How to uninstall the Booster Search browser hijacker
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is Booster Search?
Booster Search (also known as BoosterSearch) is an application designed to improve the browsing experience. In fact, this is a browser hijacker which promotes feed.boostersearch.com (the address of a fake search engine) by modifying browser settings and gathering various information.
In most cases, people downloaded and install browser hijackers inadvertently and, therefore, they are categorized as potentially unwanted applications (PUAs).
Booster Search promotes feed.boostersearch.com by assigning this URL as the address of the default search engine, homepage, and new tab. Therefore, it ensures that feed.boostersearch.com is opened when users open a hijacked browser, new tab or enter search queries into the URL bar.
Note that feed.boostersearch.com is a fake search engine, since it redirects to search.yahoo.com and simply provides results generated by the Yahoo search engine (it does not generate any unique results). Most browser hijackers do not allow removal of the fake search engine address from browser settings as long as they are installed.
The addresses of fake search engines (including feed.boostersearch.com) can only be removed from settings by uninstalling the browser hijacker (in this case, Booster Search or BoosterSearch). Additionally, browser hijackers often gather browsing-related information.
For example, IP addresses, addresses of visited websites, geolocations, entered search queries, and other browsing data, however, some browser hijackers can also access sensitive, personal details. People behind these apps can sell the data to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue in other ways.
Users of browser hijackers thus risk becoming victims of identity theft, experiencing problems relating to privacy, browsing safety and other issues. Therefore, all browser hijackers (including Booster Search) must be uninstalled immediately.
Name | Booster Search |
Threat Type | Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab. |
Browser Extension(s) | Booster Search, BoosterSearch |
Supposed Functionality | This app supposedly improves the browsing experience. |
Promoted URL | feed.boostersearch.com |
Serving IP Address (feed.boostersearch.com) | 13.84.45.249 |
Affected Browser Settings | Homepage, new tab URL, default search engine. |
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. |
More examples of apps classified as browser hijackers are Convert Your File Now, File Converter Pro and Driver Maps. Most apps of this type are advertised as legitimate, useful applications that supposedly deliver various features and other value. In fact, they are useless and deliver no real value at all - they simply cause problems.
Therefore, browser hijackers (and other PUAs) should never be trusted or downloaded/installed.
How did Booster Search install on my computer?
In most cases, PUAs are downloaded and installed when they are included into the download/installation set-ups of other programs. This distribution method is known as "bundling" and is used to trick people into downloading and installing PUAs together with regular software.
Typically, offers to download and/or install PUAs can be found in settings such as "Custom"," Advanced", and "Manual", however, many people fail to check and change them. By leaving default settings unchanged, they often allow additionally-included apps to be downloaded and installed.
In some, cases unintentional downloads and installations can be caused through deceptive ads. If clicked, some advertisements execute scripts designed to download and install PUAs or even malicious apps.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
Files and programs should be downloaded from official websites and via direct links. Other channels can be used to distribute unwanted, potentially malicious apps. Some examples of channels that should NOT be used to download or install software are torrent clients, eMule (and other Peer-to-Peer networks), third party downloaders, installers and dubious web pages.
Furthermore, many download or installation set-ups contain "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar settings. You are advised to check these and dismiss offers to download or install unwanted programs. Advertisements that appear on dubious pages should not be trusted or clicked, since they can lead to potentially malicious web pages or cause unwanted downloads/installations.
Unwanted, suspicious extensions, add-ons, and plug-ins that are installed on browsers should be uninstalled immediately.
Programs of this kind that are installed on the operating system should also be removed. If your computer is already infected with Booster Search, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.
Booster Search download page:
Notification stating that Booster Search can read and change various data:
Another BoosterSearch download page:
Yet another website used to promote this browser hijacker:
IMPORTANT NOTE! These sites ask to enable web browser notifications.
Therefore, before commencing, perform these steps:
Google Chrome (PC):
- Click the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen
- Select "Settings", scroll down to the bottom and click "Advanced"
- Scroll down to the "Privacy and security" section, select "Content settings" and then "Notifications"
- Click three dots on the right hand side of each suspicious URL and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)
Google Chrome (Android):
- Click on the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and click "Settings"
- Scroll down, click on "Site settings" and then "Notifications"
- In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and click on them one-by-one
- Select "Notifications" in the "Permissions" section and set the toggle button to "OFF"
Mozilla Firefox:
- Click the Menu button (three bars) on the right upper corner of the screen
- Select "Options" and click on "Privacy & Security" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen
- Scroll down to the "Permissions" section and click the "Settings" button next to "Notifications"
- In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs, click the drop-down menu and select "Block"
Internet Explorer:
- Click the Gear button on the right upper corner of the IE window
- Select "Internet options"
- Select the "Privacy" tab and click "Settings" under "Pop-up Blocker" section
- Select suspicious URLs under and remove them one by one by clicking the "Remove" button
Microsoft Edge:
- Click the menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the Edge window
- Scroll down, find and click "Settings"
- Scroll down again and click "View advanced settings"
- Click "Manage" under "Website permissions"
- Click the switch under each suspicious website
Safari (Mac):
- Click "Safari" button on the left upper corner of the screen and select "Preferences..."
- Select the "Websites" tab and then select "Notifications" section on the left pane
- Check for suspicious URLs and apply the "Deny" option for each
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Quick menu:
- What is Booster Search?
- STEP 1. Uninstall Booster Search application using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove feed.boostersearch.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
- STEP 3. Remove Booster Search browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove feed.boostersearch.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 5. Remove feed.boostersearch.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
Booster Search browser hijacker removal:
Windows 11 users:
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:
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:
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:
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.
In the uninstall programs window: look for any recently installed suspicious applications (for example, "Booster Search"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications that cause browser redirects to the feed.boostersearch.com website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Booster Search browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:
Video showing how to remove browser redirects:
Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:
Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".
Change your homepage:
Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Internet Options", in the opened window remove hxxp://feed.boostersearch.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you launch Internet Explorer. You can also enter about: blank to open a blank page when you start Internet Explorer.
Change your default search engine:
Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". In the opened window, select "Search Providers", set "Google", "Bing", or any other preferred search engine as your default and then remove "Booster Search" (or "BoosterSearch").
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the feed.boostersearch.com redirect, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.
Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.
In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.
Click the Reset button.
Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate "Booster Search" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.
Change your homepage:
Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable "Booster Search" (or "BoosterSearch"), look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.feed.boostersearch.com) 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:
To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the 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 "feed.boostersearch.com", 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 feed.boostersearch.com redirect, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the 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.
After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:
Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions" and remove "Booster Search" (or "BoosterSearch"), as well as all other recently installed browser plug-ins.
Change your homepage:
To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Options", in the opened window disable "Booster Search" (or "BoosterSearch"), remove hxxp://feed.boostersearch.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.
Change your 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 button.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with feed.boostersearch.com redirect removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.
Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.
Select Troubleshooting Information.
In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Make sure your Safari browser is active and click Safari menu, then select Preferences...
In the preferences window select the Extensions tab. Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions and uninstall them.
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.
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...
In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.
Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:
Click the Edge 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:
Click the Edge 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:
To change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge: Click the Edge 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 near it and select "Disable".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the feed.boostersearch.com redirect, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.
In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.
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.
- If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.
Summary:
A 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.
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