Computer security researchers has determined that Spider Sally is categorized as browser hijacker. The so-called browser hijacker is created to manipulate your web browser’s settings such as start page, new tab page and search provider by default, to change your startpage or search provider, so that the affected browser visits an intrusive web-site instead of your selected one. In the step-by-step guide below, we will explain all the general features of the Spider Sally browser hijacker and it’s typical behavior on the system, as well as effective methods for manually removing Spider Sally from your FF, Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer and MS Edge.
The Spider Sally browser hijacker infection can also modify the default search provider that will virtually block the possibility of finding information on the World Wide Web. The reason for this is that the Spider Sally search results can open tons of advertisements, links to unwanted and ad web-sites. Only the remaining part is the result of your search request, loaded from the major search engines such as Google, Yahoo or Bing.
Often, the machine which has been infected by Spider Sally hijacker, will be also infected by adware (sometimes called ‘ad-supported’ software) that opens a large number of various advertisements. It can be pop-ups, text links in the web sites, banners where they never had. What is more, the ad supported software may replace the legitimate ads with malicious ads which will offer to download and install malware and unwanted programs or visit the various dangerous and misleading web pages.
A malicious software that can make changes to settings of web browsers on Spider Sally commonly affects only Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge and IE. However, possible situations, when any other web-browsers will be affected too. The Spider Sally browser hijacker infection can alter the Target property of browser’s shortcuts, so every time you open the web browser, instead of your start page, you will see a completely different web site.
It’s important, don’t use Spider Sally web site and do not click on advertisements placed on it, as they may lead you to a more malicious or misleading web pages. The best option is to use the instructions posted below to free your PC system of hijacker, delete the Spider Sally , and thereby restore your previous startpage and search provider.
Remove Spider Sally redirect {removal guide)
The following step-by-step tutorial will help you to remove Spider Sally from the Google Chrome, Firefox, MS Edge and Internet Explorer. Moreover, the guide below will help you to get rid of malware like potentially unwanted applications, adware and toolbars that your PC system may be infected. Please do the instructions step by step. If you need help or have any questions, then ask for our assistance or type a comment below. Read it once, after doing so, please print this page as you may need to exit your web-browser or restart your computer.
Manual Spider Sally redirect removal
If you perform exactly the instructions below you should be able to remove the Spider Sally homepage from the Google Chrome, Firefox, IE and Edge internet browsers.
Remove Spider Sally associated software by using MS Windows Control Panel
First method for manual hijacker infection removal is to go into the Microsoft Windows “Control Panel”, then “Uninstall a program” console. Take a look at the list of programs on your machine and see if there are any suspicious and unknown software. If you see any, you need to uninstall them. Of course, before doing so, you can do an Net search to find details on the program. If it is a potentially unwanted program, adware or malicious software, you will likely find information that says so.
Windows 8, 8.1, 10
First, click Windows button
, then click Search 
. Type ‘Control panel’and press Enter as displayed below.
When the ‘Control Panel’ opens, press the ‘Uninstall a program’ link under Programs category as displayed on the image below.
You will see the ‘Uninstall a program’ panel as shown on the image below.
Very carefully look around the entire list of applications installed on your system. Most likely, one or more of them are responsible for the appearance of advertisements and browser redirect to the intrusive Spider Sally page. If you have many programs installed, you can help simplify the search of harmful programs by sort the list by date of installation. Once you have found a suspicious, unwanted or unused program, right click to it, after that press ‘Uninstall’.
Windows XP, Vista, 7
First, click ‘Start’ button and select ‘Control Panel’ at right panel as shown in the following example.
Once the Windows ‘Control Panel’ opens, you need to click ‘Uninstall a program’ under ‘Programs’ as on the image below.
You will see a list of programs installed on your PC system. We recommend to sort the list by date of installation to quickly find the applications that were installed last. Most likely they responsibility for the appearance of popup advertisements and internet browser redirect. If you are in doubt, you can always check the application by doing a search for her name in Google, Yahoo or Bing. When the program which you need to remove is found, simply click on its name, and then press ‘Uninstall’ as displayed in the following example.
Fix web-browser shortcuts, modified by Spider Sally browser hijacker infection
Important to know, most antimalware programs which are able to get rid of browser hijacker infection, but unable to find and recover altered shortcuts. So, you need to fix the desktop shortcuts for your Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, IE and Microsoft Edge web browsers manually.
Open the properties of the internet browser shortcut. Right click on the shortcut of infected web browser and select the “Properties” option and it will show the properties of the shortcut. Next, select the “Shortcut” tab and have a look at the Target field as displayed in the following example.
Normally, if the last word in the Target field is chrome.exe, iexplore.exe, firefox.exe. Be sure to pay attention to the extension, should be “exe”! All shortcuts that have been altered by browser hijacker like Spider Sally usually point to .bat, .cmd or .url files instead of .exe as shown in the figure below
Another variant, an address has been added at the end of the line. In this case the Target field looks such as …Application\chrome.exe” http://site.address as displayed on the screen below.
