Holasearch.com Browser Hijacker

What is Holasearch.com?

The Holasearch.com (ihola! or Hola Search) website is promoted using the Hola Search Toolbar.

This is a potentially unwanted browser add-on (compatible with Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla FireFox), which installs on users' computers together with free software and modifies the browser settings by changing the homepage and default search engine to holasearch.com

Many computer users report that the Hola Search toolbar was installed on their Internet browser/s without their consent when downloading free video codecs, download managers, or other freeware from the Internet.

Internet users should be aware that many popular download websites including download.com, soft32.com, and softonic.com use 'download clients' and 'installers' to monetize their free software downloads. Download clients and installers offer installation of additional software (browser add-ons, toolbars, etc.) when Internet users visit their website.

Some download clients use very deceptive steps during installation, and thus, it can be difficult to determine the options that need to be unchecked to avoid installation of adware or potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). If your Internet browser redirects to holasearch.com, your system has been infiltrated with a browser hijacker (Hola Search Toolbar).

Using Holasearch.com for daily Internet searches is not recommended, since this site uses a deceptive search engine, which returns misleading sponsored search results. Clicking on these may result in installation of additional unwanted browser add-ons or malware.

Furthemore, do not click on ads shown on the homepage of this website as these are provided by dubious ad networks. Clicking on them may lead to malware or privacy issues. Hola Search toolbar is a PUP and similar to the Delta Search, Babylon and qvo6.com browser hijackers.

To avoid installation of this adware on your system, always pay close attention to the installation steps of any free software downloaded from the Internet.

Choose the 'Advanced' or 'Custom' installation options, rather than 'Typical' or Quick', and disallow installation of any additional programs (browser toolbars, plug-ins, etc.) If your Internet browser/s redirect you to holasearch.com, use the removal guide provided to remove the Hola Search toolbar from your computer.

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Quick menu:

• What is Holasearch.com?
• STEP 1. Uninstall BrowserProtect and holasearch toolbar applications using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove Holasearch.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
• STEP 3. Remove Holasearch.com browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove Holasearch.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 5. Remove Holasearch.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Hola Search Toolbar (holasearch.com 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 "BrowserProtect" and "holasearch toolbar", select these entries and click " Uninstall" or "Remove"

After uninstalling the Hola Search toolbar (which causes browser redirects to holasearch.com), scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software. Remove all entries that this program detects to ensure your PC is clean from any possible spyware and malware infections.

Hola Search Toolbar (holasearch.com browser hijacker) removal from browsers:

Video showing how to remove potentially unwanted browser add-ons:

Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:

Click on the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer) select "Manage Add-ons". Look for "Browser Protect" and "Hola Toolbar", select them and click "Remove".

To change your homepage from holasearch.com to your preferred domain, click on the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer) select "Internet Options", in the opened window remove holasearch.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you launch Internet Explorer.

Change default search engine:

Click on 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 "Hola Search".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the holasearch.com virus, 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 "Tools" and click on "Extensions".  Locate "BrowserProtect" and "Hola Toolbar", select them and click on the trash can icon.

To change your homepage from holasearch.com to your preferred domain, click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) select "Settings". In the "On startup" section click "set pages", hover your mouse over holasearch.com and click the x symbol. Now you can add your preferred website as your homepage.

If the Hola Toolbar or BrowserProtect extensions are greyed-out and you cannot remove them ("This extension is managed and cannot be removed of disabled"), please follow this removal guide - how to remove a managed Google Chrome extension?

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the holasearch.com virus, 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 plugins from Mozilla Firefox:

Click on the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window) select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions" and disable "BrowserProtect" and "Hola Toolbar".

To reset your homepage, click on the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window) then select "Options", in the opened window remove holasearch.com and enter your preferred domain.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with holasearch.com virus 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 holasearch.com virus, 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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