Prevent Obituary Directories from hijacking your browser
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is Obituary Directories?
Obituary Directories is a rogue application endorsed as a tool for quick access to various ancestry websites and obituary databases. It can supposedly provide ancestry, obituary and email services, shopping websites, news and weather related content.
In fact, it operates as a browser hijacker and modifies browsers to promote a fake search engine (search.obituariesdirectorytab.com). Furthermore, it monitors and collects browsing-related information. Most users install Obituary Directories inadvertently, and therefore it is also categorized as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA).
Note that Obituary Directories is often distributed together with another PUA called Hide My Searches.
Following successful installation, browser hijackers resign the homepage, default search engine and new tab/window URLs to the addresses of their fake web searchers. Common targets of these rogue apps include Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and other popular browsers.
With Obituary Directories infiltrated into the device, it changes the targeted browser settings to search.obituariesdirectorytab.com. Therefore, each new tab/window opened and each search query typed into the URL bar redirects to search.obituariesdirectorytab.com.
Few of these bogus search tools can provide valid results, and so they redirect to (or cause redirection chains ending with) a legitimate search engine. Obituary Directories' bogus web searcher (search.obituariesdirectorytab.com) redirects to search.yahoo.com.
These changes may seem insignificant and easy to undo, and yet recovering the browser without removing the hijacker application is impossible. Access to the browser settings might be limited or denied, and any permitted changes made, automatically reset.
As well as significantly diminishing the browsing experience, Obituary Directories also has data tracking capabilities. It records users' browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, etc.) and gathers personal information (IP addresses, geolocations and other details).
This private data can then be shared with third parties (often, cyber criminals) seeking to misuse it for financial gain. Data-tracking content present on systems can lead to serious privacy issues, financial loss and even identity theft. To ensure device and user safety, remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins without delay.
| Name | Obituary Directories |
| Threat Type | Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab. |
| Detection Names | Avast (Win32:Adware-gen [Adw]), BitDefender (Trojan.GenericKD.32776144), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of Win32/WinWrapper.V Potentially Unwant), McAfee (Artemis!6EC1DE672D64), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Browser Extension(s) | Obituary Directories; Obituary Directory |
| Supposed Functionality | It supposedly provides easy access to various obituary and ancestry databases. |
| Promoted URL | search.obituariesdirectorytab.com |
| Serving IP Address (search.obituariesdirectorytab.com) | 54.210.58.66 |
| 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. |
| Additional Information | Obituary Directories is distributed with another browser hijacker called Hide My Searches. |
| 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. |
My Obituares App, Obituary Search, Local Classifieds Hub, and Packages Tracker are some examples of browser hijackers similar to Obituary Directories. In general, most PUAs share certain traits. These apps often seem legitimate, with little or no difference to genuine software they aim to imitate.
They offer a wide variety of seemingly "useful" features, however, these rarely work as advertised and, in most cases, are nonoperational.
The only purpose of all unwanted content is to generate revenue for the developers, whilst regular users receive no value. PUAs hijack browsers, cause redirects to untrustworthy and malicious sites, deliver intrusive advertisement campaigns and track sensitive data.
How did Obituary Directories install on my computer?
Some PUAs (e.g. Obituary Directories) have "official" download web pages. Unwanted applications might also be unintentionally installed with other programs. This deceptive marketing technique of packing regular software with unwanted or malicious content is called "bundling".
Rushing download and installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, using pre-set options, skipping steps and sections, etc.), endangers devices with potential system infiltration and infections. When clicked, intrusive advertisements can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without users' consent.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
Research all content to verify its legitimacy, prior to downloading/installing. Use only official and verified download channels. Avoid untrustworthy download sources, such as unofficial and free file-hosting websites, P2P sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.) and other third party downloaders.
When downloading/installing, read the terms, explore all available options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of supplementary apps, tools, features and so on. Intrusive advertisements typically seem normal and harmless, but when clicked they can redirect to dubious sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, etc.).
If you encounter these ads/redirects, check the system and immediately remove all dubious applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with Obituary Directories, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.
Obituary Directories browser hijacker installer set-up:
Obituary Directories browser hijacker asking for various permissions:
Website promoting Obituary Directories browser hijacker:
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is Obituary Directories?
- STEP 1. Uninstall Obituary Directories application using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove search.obituariesdirectorytab.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
- STEP 3. Remove Obituary Directories browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove search.obituariesdirectorytab.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 5. Remove search.obituariesdirectorytab.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
Obituary Directories 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, "Obituary Directories"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications that cause browser redirects to the search.obituariesdirectorytab.com website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Obituary Directories 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://search.obituariesdirectorytab.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 "Obituary Directories".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.obituariesdirectorytab.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 "Obituary Directories" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons (e.g., "Hide My Searches"), 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 "Obituary Directories" (or simply "Obituary Directory") or "Hide My Searches", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://search.obituariesdirectorytab.com or hxxps://hidemysearches.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 "hxxp://search.obituariesdirectorytab.com" and "hxxp://hidemysearches.com", and 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 search.obituariesdirectorytab.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 "Obituary Directories", as well as all other recently installed browser plug-ins (e.g., "Hide My Searches").
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 "Obituary Directories" or "Hide My Searches", remove hxxp://search.obituariesdirectorytab.com or hxxp://hidemysearches.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: "obituariesdirectorytab"
Right-click on the found preferences and select "Reset" to restore default values.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with search.obituariesdirectorytab.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 search.obituariesdirectorytab.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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