Ixquick.com virus - How to remove

Ixquick.com virus is a browser hijacker that can be installed to Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. It is distributed bundled with various free programs that can be easily downloaded from the Internet for free. Ixquick.com makes some changes in your browser settings and replaces your homepage and default search provider. In 2016, Ixquick.com has merged with StartPage.com.

About Ixquick.com browser hijacker:

Type of threat	Adware, browser hijacker.
Problems with the Ixquick.com virus	Gets installed without the user’s consent, hijacks their search settings, can be difficult to remove.
Infection process	Free programs bundle and install hijackers without clear disclosure, trojans download malware, malicious ads download malware.
How to remove Ixquick.com virus	Uninstall unwanted browser extensions and programs, scan your device with an anti-malware program, like SpyHunter for Windows, Combo Cleaner for Mac OS, or others.

What is Ixquick.com?

Ixquick.com started as a metasearch engine in 1998 and used to be known for its privacy protections. However, with time, it became a known browser hijacker. Ixquick.com would lodge itself into people’s browsers and be nearly impossible for them to remove. Browser hijackers make money by advertising to people and that’s what the Ixquick.com toolbar/browser add-on is.

Although Ixquick.com looks like any other search page, it doesn’t provide the same quality of search results as popular search providers, like Google, Yahoo or Bing. Ixquick.com displays lots of sponsored links and search result ads. It seems to aim to bring more users to several commercial pages and increase their traffic. This is the main goal of this application and its creators actually get paid for promoting affiliate links.

Even while Ixquick.com is supposed to be a privacy browser, you shouldn’t trust that too easily. A lot of privacy engines, like Hidemysearches.com, Searchencrypt.com, Encryptedsearch.com, Incognito Searches, and many others are actually companions to browser hijackers. They aid with spying on you and advertising to you and are operated by advertising companies. Even Startpage was sold to an ad tech company.

How adware viruses get installed

If you looked into it and decided that you do trust Ixquick.com and installed it voluntarily, great. But some people did not. Some people found Ixquick.com in their browser unexpectedly, without having heard the name before, wanted to remove it, and couldn’t. There are two options here:

• they installed the Ixquick.com toolbar themselves by accident,
• malware installed Ixquick.com and is using it to deliver ads to the victim.

The latter option isn’t anything new. Other legitimate products, like Infolinks or Coundfront.net, have been misused by crooks and fraudsters to push unwanted ads. Whatever the reason, multiple antivirus programs started detecting Ixquick.com as an adware virus.

So, how does Ixquick.com virus make it on people’s systems?

• It comes with free programs, hidden and installed in the background.
• Gets downloaded with a trojan.
• Is promoted by malicious ads and is automatically installed.

The best way to prevent from receiving such applications to your system is to be more careful when it comes to installing freeware from the Internet. Always choose Custom installation and do not allow any additional changes to be made on your device. Remove any checkmarks next to suggestions to install additional programs or add new functions to your browsers. This way you will avoid many potentially unwanted programs.

Also, update your programs (your browser, media player, and operating system) to take advantage of security fixes and avoid drive-by downloads. And don’t fall for fake updates going around online – those are used to infect people with adware viruses.

How to remove Ixquick.com virus

Remove the Ixquick.com virus from your computer as soon as you detect it on your browser.

If you’re on Windows, go to Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs list and uninstall it from there. If you’re on Mac OS, go to the Applications folder and remove it from there. It is recommended to uninstall ALL programs added on the same date as the Ixquick.com virus first appeared. Some versions of adware viruses install software that blocks browser settings from changing and makes the adware extremely difficult to remove. To identify this malware, scan your device with Spyhunter for PC, Combo for Mac, or another reputable antispyware tool. Then you can uninstall the extensions and reset settings in your browsers.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Manually uninstall Ixquick.com toolbar

TopHow To remove Ixquick.com virus 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 Ixquick.com virus, 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 Ixquick.com virus 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 Ixquick.com virus 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 Ixquick.com virus, 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 Ixquick.com virus 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 Ixquick.com virus, 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.

TopHow to remove Ixquick.com virus virus from Internet Explorer:

How to remove Ixquick.com virus virus from Internet Explorer (older versions):

• Click on the arrow on the right of the search box.
• Do the following: on IE8-9 choose Manage Search providers, on IE7 click Change search defaults.
• Remove the Ixquick.com virus from the list.

How to remove Ixquick.com virus from IE 11:

• Click on the Settings icon (top right) → Manage Addons.
  
• Go through Toolbars and extensions. Remove everything related to Ixquick.com virus and items you do not know that are made not by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Oracle or Adobe.
  
• Select Search Providers.
  
• If any of these search providers is not available, follow “Find more search providers” in the bottom of the screen and install Google.
  
• Close the Options.
• If your homepage was changed, click on the Gear icon on the top right corner to open the Internet Explorer menu, select Internet options and choose General tab. Enter a preferable URL to the homepage field and click Apply.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to Ixquick.com virus, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Gear icon→Internet Options.
  
• Choose the Advanced tab and click on the Reset
• Select “Delete personal settings” checkbox and click on the Reset button.
  
• Click on the Close button on the confirmation box, then close your browser.
  

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

Manual removal