Remove Ixquick.com from Chrome/Firefox/IE

Suddenly Ixquick.com took over your homepage and you cannot remove it.

Ixquick.com is a browser hijacker. Yes, it’s widely advertised as “the world’s most private search engine” and yes, it’s supposed to protect your privacy as well as your anonymity. No, it’s doesn’t do any of that in reality. If anything, this sneaky PC program will effectively destroy your browsing experience (which it was supposed to enhance) and will also put in danger your personal information (which it was supposed to preserve). All that Ixquick has in store is a rich variety of problems. This parasite is incredibly deceitful so not only does it constantly cause you troubles but it also tries to convince you that it’s perfectly safe. However, do you think that a perfectly safe search engine would belong in our website dedicated to malware? Why would you think so? Ixquick doesn’t really appear to be as malicious as it really is but you will not see many viruses that immediately reveal their harmful nature. Quite the contrary, most infections prefer to leave you completely unaware of the fact that they are harmful till it’s too late. So what options does this devious behavior leave you with? Actually, it’s just one option – delete the hijacker. And do it fast. The parasite will provide you many reasons why you should get rid of it including malware installation, potentially dangerous and intrusive ads, browser modifications and privacy issues. Oh, and not to mention after it affects your PC, Ixquick search will make sure that your machine and the work “quick” can no longer be used in the same sentence.

How did I get infected with?

You don’t have a clue how the virus landed on your computer, do you? Keeping in mind what sneaky and secretive methods cyber infections use in order to get installed, the fact that you didn’t notice Ixquick search on time comes as no surprise. Viruses don’t usually tend to manifest the exact moment when they join your PC system because the longer you remain oblivious to the infection’s presence, the better for the program. The most plausible explanation how this hijacker sneaked in is that you installed some questionable freeware/shareware from some really questionable website. Did you? Ixquick search travels the Web as a bonus attachment to the software bundles most PC users download every day but you already know this particular bonus is extremely undesirable. To prevent similar issues in the future, stay away from unverified pages no matter how attractive or how convenient their free software may seem to be. Also, never make the crucial mistake to underestimate cyber threats because what looks like just an annoying program right now may turn out to be the source of immense problems in the long run. When you do install freeware, make sure you select the Advanced or Custom option in the Setup Wizard beforehand. Remember, preventing virus infiltration is relatively easy. Removing a virus, on the other hand, could be quite tricky.

Why is this dangerous?

Browser hijackers in general (and Ixquick searchare in particular) are not a threat to be taken lightly. Once this pest successfully deludes you to install it, the hijacker gets activated almost immediately and creates an utter mess all over the PC. Being compatible with Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari, the Ixquick search parasite simply cannot remain unnoticed for too long. So at least you will know the name of the program that is currently harassing you. The first thing to catch your attention is the sudden replacement of your default homepage and default search engine with the hijacker’s domain. Ixquick search then could start aggressively redirecting you. It goes without saying that you will no longer be able to find anything you search for online but that’s not even the worst part. None of the search results generated by the virus are reliable because this program’s developers gain revenue out of displaying specific sponsored links. And sponsored certainly doesn’t mean safe. In fact, most of the web links on your PC screen are potentially corrupted so clicking them would be a very bad idea. Before you know it, you might install even more parasites that will cause an even bigger damage to your device. It is NOT a risk worth taking. Apart from the compromised web links, Ixquick search also offers compromised commercials, fake software updates and various other tricks that you should constantly watch out for. The main goal of this hijacker is to gain revenue for its creators, not to take care of your security. At the end of the day Ixquick search is nothing more than a malicious platform for issues so it’s pretty obvious that hackers’ never-ending desire for revenue and your own interests do not match. In addition, you might also be curious to learn that Ixquick search monitors your entire browsing-related data. That includes browsing history, IP addresses, email-addresses, passwords, usernames, etc. Once hackers gain access to your data, they will apply some dubious monetizing system without paying any attention whatsoever to your jeopardized security. All in all, as you can see, Ixquick search’s presence only means trouble. So why put up with its shenanigans? In you decide to get rid of the virus manually, please follow the detailed removal guide you will find down below.

How to Remove Ixquick.com virus

If you perform exactly the steps below you should be able to remove the Ixquick.com infection. Please, follow the procedures in the exact order. Please, consider to print this guide or have another computer at your disposal. You will NOT need any USB sticks or CDs.

The Ixquick.com adware is specifically designed to make money. It generates web traffic, collects sales leads for other dubious sites, and will display advertisements and sponsored links within your web browser.

STEP 1: Uninstall Ixquick.com from Add\Remove Programs

STEP 2: Clean Ixquick.com from Chrome Firefox or Internet Explorer

STEP 3: Permanently Remove Ixquick.com leftovers from the System

STEP 1 : Uninstall Ixquick.com from your computer

Simultaneously press the Windows Logo Button and then “R” to open the Run Command Window

 

Type “regedit”

 

navigate to HKCU\software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main

Modify the string with a value data and set it to google.com for example.

STEP 2 : Remove Ixquick.com homepage from Chrome, Firefox and IE

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Ixquick.com by clicking on the little recycle bin
• Reset Google Chrome by Deleting the current user to make sure nothing is left behind

• Open Mozilla Firefox

• Press simultaneously Ctrl+Shift+A
• Disable the unwanted Extension
• Go to Help
• Then Troubleshoot information
• Click on Reset Firefox

• Open Internet Explorer

• On the Upper Right Corner Click on the Gear Icon
• Click on Internet options
• go to Toolbars and Extensions and disable the unknown extensions
• Select the Advanced tab and click on Reset

• Restart Internet Explorer

How to Permanently Remove Ixquick.com Virus (automatic) Removal Guide

To make sure manual removal is successful, we recommend to use a free scanner of any professional antimalware program to identify possible registry leftovers or temporary files.