Astromedia Search Hijacker - How to remove

Astromedia Search or Astromedia Web Search (not to be confused with Astromenda Search) is a browser hijacker that changes browser settings to fit the whims of a dishonest developer. The extension not only installs itself against the wishes of a user but act like adware by prioritizing its profit over their browsing preferences. Unless it was installed intentionally, Astromedia Search should be removed from all the browsers.

Astromedia Search uses some unethical distribution methods to reach a greater number of users than it could by being honest. It’s pushed by bundlers and adware which result in people having it installed against their will and not being able to get rid of it — not even reinstalling their browser helps some.

Astromedia Search is not unique — it’s very similar to Margamish, Cultsearch, Byoml, and others. These home page replacers are called browser hijackers — programs that try to control the browser for malicious purposes.

Symptoms of Astromedia Search

Most people who have noticed Astromedia Search installed on their browser did not do it themselves. If they did, this search hijacker would be simple to get rid of — just remove the extension manually, the instructions are below this article. However, lots of users noticed that they weren’t able to get rid of it so easily. They remove Astromedia Search and then it’s back the next day. That’s the extension getting help from a malicious program installed on the desktop.

At the same time as Astromedia Search hijacked the browsers, one might notice their computer working significantly harder, showing lag, not being able to complete demanding tasks. This is a serious problem that’s connected with Astromedia Search but the hijacker is not responsible directly. Astromedia Search can’t be found in the list of installed programs or applications even though a piece of malware is hiding there — various adware viruses disguise themselves as wanted programs to trick users into not removing them.

Malware on a computer is more powerful than a single extension like Astromedia Search: they can hijack and edit the settings of all of the installed browsers. They can continually reinstall extensions, display constant pop-up ads, but also do more suspicious stuff, such as monitor people’s activities and relay that data to someone else over the internet. Thus, an unwanted Astromedia Search installation indicates a more serious malware infection which should be stopped quickly.

How does it work?

It might be baffling why anyone would want to force people to use a specific search engine. But, unsurprisingly, it’s about profit.

First, through bundling or deceptive advertising, people install a malicious program. They do this unknowingly and unintentionally. Adware sometimes comes in the form of a PDF reader, media player, or a PC optimizer.

Then, once installed, the malicious program displays pop-ups to install Astromedia Search or installs it in the background. Laggy computer performance indicates other activities, like crypto mining and ad fraud.

Astromedia Search edits browser settings to direct all the queries to its own websites. It can redirect visits to or from particular sites. It can track the activities of the user — which sites they visit, what ads they click on, what they search for. It can display ads on any website, such as replace different ads with its own. Astromedia Search’s developers can relay the data on the users’ behavior to advertisers who use it to make tailor the ads to each individual user. Advertisers pay Astromedia Search to be able to advertise to its users.

How to remove Astromedia Search

Despite the fact that unwanted extensions can be removed from the browser, the first thing to do to get rid of them is to scan your computer for malware. Remove PUPs, adware, and other malware with the help of a strong antivirus program, like Spyhunter. Reboot your computer.

Now open your browser and remove Astromedia Search and all the other extensions that you don’t want to be installed. In fact, remove all the extensions that you don’t use regularly, since, unless their developer is extremely trustworthy, they’re all a privacy risk.

If, after doing this, Astromedia Search keeps coming back, that must mean that the virus responsible for it hasn’t been removed yet. Try using Safe Mode or look for malicious processes that need to be shut down. Scan for malware and remove it again. Then, remove Astromedia Search again.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Remove Astromedia Search

How to remove Astromedia Search using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like Astromedia Search Hijacker install some of their components as regular Windows programs as well as additional software. This part of malware can be uninstalled from the Control Panel. To access it, do the following.

• Start→Control Panel (older Windows) or press Windows Key→Search and enter Control Panel and then press Enter (Windows 8, Windows 10).
• Choose Uninstall Program (if you don't see it, click in the upper right next to "View by" and select Category).
• Go through the list of programs and select entries related to Astromedia Search . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make Astromedia Search Hijacker easier to find.
• Click the Uninstall button. If you're asked if you really want to remove the program, click Yes.
• In many cases anti-malware programs are better at detecting related parasites, thus I recommend installing Spyhunter to identify other programs that might be a part of this infection.

How to remove Astromedia Search from macOS

Delete Astromedia Search Hijacker from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the Astromedia Search app.
5. Select it and right-click it (or hold the Ctrl and click the left mouse button).
6. In the dropdown, click Move to Bin/Trash. You might be asked to provide your login password.

TopHow To remove Astromedia Search Hijacker from Google Chrome:

• Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select More Tools→Extensions
  
• Select all malicious extensions and delete them.
  
• Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select Settings
  
• Select Manage Search engines
  
• Remove unnecessary search engines from the list
  
• Go back to settings. On Startup choose Open blank page (you can remove undesired pages from the set pages link too).
• If your homepage was changed, click on Chrome menu on the top right corner, select Settings. Select Open a specific page or set of pages and click on Set pages.
  
• Delete malicious search websites at a new Startup pages window by clicking “X” next to them.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to Astromedia Search Hijacker, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on a Chrome’s menu button (three horizontal lines) and select Settings.
• Scroll to the end of the page and click on theReset browser settings button.
  
• Click on the Reset button on the confirmation box.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

How To remove Astromedia Search Hijacker from Firefox:Top

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla window and select the “Add-ons” icon (Or press Ctrl+Shift+A on your keyboard).
  
• Go through Extensions and Addons list, remove everything Astromedia Search Hijacker related and items you do not recognise. If you do not know the extension and it is not made by Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, Oracle or Adobe then you probably do not need it.
  
• If your homepage was changed, click on the Firefox menu in the top right corner, select Options → General. Enter a preferable URL to the homepage field and click Restore to Default.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to Astromedia Search, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla Firefox window. Click on the Help button.
  
• ChooseTroubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
  
• Click on theReset Firefox button.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
  

If the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program to identify malicious entries.

How to remove Astromedia Search Hijacker from Microsoft Edge:Top

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Microsoft Edge window. Select “Extensions”.

• Select all malicious extensions and delete them.

• Click on the three-dot menu on the browser toolbar and Select Settings

• Select Privacy and Services and scroll down. Press on Address bar.

• Choose Manage search engines.

• Remove unnecessary search engines from the list: open the three-dot menu and choose Remove.

• Go back to Settings. Open On start-up.
• Delete malicious search websites at Open specific page or pages by opening the three-dot menu and clicking Delete.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to Astromedia Search Hijacker, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings

• Click on Edge's menu button and select Settings. Click on the Reset Settings button on the left.
• Press the Restore settings to their default values option.

• Click on the Reset button on the confirmation box.

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

How to remove Astromedia Search Hijacker from Safari:Top

Remove malicious extensions

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences.
  
• Select Extensions and uninstall Astromedia Search and other suspicious extensions.
  
• If your homepage was changed, click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences and choose General tab. Enter preferable URL to the homepage field.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings(older versions) If you are still experiencing any issues related to Astromedia Search Hijacker, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Reset Safari…
  
• Select which options you want to reset (usually all of them come preselected) and click on the Reset button.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.