How to remove the Easy Template Finder browser hijacker

What is Easy Template Finder?

Easy Template Finder is a browser hijacker endorsed as a tool for easy access to various templates. It operates by making modifications to browsers to promote fake search engines (search.easytemplatefindertab.com or search.heasytemplatefinder.com).

Furthermore, it has data tracking capabilities, which are used to monitor users' browsing habits. Since most users install Easy Template Finder unintentionally, it is also categorized as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). Easy Template Finder is often distributed together with another PUA called Encrypted Search.

Browser hijackers primarily target Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and other popular browsers with large user bases. Following successful infiltration, this software reassigns the default search engine, homepage, and new tab/window URLs to the addresses of their fake search engines.

Easy Template Finder promotes search.easytemplatefindertab.com (or search.heasytemplatefinder.com) in this manner. With this app installed, each search query entered into the URL bar and each new tab/window opened redirects to either of the bogus search engines.

Few of these fake search tools can generate unique results, and so they redirect to (or cause redirection chains ending with) legitimate sites (Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.). The search engines of Easy Template Finder are unable to provide valid results and simply redirect to search.yahoo.com. 

These modifications may seem relatively easy to reset, however, this is not the case. Access to browser settings is limited or denied, and any permitted changes made, automatically undone. Therefore, to restore the affected browser it is necessary to remove the browser hijacker.

As mentioned, Easy Template Finder is able to track data. It can monitor browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and gather users' personal information (IP addresses, geolocations and personally identifiable details). This vulnerable data is often shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) intent on misusing it for financial gain.

Thereby, the presence of data tracking software on systems can lead to serious privacy issues, financial loss and even identity theft. To protect device integrity and user safety, remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	Easy Template Finder
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab.
Browser Extension(s)	Easy Template Finder
Supposed Functionality	Easy access to various templates.
Promoted URL	search.easytemplatefindertab.com or search.heasytemplatefinder.com
Serving IP Address (search.easytemplatefindertab.com)	35.174.169.2
Serving IP Address (search.heasytemplatefinder.com)	34.226.102.48
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	Easy Template Finder is distributed with another browser hijacker called Encrypted Search.
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.
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SearchYA, Vista Search, TinyChill, Searchsio are some examples of other browser hijackers. They typically seem legitimate and tempt users into download/installation with offers of "useful" features. The features rarely work as advertised and, in most cases, do not work at all.

This applies to all PUAs in general. The only purpose of all unwanted apps is to generate profit for the developers at users' expense. PUAs hijack browsers, cause redirects to untrusted and malicious websites, run intrusive ad campaigns and collect private data.

How did Easy Template Finder install on my computer?

Some PUAs, including Easy Template Finder, have "official" download web pages, however, they can also be downloaded/installed with other software. "Bundling" is the term used to describe this deceptive marketing tactic of pre-packing regular programs with unwanted or malicious additions.

Rushing download and installation processes (e.g. skipping steps and sections, using pre-set options, etc.) increases the risk of unintentionally allowing bundled content onto systems. When clicked, intrusive advertisements can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without users' permission.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

All products should be researched to verify their legitimacy, before download/installation. You are advised to use only official and verified download channels. Free file-hosting sites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule, etc.) and other third party downloaders can offer dubious or bundled content.

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 usually seem normal and harmless, however, they can redirect to dubious websites (e.g. adult-dating, pornography, gambling and others).

If you encounter these ads/redirects, check the system and eliminate all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with Easy Template Finder, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

Easy Template Finder browser hijacker asking for various permissions:

Website promoting Easy Template Finder browser hijacker:

Screenshot of search.heasytemplatefinder.com promoted by Easy Template Finder browser hijacker:

IMPORTANT NOTE! This deceptive site asks 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 and select "Settings"
• Click on "Site permissions" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen and select "Notifications"
• Click three dots on the right hand side of each suspicious URL under "Allow" section and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)

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 Easy Template Finder?
• STEP 1. Uninstall Easy Template Finder application using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove search.easytemplatefindertab.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
• STEP 3. Remove Easy Template Finder browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove search.easytemplatefindertab.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 5. Remove search.easytemplatefindertab.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Easy Template Finder 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, "Easy Template Finder"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications that cause browser redirects to the search.easytemplatefindertab.com website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Easy Template Finder 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.easytemplatefindertab.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 "Easy Template Finder".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.easytemplatefindertab.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 "Easy Template Finder" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons (e.g., "Encrypted Search"), 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 "Easy Template Finder" or "Encrypted Search", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://search.easytemplatefindertab.com or hxxps://encryptedsearch.org) 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.easytemplatefindertab.com" and "hxxp://encryptedsearch.org"", 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.easytemplatefindertab.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 "Easy Template Finder", as well as all other recently installed browser plug-ins (e.g., "Encrypted Search").

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 "Easy Template Finder" or "Encrypted Search", remove hxxp://search.easytemplatefindertab.com or hxxp://encryptedsearch.org 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.easytemplatefindertab.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.easytemplatefindertab.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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