YouClips Hijacker - How to remove

We recently wrote about ApprovedResults, a search redirect plugin. One of the extensions that it’s installed together with is YouClips — a toolbar that links to a few video streaming sites and shows those links on your new tab page. Despite what its promotional blurbs might imply, YouClips is nothing more than a custom new tab page that has links to Hulu, HBO, CW, and a few other websites that it is not affiliated with — no streaming functions at all!

Thousands of recently aired episodes of your favorite shows — all in one convenient spot!

Instead of getting their promised convenient video streaming, users of YouClips get a new search engine, more unwanted extensions, and ads that are tailored to them after analyzing their browsing habits.

Is YouClips a browser hijacker?

YouClips is indeed a browser hijacker. It is exactly the same as so many other new tab viruses, ones that have been deemed malicious by dozens of antivirus tools: Smart Search, Easy Radio Player, Shipment Tracker, others.

Despite looking just like the other hijackers, YouClips is developed by an unfamiliar to me company called Vested Ventures and uses a new Myfavorites custom search engine. It looks extremely similar to the MyWay engine:

YouClips uses this custom search engine for no good reason. Everything that YouClips promised it already does in the new tab page. There, the links to various streaming websites are included. So why promote this strange Myfavorites website? Its results are enhanced by Google, which means that a lot of them are the same as Google’s. But they are not exactly the same. Specifically, Myfavorites shows mode ads.

Advertising is how most browser hijackers generate revenue. They direct the users of their plugins to specific websites which make them money. This is being done dishonestly, after all, someone who just wanted to more easily watch TV online did not expect to be forced to change their search habits or to have their search history read (which YouClips does).

While YouClips is not unsafe, it is considered to be a PUP (potentially unwanted program), a type of software that’s likely to hurt your cybersecurity. All extensions are a slight risk, YouClips collects your browsing data which might get leaked, the add-on is probably associated with adware viruses (like most browser hijackers are), so it’s likely that someone who installs YouClips also has other malware on their computer. Still, if you like YouClips, don’t be too nervous about using it, it’s not a virus.

How browser hijackers spread

Many browser hijackers are promoted by adware, where sites similar to YouClips.com opened by very aggressive ads. Legitimate ads also promote them but that’s not very common. Luckily, those who installed YouClips on their own will have an easy time removing it.

A lot of complaints about hijackers, unexpected search redirects, strange new tab pages come from people who never intentionally made those changes to their browser. Often someone notices a new extension that they never even installed. This generally happens thanks to bundling.

Bundling is a practice taking the installer of an application, usually a free one, and including additional, optional apps in it. During the installation, the bundler displays screens that mention the additional offers. In the majority of cases, the bundled apps are installed by default, unless you explicitly refuse them. Even if you do, sometimes they’re still installed. Occasionally, the unwanted software shows up after a delay. Other times, it’s so secretive that it hides on your computer quietly spying on you and hoping to not be uninstalled.

Bundlers are why the removal of YouClips might require you to use an antivirus application, despite browser extensions being easy to remove.

How to remove YouClips hijacker

The removal of browser plugins should be simple. YouClips works on the Chrome and Firefox browsers which both provide easy settings to remove or disable plugins. The instructions are added below this article, including screenshots. Don’t forget ApprovedResults and other extensions and remove the ones that you don’t use often.

But it’s not always possible to completely remove an unwanted browser add-on. If yous experience with YouClips is the hijacker being reinstalled and added back to your browser after you already removed it, or if you just keep seeing ads for it — all these symptoms indicate a malicious application on your desktop. YouClips wouldn’t be the first extension to have a malicious application reinstalling it in the background. Scan  your computer with Combo-Cleaner (Mac), or Spyhunter (Windows) to find the malicious program and remove it manually or automatically.

Automatic Malware removal tools

YouClips manual removal

How to remove YouClips Hijacker using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like YouClips 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 YouClips Hijacker . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make YouClips 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.

Removing YouClips Hijacker from Chrome

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Google Chrome window. Select “Settings”.
  
  
• Click “Extensions” on the left menu bar.
• Go through the extensions list and remove programs you do not need, especially similar to {parasite_name}. Click on the trash bin icon next to {parasite_name} or other add-ons you want to remove.
  
  
• Press on the “Remove” button on the Confirmation window.
  
  
• If unsure, you can disable them temporarily.
  
  
• Restart Chrome.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to {parasite_name}, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

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

Removing YouClips Hijacker from Firefox

• 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 {parasite_name} 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.
  
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to {parasite_name}, 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.
  
  
• Choose Troubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
  
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button.
  
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
  
  

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