In order to fix a shortcut, you need to insert right path to the Target field or remove an address (if it has been added at the end). You can use the following information to fix your shortcuts which have been altered by browser hijacker infection.
| Google Chrome | C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe |
| C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe | |
| Firefox | C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe |
| Internet Explorer | C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe |
| C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe | |
| Opera | C:\Program Files (x86)\Opera\launcher.exe |
| C:\Program Files\Opera\launcher.exe |
Once is finished, press OK to save changes. Repeat the step for all web-browsers that are rerouted to the Spider Sally intrusive site.
Remove Spider Sally homepage from Internet Explorer
If you find that Internet Explorer internet browser settings such as home page, new tab and search provider by default having been hijacked, then you may restore your settings, via the reset web browser process.
First, run the Internet Explorer, click 
) button. Next, click “Internet Options” as shown in the figure below.
In the “Internet Options” screen select the Advanced tab. Next, click Reset button. The Internet Explorer will display the Reset Internet Explorer settings prompt. Select the “Delete personal settings” check box and click Reset button.
You will now need to reboot your system for the changes to take effect. It will delete hijacker infection which changes web browser settings to replace your newtab page, startpage and search provider by default with Spider Sally web page, disable malicious and ad-supported browser’s extensions and restore the Microsoft Internet Explorer’s settings like home page, new tab and search engine by default to default state.
Remove Spider Sally from Firefox by resetting internet browser settings
If the Mozilla Firefox internet browser program is hijacked, then resetting its settings can help. The Reset feature is available on all modern version of Firefox. A reset can fix many issues by restoring FF settings like homepage, newtab and default search provider to its default state. It’ll save your personal information such as saved passwords, bookmarks, and open tabs.
Press the Menu button (looks like three horizontal lines), and press the blue Help icon located at the bottom of the drop down menu like below.
A small menu will appear, press the “Troubleshooting Information”. On this page, click “Refresh Firefox” button as shown in the following example.
Follow the onscreen procedure to revert back your Mozilla Firefox web browser settings to its original state.
Delete Spider Sally start page from Google Chrome
Use the Reset browser tool of the Google Chrome to reset all its settings like start page, new tab and default search engine to original defaults. This is a very useful utility to use, in the case of browser hijacks like Spider Sally.
- First launch the Chrome and press Menu button (small button in the form of three horizontal stripes).
- It will open the Chrome main menu. Select “Settings” option.
- You will see the Google Chrome’s settings page. Scroll down and press “Show advanced settings” link.
- Scroll down again and click the “Reset settings” button.
- The Google Chrome will open the reset profile settings page as shown on the screen above.
- Next click the “Reset” button.
- Once this process is done, your web browser’s new tab page, home page and search provider by default will be restored to their original defaults.
- To learn more, read the post How to reset Google Chrome settings to default.
Scan your computer and get rid of Spider Sally with free utilities
Many antivirus companies have made applications that help detect and delete hijacker infection, and thereby restore all your typical web-browsers settings. Below is a a few of the free programs you may want to use. Your personal computer can have lots of potentially unwanted programs, adware and hijacker infections installed at the same time, so we suggest, if any unwanted or malicious program returns after rebooting the computer, then start your machine into Safe Mode and use the anti-malware tool once again.
Scan and free your PC system of Spider Sally with Zemana Free
Zemana Anti-Malware (ZAM) is a utility which can remove ad supported software, potentially unwanted applications, hijackers and other malware from your PC easily and for free. Zemana AntiMalware (ZAM) is compatible with most antivirus software. It works under Windows (10 – XP, 32 and 64 bit) and uses minimum of system resources.
Download Zemana Free by clicking on the link below. Save it to your Desktop so that you can access the file easily.
159544 downloads
Author: Zemana Ltd
Category: Security tools
Update: July 16, 2019
After the download is done, close all programs and windows on your computer. Double-click the install file named Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup. If the “User Account Control” dialog box pops up as shown on the screen below, click the “Yes” button.
It will open the “Setup wizard” that will help you install Zemana AntiMalware (ZAM) on your PC. Follow the prompts and do not make any changes to default settings.
Once setup is done successfully, Zemana AntiMalware will automatically start and you can see its main screen as displayed in the following example.
Now click the “Scan” button . Zemana Free utility will start scanning the whole computer to find out browser hijacker which reroutes your web-browser to annoying Spider Sally web-site. This task may take quite a while, so please be patient. While the Zemana Anti-Malware (ZAM) program is scanning, you may see number of objects it has identified as threat.
When the system scan is done, Zemana will open a list of all threats detected by the scan. Make sure all threats have ‘checkmark’ and click “Next” button. The Zemana will remove browser hijacker that cause a reroute to Spider Sally web page and move threats to the program’s quarantine. After that process is complete, you may be prompted to restart the system.
