How to remove the Free Streaming Radio browser hijacker
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is Free Streaming Radio?
Free Streaming Radio is a rogue application categorized as a browser hijacker. It is advertised as an app enabling users to quickly access various radio streaming services. Free Streaming Radio operates by modifying browsers to promote a fake search engine, search.freestreamingradiotab.com (alternatively, it might promote search.hfreestreamingradio.net).
Furthermore, the app monitors users' browsing habits. Since most users installing this software inadvertently, Free Streaming Radio is classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). Note that this app is often distributed together with Hide My Searches (another PUA).
Browser hijackers primarily target popular browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and others. Following successful infiltration, these applications assign the addresses of their fake search engines as the default search engine, homepage, and new tab/window URL.
Free Streaming Radio promotes search.freestreamingradiotab.com in this manner. Therefore, these seemingly minor modifications seriously affect the browsing experience. To elaborate, each browser tab/window opened and each search query typed into the URL bar redirects to search.freestreamingradiotab.com.
Most bogus search engines are unable to provide unique results - the few that can provide inaccurate results or promote untrusted, malicious web pages. They typically redirect to (or cause redirection chains ending with) a legitimate search engine. In the case of search.freestreamingradiotab.com, it redirects to search.yahoo.com, which is a genuine web search engine.
Furthermore, without removing the browser hijacker, recovering the affected browser is impossible. Any changes users attempt to make to their browsers are automatically reset, if indeed access to settings is not restricted or denied outright. As mentioned, Free Streaming Radio has data tracking capabilities.
It records browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, etc.) and collects users' personal information (IP addresses, geolocations and other details). This data is then shared with third parties seeking to misuse it for profit (potentially, by putting it to criminal use).
Therefore, the presence of data-tracking software can result in financial loss, serious privacy issues and even identity theft. To protect device integrity and user safety, remove all suspect applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins without delay.
| Name | Free Streaming Radio |
| Threat Type | Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab. |
| Detection Names | Avast (Win32:Adware-gen [Adw]), Fortinet (Riskware/WinWrapper), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of Win32/WinWrapper.V Potential), GData (Win32.Application.Agent.04S4T2), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Browser Extension(s) | Free Streaming Radio |
| Supposed Functionality | It supposedly provides easy access to online radio. |
| Promoted URL | search.freestreamingradiotab.com (possibly search.hfreestreamingradio.net) |
| Serving IP Address (search.freestreamingradiotab.com) | 3.216.173.164 |
| 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 | Free Streaming Radio 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. |
Search My Obituaries, New File Converter, and TV Streaming Plus are examples of other browser hijackers. They may seem legitimate and tempt users into downloading/installing them with offers of "useful" functions, however, the features promised are usually nonoperational. In fact, this applies to all PUAs.
The only purpose of all unwanted apps is to generate revenue for the designers at users' expense. Rather than delivering any useful features, PUAs modify browsers to promote bogus search engines, force-open dubious/malicious websites, run intrusive advertisement campaigns and gather vulnerable data.
How did Free Streaming Radio install on my computer?
Some PUAs (including Free Streaming Radio) have "official" download web pages, however, they also proliferate via the download/install set-ups of other programs. "Bundling" is the term used to describe this deceptive marketing method of pre-packing regular software with unwanted or malicious content.
By rushing through download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps and sections, using the pre-set options, etc.), many users endangers devices with potential infiltration and infections. Intrusive ads 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 advised to research all content to verify its legitimacy, before downloading/installing. All downloads should be performed from official and verified download channels.
Untrustworthy download sources such as free file-hosting sites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (e.g. BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.) and other third party downloaders can offer deceptive and/or bundled software.
When downloading/installing, read the terms, explore all available options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of additional apps, tools, features and so on. Intrusive ads may seem legitimate and harmless, however, they often redirect to highly dubious websites (e.g. pornography, adult-dating, gambling, etc.).
If you encounter these advertisements/redirects, inspect the system and immediately remove all suspicious applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with Free Streaming Radio, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.
Free Streaming Radio browser hijacker installer set-up:
Free Streaming Radio browser hijacker asking for various permissions:
Website promoting Free Streaming Radio browser hijacker:
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 Free Streaming Radio?
- STEP 1. Uninstall Free Streaming Radio application using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove search.freestreamingradiotab.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
- STEP 3. Remove Free Streaming Radio browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove search.freestreamingradiotab.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 5. Remove search.freestreamingradiotab.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
Free Streaming Radio 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, "Free Streaming Radio"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications that cause browser redirects to the search.freestreamingradiotab.com website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Free Streaming Radio 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.freestreamingradiotab.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 "Free Streaming Radio".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.freestreamingradiotab.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 "Free Streaming Radio" 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 "Free Streaming Radio" or "Hide My Searches", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://search.freestreamingradiotab.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.freestreamingradiotab.com" and "hxxp://hidemysearches.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 search.freestreamingradiotab.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 "Free Streaming Radio", 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 "Free Streaming Radio" or "Hide My Searches", remove hxxp://search.freestreamingradiotab.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: "extensionControlled"
Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the 
button.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with search.freestreamingradiotab.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.freestreamingradiotab.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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