Filmate-search.com Redirect
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is filmate-search.com?
Filmate-search.com is supposedly a legitimate website that allows users to search the Internet, and provides quick links to various websites (Twitter, Gmail, Youtube, and many others). These false claims to improve the Internet browsing experience might trick some users into believing that filmate-search.com is a legitimate website.
In fact, the developers promote this site using dubious software 'installers' developed to modify web browser settings without users' permission. In addition, filmate-search.com generates untrusted search results and collects browsing-related information.
Deceptive software installers usually target the most popular Internet browsers - Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.
After stealthily assigning the default search engine, homepage, and new tab URL browser settings to filmate-search.com, they install additional applications called 'helper objects' to prevent users from returning browsers to their previous states (when attempting to change the settings, helper objects reassign them to filmate-search.com).
This rogue behavior leads to continual unwanted browser redirects, significantly diminishing the Internet browsing experience. Furthermore, search results generated by filmate-search.com might lead to malicious websites. There is a high probability that some of the sites will contain infectious content.
Therefore, attempts to search the Internet via filmate-search.com can lead to further high-risk adware or malware infections. In addition, filmate-search.com gathers various information relating to users' Internet browsing activity including IP addresses, search queries, websites visited, and other similar data.
This might seem insignificant, however, the information recorded might contain personally identifiable details. Furthermore, the developers of filmate-search.com share this gathered data with third parties who are likely to misuse it to generate revenue. Thus, tracking of personally identifiable information can lead to serious privacy issues or even identity theft.
If you are concerned with your privacy and Internet browsing safety, uninstall all recently-installed suspicious apps and never visit the filmate-search.com website.
Filmate-search.com is similar to other dubious sites such as fantasybulletin.net, goo.glesafe.com, and do-search.com. All claim to enhance the Internet browsing experience by providing certain features, however, none provide users with any real value. Websites such as filmate-search.com are developed to generate revenue for the developers.
Rather than enabling the functionality promised, they cause unwanted browser redirects, deliver intrusive online advertisements, and collect personally identifiable information.
How did filmate-search.com install on my computer?
This bogus site is promoted using a deceptive software marketing method called 'bundling' - stealth installation of potentially unwanted programs with regular software/apps. Many users do not express enough caution during the download and installation processes.
For this reason, developers intentionally conceal bogus applications within the 'Custom/Advanced' settings. Skipping this section and rushing the download/installation processes, often leads to inadvertent installation of rogue programs, thereby exposing systems to risk of further infection and putting users' privacy at risk.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
This situation can be prevented by taking two simple steps. Firstly, never rush when downloading and installing software - closely analyze each step using the 'Custom' or 'Advanced' settings. Secondly, decline all offers to download or install additional programs and opt-out of those already included, since there is a high probability that bundled software will be infectious.
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Quick menu:
- What is filmate-search.com?
- STEP 1. Uninstall filmate-search.com application using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove filmate-search.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
- STEP 3. Remove filmate-search.com browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove filmate-search.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 5. Remove filmate-search.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
Filmate-search.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 any recently-installed suspicious applications, select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted programs that cause browser redirects to the filmate-search.com website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Filmate-search.com 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://filmate-search.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 "filmate-search".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the filmate-search.com browser hijacker, 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 "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious add-ons, select these entries and click the trash can icon.
Change your homepage:
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 hxxp://filmate-search.com and click the x symbol. Now, you can add your preferred website as your homepage.
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" section, click "Manage Search Engines...", remove "filmate-search" and add or select your preferred domain.
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the filmate-search.com browser hijacker, 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 "Extensions" and remove all 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, remove hxxp://filmate-search.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: "filmate-search"
Right-click on the found preferences and select "Reset" to restore default values.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with filmate-search.com browser hijacker 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 filmate-search.com browser hijacker, 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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