Run Malwarebytes to get rid of Spider Sally redirect
We suggest using the Malwarebytes Free. You may download and install Malwarebytes to find and delete Spider Sally redirect from your machine. When installed and updated, the free malware remover will automatically scan and detect all threats present on the PC.
Download MalwareBytes by clicking on the following link. Save it to your Desktop so that you can access the file easily.
317658 downloads
Author: Malwarebytes
Category: Security tools
Update: April 15, 2020
After the downloading process is done, close all software and windows on your computer. Open a directory in which you saved it. Double-click on the icon that’s called mb3-setup as displayed in the figure below.
When the installation starts, you’ll see the “Setup wizard” which will help you install Malwarebytes on your PC system.
Once installation is finished, you’ll see window as displayed on the screen below.
Now click the “Scan Now” button . MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) utility will begin scanning the whole PC system to find out browser hijacker which developed to redirect your internet browser to the Spider Sally page. Depending on your machine, the scan can take anywhere from a few minutes to close to an hour. While the MalwareBytes AntiMalware (MBAM) tool is scanning, you can see how many objects it has identified as being infected by malware.
After MalwareBytes completes the scan, MalwareBytes AntiMalware will open you the results. You may move threats to Quarantine (all selected by default) by simply press “Quarantine Selected” button.
The Malwarebytes will now begin to get rid of Spider Sally hijacker and other web browser’s malicious extensions. After the clean-up is done, you may be prompted to reboot your PC.
The following video explains step-by-step tutorial on how to remove browser hijacker, ‘ad supported’ software and other malware with MalwareBytes Anti Malware.
Scan and free your computer of browser hijacker with AdwCleaner
The AdwCleaner tool is free and easy to use. It can scan and remove browser hijacker which modifies web browser settings to replace your home page, new tab page and default search provider with Spider Sally web-site, malicious software, potentially unwanted software and ‘ad supported’ software from system (MS Windows 10, 8, 7, XP) and thereby revert back browsers default settings (home page, newtab and default search engine). AdwCleaner is powerful enough to find and remove malicious registry entries and files that are hidden on the PC system.
- Download AdwCleaner from the following link. Save it to your Desktop so that you can access the file easily.
AdwCleaner download
220757 downloads
Version: 8.3.2
Author: Xplode, MalwareBytes
Category: Security tools
Update: April 28, 2022
- After the download is done, double click the AdwCleaner icon. Once this utility is opened, click “Scan” button . AdwCleaner tool will begin scanning the whole PC to find out browser hijacker which cause Spider Sally site to appear. Depending on your system, the scan can take anywhere from a few minutes to close to an hour. While the tool is scanning, you may see number of objects and files has already scanned.
- After the scan is finished, AdwCleaner will display you the results. You may move threats to Quarantine (all selected by default) by simply click “Clean” button. It will display a prompt, press “OK”.
These few simple steps are shown in detail in the following video guide.
Use AdBlocker to block Spider Sally and stay safe online
By installing an ad blocker program such as AdGuard, you are able to stop Spider Sally, autoplaying video ads and get rid of lots of distracting and intrusive ads on web sites.
- Download AdGuard application by clicking on the following link. Save it on your Microsoft Windows desktop.
Adguard download
25670 downloads
Version: 6.4
Author: © Adguard
Category: Security tools
Update: November 15, 2018
- After the downloading process is done, start the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” program window. Follow the prompts.
- After the setup is complete, click “Skip” to close the setup program and use the default settings, or click “Get Started” to see an quick tutorial that will allow you get to know AdGuard better.
- In most cases, the default settings are enough and you don’t need to change anything. Each time, when you start your computer, AdGuard will start automatically and stop popups, web pages such Spider Sally, as well as other malicious or misleading web-pages. For an overview of all the features of the program, or to change its settings you can simply double-click on the icon named AdGuard, which can be found on your desktop.
How does your computer get infected with Spider Sally browser hijacker
The Spider Sally hijacker infection is bundled within various free software. This means that you need to be very careful when installing applications downloaded from the Internet, even from a large proven hosting. Be sure to read the Terms of Use and the Software license, select only the Manual, Advanced or Custom install method, switch off all additional modules and applications are offered to install.
To sum up
Now your machine should be free of the browser hijacker which changes web browser settings to replace your newtab page, startpage and search provider by default with Spider Sally web-page. Uninstall AdwCleaner. We suggest that you keep AdGuard (to help you block unwanted pop up advertisements and unwanted malicious sites) and Zemana Anti Malware (ZAM) (to periodically scan your system for new hijackers and other malicious software). Probably you are running an older version of Java or Adobe Flash Player. This can be a security risk, so download and install the latest version right now.
If you are still having problems while trying to get rid of Spider Sally search from the FF, Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Edge, then ask for help in our Spyware/Malware removal forum.
