel

In the uninstall programs window: look for any recently installed suspicious applications, select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications (which cause browser redirects to the mysearch.space website), scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

mysearch.space redirect removal from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove browser redirects:

Google Chrome logoRemove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Removing mysearch.space related Google Chrome extensions

Click the Chrome menu icon Google Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and remove them.

Change your homepage:

Removing mysearch.space from Google Chrome homepage

Click the Chrome menu icon Google Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.mysearch.space) below the “Open a specific or set of pages” option. If present click on the three vertical dots icon and select “Remove”.

Change your default search engine:

Removing mysearch.space from Google Chrome default search engine

To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon Google Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search engine" section, click "Manage search engines...", in the opened list look for "mysearch.space" when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Remove from list".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the mysearch.space browser hijacker, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon Google Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.

Google Chrome settings reset step 1

After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.

Google Chrome settings reset step 2

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Google Chrome settings reset step 3

Mozilla Firefox logoRemove malicious plugins from Mozilla Firefox:

Removing mysearch.space related Mozilla Firefox extensions

Click the Firefox menu firefox menu icon (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions" and remove all recently installed browser plug-ins.

Change your homepage:

Removing mysearch.space from Mozilla Firefox homepage

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu firefox menu icon (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Options", in the opened window remove hxxp://mysearch.space and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.

Change your default search engine:

Removing mysearch.space from Mozilla Firefox default search engine

In the URL address bar, type about:config and press Enter.
Click "I'll be careful, I promise!".
In the search filter at the top, type: "extensionControlled"
Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the Mozilla Firefox switch about:config entry button button.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with mysearch.space browser hijacker removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.

Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, firefox menu icon in the opened menu, click Help.

Accessing settings (Reset Firefox to default settings step 1)

Select Troubleshooting Information.

Accessing Troubleshooting Information (Reset Firefox to default settings step 2)

In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.

Clicking on Refresh Firefox button (Reset Firefox to default settings step 3)

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.

Confirm your want to reset Firefox settings to default (Reset Firefox to default settings step 4)

safari browser logoRemove malicious extensions from Safari:

Removing browser hijackers from safari step 1 - accessing preferences

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click Safari menu, then select Preferences...

removing browser hijacker from safari step 2 - removing extensions

In the preferences window select the Extensions tab. Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions and uninstall them.

Removing browser hijackers from safari step 3 - changing homepage

In the preferences window select General tab and make sure that your homepage is set to a preferred URL, if its altered by a browser hijacker - change it.

removing browser hijackers from safari step 4 - changing the default Internet search engine

In the preferences window select Search tab and make sure that your preferred Internet search engine is selected.

Optional method:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...

resetting safari step 1

In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.

resetting safari step 2

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) logoRemove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:

Removing browser hijackers from Microsoft Edge step 1

Click the Edge menu icon Microsoft Edge (chromium) menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate any recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.

Change your homepage and new tab settings:

Removing browser hijackers from Microsoft Edge step 2

Click the Edge menu icon Microsoft Edge (chromium) menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section look for the name of the browser hijacker and click "Disable".

Change your default Internet search engine:

Removing browser hijackers from Microsoft Edge step 3

To change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge: Click the Edge menu icon Microsoft Edge (chromium) menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Privacy and services", scroll to bottom of the page and select "Address bar". In the "Search engines used in address bar" section look for the name of the unwanted Internet search engine, when located click the "Disable" button near it. Alternatively you can click on "Manage search engines", in the opened menu look for unwanted Internet search engine. Click on the puzzle icon Microsoft Edge (Chromium) puzzle icon near it and select "Disable".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the mysearch.space browser hijacker, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon Microsoft Edge (chromium) menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) reset step 1

In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) reset step 2

Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) reset step 3

  • If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.

Summary:

declining installation of browser hijackers while downloading free software sampleA browser hijacker is a type of adware infection that modifies Internet browser settings by assigning the homepage and default Internet search engine settings to some other (unwanted) website URL. Commonly, this type of adware infiltrates operating systems through free software downloads. If your download is managed by a download client, ensure that you decline offers to install advertised toolbars or applications that seek to change your homepage and default Internet search engine settings.

Post a comment:
If you have additional information on mysearch.space browser hijacker or it's removal please share your knowledge in the comments section below.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the purpose of forcing users to visit mysearch.space website?

Cyber criminals (e.g., fake search engine and browser hijacker developers) generate revenue through such redirects.

Is visiting mysearch.space a threat to my privacy?

Most likely, yes - visiting mysearch.space does endanger your privacy. Websites of this type usually collect information about their visitors - thereby posing a threat to their privacy.

How did a browser hijacker infiltrate my computer?

Browser hijackers are proliferated via software bundling, unofficial and freeware websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, online scams, deceptive browser notifications/ intrusive advertisements, fake updaters/installers, and so forth.

Will Combo Cleaner help me remove browser hijackers?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan devices and eliminate installed browser-hijacking apps. It must be noted that manual removal might not be ideal in are cases when multiple browser hijackers have infiltrated the system. Sometimes, when one browser hijacker is uninstalled - the others might re-install it. Additionally, some removal-related settings may be unmodifiable while this software is present. Therefore, browser hijackers must be removed thoroughly and all at once.

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About the author:

Tomas Meskauskas

Tomas Meskauskas - expert security researcher, professional malware analyst.

I am passionate about computer security and technology. I have an experience of over 10 years working in various companies related to computer technical issue solving and Internet security. I have been working as an author and editor for pcrisk.com since 2010. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay informed about the latest online security threats. Contact Tomas Meskauskas.

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Software uninstall instructions
Malware activity

Global malware activity level today:

Medium threat activity

Increased attack rate of infections detected within the last 24 hours.

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