The GetMaps Search is a browser hijacker that infects your computer and alters browser settings. It can take over your internet browser and force you to use GetMaps Search as your search provider, start page and newtab. When the browser hijacker infection in your PC system, it can collect user info such as search queries as well as browsing history. So, if you’ve found the GetMaps Search set as your search engine or homepage, you should remove it ASAP and select a well-known search provider such as Google or Bing. Try the steps listed below to know how to remove GetMaps Search and other unwanted programs.
In order to force you to use GetMaps Search as often as possible this hijacker can alter your web browsers’ search engine. You may even find that your computer’s web browser settings are hijacked without your knowledge and conscious permission. The makers of this hijacker do so in order to make revenue via Google AdSense or another third-party ad network. Thus every your click on ads which placed on the GetMaps Search generates profit for them.
It is not a good idea to have an unwanted program such as the GetMaps Search on your system. The reason for this is simple, it doing things you do not know about. The hijacker has the ability to gather lots of your confidential information which may be later transferred to third parties. You don’t know if your home address, account names and passwords are safe. And of course you completely don’t know what will happen when you click on any ads on the GetMaps Search page.
To find out how to remove GetMaps Search , we suggest to read the step-by-step tutorial added to this article below. The guidance was prepared by experienced security experts who discovered a solution to remove the annoying GetMaps Search browser hijacker out of the machine.
How to remove GetMaps Search from Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge
Even if you have the up-to-date classic antivirus installed, and you have checked your machine for malicious software and removed anything found, you need to do the instructions below. The GetMaps Search browser hijacker removal is not simple as installing another antivirus. Classic antivirus programs are not designed to run together and will conflict with each other, or possibly crash MS Windows. Instead we recommend complete the manual steps below after that run Zemana Anti Malware (ZAM), MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) or HitmanPro, which are free applications dedicated to scan for and remove malicious software like GetMaps Search hijacker infection. Run these tools to ensure the hijacker is removed.
To remove GetMaps Search, execute the following steps:
- Remove potentially unwanted software through the Microsoft Windows Control Panel
- Delete GetMaps Search from Internet Explorer
- Remove GetMaps Search from Mozilla Firefox
- Remove GetMaps Search from Chrome
- How to remove GetMaps Search with freeware
- How to stay safe online
How to remove GetMaps Search without any software
GetMaps Search is a hijacker infection that can replace your web-browser startpage, search engine and newtab page and reroute you to the pages which may contain tons of ads. Not every antivirus program can detect and delete GetMaps Search easily from the computer. Follow the guide below and you can get rid of hijacker by yourself.
Remove potentially unwanted software through the Microsoft Windows Control Panel
It’s of primary importance to first identify and get rid of all PUPs, adware software and hijackers through ‘Add/Remove Programs’ (Windows XP) or ‘Uninstall a program’ (Microsoft Windows 10, 8, 7) section of your MS Windows Control Panel.
Windows 10, 8.1, 8
Click the Microsoft Windows logo, and then click Search 
. Type ‘Control panel’and press Enter as displayed below.
When the ‘Control Panel’ opens, click the ‘Uninstall a program’ link under Programs category as on the image below.
Windows 7, Vista, XP
Open Start menu and choose the ‘Control Panel’ at right like below.
Then go to ‘Add/Remove Programs’ or ‘Uninstall a program’ (Microsoft Windows 7 or Vista) as displayed in the following example.
Carefully browse through the list of installed software and remove all suspicious and unknown applications. We suggest to click ‘Installed programs’ and even sorts all installed programs by date. When you’ve found anything questionable that may be the hijacker that redirects your web-browser to the GetMaps Search page or other potentially unwanted application (PUA), then choose this program and click ‘Uninstall’ in the upper part of the window. If the questionable program blocked from removal, then run Revo Uninstaller Freeware to completely delete it from your computer.
Delete GetMaps Search from Internet Explorer
The IE reset is great if your web browser is hijacked or you have unwanted extensions or toolbars on your web browser, which installed by a malicious software.
First, open the IE. Next, click the button in the form of gear (
). It will display the Tools drop-down menu, press the “Internet Options” as shown in the figure below.
In the “Internet Options” window click on the Advanced tab, then click the Reset button. The IE will open the “Reset Internet Explorer settings” window like below. Select the “Delete personal settings” check box, then press “Reset” button.
You will now need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Remove GetMaps Search from Mozilla Firefox
This step will help you delete GetMaps Search, third-party toolbars, disable harmful extensions and restore your default home page, newtab page and search engine settings.
Click the Menu button (looks like three horizontal lines), and click the blue Help icon located at the bottom of the drop down menu as shown in the figure below.
