Q. Vista-Search.com takes control of the Mozilla Firefox, MS Edge, Internet Explorer and Chrome now and I can’t use my internet browsers smoothly, please help! Where does Vista-Search.com come from? Is there any useful method to deal with Vista-Search.com?
A. IT security experts named the Vista-Search.com a browser hijacker infection. It can make changes to the web-browser’s startpage, new tab and search engine. If you want to get more information about the browser hijacker and know how to completely remove Vista-Search.com from your computer, please read through this article.
When you are performing searches using the browser that has been affected with Vista-Search.com, the search results will be returned from Bing, Yahoo or Google Custom Search. The devs behind Vista-Search.com browser hijacker are most likely doing this to make advertisement money from the ads shown in the search results.
And finally, the Vista-Search.com browser hijacker be able to gather a wide variety of sensitive information about you like what web-pages you are opening, what you’re looking for the Internet and so on. This information, in the future, may be transferred to third parties.
Threat Summary
| Name | Vista-Search.com |
| Type | browser hijacker, search engine hijacker, startpage hijacker, toolbar, unwanted new tab, redirect virus |
| Related domains | portal.vista-search.com, feed.vista-search.com, install.vista-search.com |
| Symptoms |
|
| Removal | Vista-Search.com removal guide |
How can a browser hijacker get on your system
The hijacker that changes internet browser settings to replace your newtab page, search engine by default and home page with Vista-Search.com website, can be classified as potentially unwanted application (PUA) that mostly comes on the PC with other free programs. In many cases, this undesired program comes without the user’s knowledge. Therefore, many users aren’t even aware that their PC system has been infected by malware. Please follow the easy rules in order to protect your PC from any unwanted apps: do not install any suspicious apps, read the user agreement and choose only the Custom, Manual or Advanced installation mode, don’t rush to click the Next button. Also, always try to find a review of the program on the World Wide Web. Be careful and attentive!
To find out how to delete Vista-Search.com redirect, we recommend to read the step-by-step tutorial added to this blog post below. The guide was prepared by cyber security experts who discovered a way to get rid of the annoying Vista-Search.com hijacker out of the computer.
How to remove Vista-Search.com redirect from Google Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge
We can help you remove Vista-Search.com, without the need to take your personal computer to a professional. Simply follow the removal guidance below if you currently have the intrusive browser hijacker on your personal computer and want to delete it. If you have any difficulty while trying to remove the hijacker, feel free to ask for our help in the comment section below. Some of the steps will require you to reboot your personal computer or shut down this web-page. So, read this instructions carefully, then bookmark this page or open it on your smartphone for later reference.
To remove Vista-Search.com, execute the following steps:
- Delete Vista-Search.com homepage without any tools
- Automatic Removal of Vista-Search.com
- How to block Vista-Search.com
- Finish words
Delete Vista-Search.com homepage without any tools
Steps to remove Vista-Search.com browser hijacker infection without any applications are presented below. Be sure to carry out the step-by-step guide completely to fully remove this unwanted Vista-Search.com redirect.
Delete Vista-Search.com associated software by using MS Windows Control Panel
Some programs are free only because their installer contains a browser hijacker such as the Vista-Search.com. This unwanted programs generates profit for the makers when it is installed. Many browser hijacker infections can be deleted by simply uninstalling them from the ‘Uninstall a Program’ that is located in Microsoft Windows control panel.
- If you are using Windows 8, 8.1 or 10 then click Windows button, next press Search. Type “Control panel”and press Enter.
- If you are using Windows XP, Vista, 7, then press “Start” button and click “Control Panel”.
- It will show the Windows Control Panel.
- Further, press “Uninstall a program” under Programs category.
- It will open a list of all applications installed on the personal computer.
- Scroll through the all list, and remove questionable and unknown programs. To quickly find the latest installed programs, we recommend sort apps by date.
See more details in the video guidance below.
Remove Vista-Search.com from Firefox
If the Mozilla Firefox web-browser newtab, search engine by default and startpage are changed to Vista-Search.com and you want to restore the settings back to their original state, then you should follow the step-by-step guidance below. When using the reset feature, your personal information like passwords, bookmarks, browsing history and web form auto-fill data will be saved.
Launch the Firefox and click the menu button (it looks like three stacked lines) at the top right of the internet browser screen. Next, press the question-mark icon at the bottom of the drop-down menu. It will show the slide-out menu.
Select the “Troubleshooting information”. If you’re unable to access the Help menu, then type “about:support” in your address bar and press Enter. It bring up the “Troubleshooting Information” page as displayed below.
