How to remove TheEasyWayPro browser hijacker
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is TheEasyWayPro?
TheEasyWayPro is a browser hijacker endorsed as a tool for easy access to map-related content. It can supposedly provide various live maps, directions, routes and so on. It operates by altering browsers to promote a fake search engine (srchbar.com). Furthermore, this application also monitors and gathers browsing-related information.
Due to its dubious proliferation methods, TheEasyWayPro is additionally classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA).
After successful infiltration, browser hijackers reassign the homepage, default search engine and new tab/window URLs to the addresses of their bogus web search engines. Typical targets include Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and other popular browsers.
With TheEasyWayPro installed, each search query typed into the URL bar and each new tab/window opened redirects to srchbar.com. Most fake web search tools cannot provide unique results, and so redirect to (or cause redirection chains ending with) Google, Bing, Yahoo or other legitimate search engines.
This is the case with srchbar.com, which redirects to bing.com. While these changes may seem minor, they significantly diminish the browsing experience. Recovering the affected browsing without removing the hijacker app is impossible. With it still present, any changes users attempt to make to their browsers are automatically reset (if access is allowed at all).
As mentioned, TheEasyWayPro possesses data tracking capabilities. It records browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and collects users' personal information (IP addresses, geolocations and other details). This private data can then be shared with third parties (often, cyber criminals) seeking to generate profit by misusing it.
Data-tracking content can lead to serious privacy issues, financial loss and even identity theft. To protect device and user safety, you are advised to eliminate all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.
Name | TheEasyWayPro |
Threat Type | Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab. |
Detection Names (srchbar.com) | Fortinet (Malware), Avira no cloud (Suspicious), Forcepoint ThreatSeeker (Suspicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
Browser Extension(s) | TheEasyWayPro |
Supposed Functionality | It supposedly provides various map-related content. |
Promoted URL | srchbar.com |
Serving IP Address (srchbar.com) | 13.226.15.74 |
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. |
The Weather Pilot Tab, EasyPackageTracker, and Directions Maps Finder are a few examples of other browser hijackers. In general, all PUAs tend to share certain common traits. They often seem legitimate and offer a wide variety of "useful" functions to lure users into downloading/installing them.
Users who are tricked into doing so, find that the advertised features do not operate as promised, if indeed they are operational at all. The sole purpose of all unwanted content is to generate revenue for the developers. These apps have no genuine value to regular users and, instead, can cause a number of issues.
PUAs hijack browsers, force-open untrustworthy and malicious web pages, deliver intrusive ads and track sensitive data.
How did TheEasyWayPro install on my computer?
Some PUAs have "official" promotional sites on which they are typically advertised as "useful" and "free" software, however, they can also be downloaded/installed together with other products. "Bundling" is the term used to describe this deceptive marketing technique of pre-packing regular programs with unwanted or malicious content.
Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. skipping steps and sections, using pre-set options, etc.) increases the risk of potential system infiltration and infections. Intrusive advertisements also proliferate these applications - when clicked, they can execute scripts to stealthily download/install PUAs.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
You are strongly advised to research all content to verify its legitimacy, before downloading/installing. Use only trustworthy and verified download sources. Untrustworthy sources such as Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.), unofficial and free file-hosting sites, third party downloaders and similar are more likely to offer bundled programs.
Treat download and installation processes should with caution. Read the terms, explore all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings, and decline offers to download/install additional apps, tools, features and so on.
Intrusive ads often seem normal and innocuous, however, they can generate redirects to dubious sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating and others).
If you experience ads/redirects of this kind, check the system and immediately remove all dubious applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with TheEasyWayPro, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.
TheEasyWayPro browser hijacker asking for various permissions:
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:
- What is TheEasyWayPro?
- STEP 1. Uninstall TheEasyWayPro application using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove srchbar.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
- STEP 3. Remove TheEasyWayPro browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove srchbar.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 5. Remove srchbar.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
TheEasyWayPro 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, "TheEasyWayPro"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications that cause browser redirects to the srchbar.com website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
TheEasyWayPro 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://srchbar.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 "TheEasyWayPro".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the srchbar.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 "TheEasyWayPro" 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 "TheEasyWayPro", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.srchbar.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 "srchbar.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 srchbar.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 "TheEasyWayPro", 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 "TheEasyWayPro", remove hxxp://srchbar.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: "srchbar"
Right-click on the found preferences and select "Reset" to restore default values.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with srchbar.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 srchbar.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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