A small menu will appear, click the “Troubleshooting Information”. On this page, click “Refresh Firefox” button as displayed in the following example.
Follow the onscreen procedure to return your Mozilla Firefox web browser settings to their default values.
Delete GetMaps Search from Chrome
Reset Chrome settings to delete GetMaps Search. If you are still experiencing issues with GetMaps Search, you need to reset Google Chrome browser to its default values. This step needs to be performed only if hijacker has not been removed by the previous steps.
First launch the Chrome. Next, press the button in the form of three horizontal dots (
).
It will display the Google Chrome menu. Select More Tools, then press Extensions. Carefully browse through the list of installed extensions. If the list has the extension signed with “Installed by enterprise policy” or “Installed by your administrator”, then complete the following guide: Remove Google Chrome extensions installed by enterprise policy.
Open the Google Chrome menu once again. Further, press the option named “Settings”.
The web browser will display the settings screen. Another solution to show the Google Chrome’s settings – type chrome://settings in the web browser adress bar and press Enter
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the “Advanced” link. Now scroll down until the “Reset” section is visible, as displayed in the following example and press the “Reset settings to their original defaults” button.
The Chrome will display the confirmation dialog box as on the image below.
You need to confirm your action, click the “Reset” button. The internet browser will start the task of cleaning. Once it’s finished, the browser’s settings including search provider by default, newtab and homepage back to the values which have been when the Google Chrome was first installed on your machine.
How to remove GetMaps Search with freeware
The hijacker can hide its components which are difficult for you to find out and get rid of fully. This can lead to the fact that after some time, the browser hijacker infection once again infect your computer and change settings of all your typical browsers to GetMaps Search. Moreover, I want to note that it’s not always safe to remove browser hijacker infection manually, if you do not have much experience in setting up and configuring the Windows operating system. The best way to detect and remove hijackers is to run free malware removal software.
Scan and free your computer of GetMaps Search with Zemana Anti Malware
Zemana Anti-Malware is a lightweight utility that designed to use alongside your antivirus software, detecting and removing malware, ad-supported software and potentially unwanted apps that other applications miss. Zemana is easy to use, fast, does not use many resources and have great detection and removal rates.
Download Zemana Free on your PC system from the following link.
164986 downloads
Author: Zemana Ltd
Category: Security tools
Update: July 16, 2019
Once the downloading process is finished, start it and follow the prompts. Once installed, the Zemana Anti Malware will try to update itself and when this procedure is finished, click the “Scan” button . Zemana Anti Malware (ZAM) utility will start scanning the whole system to find out hijacker responsible for GetMaps Search start page.
This process can take quite a while, so please be patient. Once you’ve selected what you want to remove from your system click “Next” button.
The Zemana Anti Malware (ZAM) will delete browser hijacker infection responsible for GetMaps Search .
How to stay safe online
One of the worst things is the fact that you cannot block all those unwanted web pages using only built-in MS Windows capabilities. However, there is a program out that you can use to stop undesired web-browser redirections, ads and pop-ups in any modern web browsers including Chrome, Firefox, IE and Edge. It’s named Adguard and it works very well.
- Please go to the link below to download AdGuard. Save it to your Desktop so that you can access the file easily.
Adguard download
26883 downloads
Version: 6.4
Author: © Adguard
Category: Security tools
Update: November 15, 2018
- After downloading it, start the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” program window. Follow the prompts.
- Once the installation is complete, click “Skip” to close the installation 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 launch your system, AdGuard will launch automatically and stop unwanted advertisements, as well as other harmful or misleading webpages. 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, that can be found on your desktop.
Where the GetMaps Search browser hijacker comes from
The GetMaps Search hijacker infection usually come bundled with various free applications. Most commonly, it may be bundled within the setup files from Softonic, Cnet, Soft32, Brothersoft or other similar webpages. So, you should run any files downloaded from the World Wide Web with great caution, read the User agreement, Software license and Terms of use. In the process of installing a new program, you should select a Manual, Advanced or Custom installation option to control what components and third-party software to be installed, otherwise you run the risk of infecting your PC with an hijacker such as the GetMaps Search.
To sum up
After completing the step-by-step instructions shown above, your machine should be clean from this browser hijacker infection and other malicious software. The Internet Explorer, Edge, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox will no longer show the unwanted GetMaps Search web site. Unfortunately, if the guide does not help you, then you have caught a new browser hijacker, and then the best way – ask for help.
Please create a new question by using the “Ask Question” button in the Questions and Answers. Try to give us some details about your problems, so we can try to help you more accurately. Wait for one of our trained “Security Team” or Site Administrator to provide you with knowledgeable assistance tailored to your problem with the annoying GetMaps Search redirect.
