Uninstall the Weather Online Now browser hijacker
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is Weather Online Now?
Weather Online Now is advertised as an app providing the latest forecast updates. In fact, this is a browser hijacker that promotes a fake search engine (weatheronlinenow.com) by changing browser settings. Additionally, it might collect information relating to users' browsing activity.
Typically, users download and install browser hijackers unintentionally and, therefore, Weather Online Now is categorized as a potentially unwanted application (PUA).
Weather Online Now promotes weatheronlinenow.com by assigning it as the address of the default search engine, homepage, and new tab so that users are forced to visit this site when they open a hijacked browser, new tab, or enter search queries into the URL bar.
Generally, changes made by browser hijackers cannot be undone as long as they are installed. Therefore, users can remove weatheronlinenow.com from browser settings (or change it to another address) only after uninstalling Weather Online Now. Search engines promoted by browser hijackers are fake, since they do not generate unique results.
When used, weatheronlinenow.com simply redirects to search.yahoo.com, a legitimate search engine that displays results generated by Yahoo. As mentioned, apps such as Weather Online Now often collect browsing-related data.
Typically, browser hijackers gather addresses of visited pages, entered search queries, IP addresses, geolocations and other browsing data, however, they might also record provate, sensitive information. The data is often misused to generate revenue or sold to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals), who then misuse it for the same purpose.
In any case, users who have browsers hijacked by apps such as Weather Online Now might become victims of identity theft, and experience issues relating to online privacy and browsing safety, and other problems. Therefore, never download or install these PUAs.
If Weather Online Now is already installed on the browser or computer, remove it immediately. The same applies to all other apps of this type.
Name | Weather Online Now |
Threat Type | Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab. |
Browser Extension(s) | Weather Online Now |
Supposed Functionality | This app supposedly provides quick access to the latest weather forecast updates. |
Promoted URL | weatheronlinenow.com |
Serving IP Address (weatheronlinenow.com) | 104.18.37.21 |
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. |
Free Driver Maps, My Search Finder, and HistorySee are other PUAs classified as browser hijackers. There are many more on the internet. In most cases, they change browser settings, so that users are forced to visit the addresses of fake search engines, and track/record information. Browser hijackers can thus cause serious problems.
How did Weather Online Now install on my computer?
Developers distribute PUAs by including them into the set-ups of other programs as 'additional offers'. This distribution method is known as "bundling".
The offers can be declined through the "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar settings, however, many users fail to check and change these settings, thereby agreeing by default with offers to download or install additionally-included apps (PUAs). These PUAs also infiltrate when people click deceptive advertisements that execute certain scripts.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
Do not download or install software through third party downloaders, installers, Peer-to-Peer networks (e.g., torrent clients, eMule), from dubious websites, etc. Use official websites and direct links. Check "Custom", "Advanced" and other settings and decline offers to download or install PUAs before completing the process.
Do not click ads that appear on dubious web pages (e.g., on those relating to gambling, adult dating, or pornography), since they can open other dubious web pages or even run scripts designed to download and install unwanted apps.
Remove any suspicious, unwanted apps (extensions, plug-ins, add-ons) installed on the browser, and programs of this kind installed on the computer/operating system. If your computer is already infected with Weather Online Now, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.
Notification stating that Weather Online Now can read and change certain data:
Website promoting Weather Online Now 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
- 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
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is Weather Online Now?
- STEP 1. Uninstall Weather Online Now application using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove weatheronlinenow.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
- STEP 3. Remove Weather Online Now browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove weatheronlinenow.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 5. Remove weatheronlinenow.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
Weather Online Now 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, "Weather Online Now"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications that cause browser redirects to the weatheronlinenow.com website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Weather Online Now 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://weatheronlinenow.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 "Weather Online Now".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the weatheronlinenow.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 "Weather Online Now" 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 "Weather Online Now", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.weatheronlinenow.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 "weatheronlinenow.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 weatheronlinenow.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 "Weather Online Now", 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 "Weather Online Now", remove hxxp://weatheronlinenow.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 weatheronlinenow.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 weatheronlinenow.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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