Click the “Refresh Firefox” button at the top right of the Troubleshooting Information page. Select “Refresh Firefox” in the confirmation dialog box. The Firefox will begin a process to fix your problems that caused by the Vista-Search.com hijacker. Once, it is done, click the “Finish” button.
Delete Vista-Search.com start page from Internet Explorer
In order to restore all internet browser newtab, home page and search engine you need to reset the Microsoft Internet Explorer to the state, which was when the MS Windows was installed on your machine.
First, run the IE. Next, press the button in the form of gear (
). It will display the Tools drop-down menu, click the “Internet Options” as shown on the screen below.
In the “Internet Options” window click on the Advanced tab, then click the Reset button. The Microsoft Internet Explorer will open the “Reset Internet Explorer settings” window like below. Select the “Delete personal settings” check box, then click “Reset” button.
You will now need to restart your PC system for the changes to take effect.
Remove Vista-Search.com from Google Chrome
Reset Google Chrome settings will help you to completely reset your internet browser. The result of activating this function will bring Chrome settings back to its original settings. This can remove Vista-Search.com and disable malicious addons. When using the reset feature, your personal information like passwords, bookmarks, browsing history and web form auto-fill data will be saved.
- First start the Google Chrome and click Menu button (small button in the form of three dots).
- It will show the Chrome main menu. Select More Tools, then press Extensions.
- You will see the list of installed plugins. If the list has the addon labeled with “Installed by enterprise policy” or “Installed by your administrator”, then complete the following steps: Remove Chrome extensions installed by enterprise policy.
- Now open the Google Chrome menu once again, click the “Settings” menu.
- You will see the Google Chrome’s settings page. Scroll down and press “Advanced” link.
- Scroll down again and click the “Reset” button.
- The Chrome will display the reset profile settings page as shown on the screen above.
- Next press the “Reset” button.
- Once this process is finished, your web-browser’s newtab, home page and search engine by default will be restored to their original defaults.
- To learn more, read the article How to reset Google Chrome settings to default.
Automatic Removal of Vista-Search.com
If you’re not expert at computer technology, then all your attempts to remove Vista-Search.com browser hijacker infection by completing the manual steps above might result in failure. To find and remove all of the Vista-Search.com related files and registry entries that keep this browser hijacker on your computer, use free anti-malware software like Zemana Anti-Malware (ZAM), MalwareBytes and Hitman Pro from our list below.
How to remove Vista-Search.com with Zemana AntiMalware
Zemana Free is an ultra light weight tool to delete Vista-Search.com home page from your web browser. It also deletes malicious software and adware from your computer. It improves your system’s performance by uninstalling potentially unwanted applications.
Now you can set up and run Zemana Free to delete Vista-Search.com from your web-browser by following the steps below:
Please go to the following link to download Zemana Anti Malware installer called Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup on your system. Save it to your Desktop so that you can access the file easily.
164113 downloads
Author: Zemana Ltd
Category: Security tools
Update: July 16, 2019
Launch the setup package after it has been downloaded successfully and then follow the prompts to setup this tool on your system.
During installation you can change certain settings, but we advise you do not make any changes to default settings.
When setup is complete, this malicious software removal tool will automatically start and update itself. You will see its main window as on the image below.
Now click the “Scan” button to search for browser hijacker which cause a redirect to Vista-Search.com web-site. Depending on your system, the scan can take anywhere from a few minutes to close to an hour. While the Zemana application is checking, you may see number of objects it has identified as threat.
As the scanning ends, the results are displayed in the scan report. Review the scan results and then click “Next” button.
The Zemana Anti Malware (ZAM) will delete browser hijacker infection that cause a reroute to Vista-Search.com web site and move items to the program’s quarantine. Once that process is finished, you may be prompted to reboot your computer to make the change take effect.
Use Hitman Pro to get rid of Vista-Search.com from the machine
Hitman Pro is a portable tool which scans for and removes undesired applications like browser hijackers, adware, toolbars, other internet browser addons and other malware. It scans your computer for Vista-Search.com hijacker infection and other internet browser’s harmful extensions and prepares a list of items marked for removal. Hitman Pro will only delete those unwanted software that you wish to be removed.
- Please go to the following link to download HitmanPro. Save it on your MS Windows desktop or in any other place.
- After the download is complete, launch the Hitman Pro, double-click the HitmanPro.exe file.
- If the “User Account Control” prompts, click Yes to continue.
- In the Hitman Pro window, click the “Next” for checking your personal computer for the browser hijacker infection responsible for redirecting your browser to Vista-Search.com web page. This procedure can take quite a while, so please be patient. When a malicious software, adware software or PUPs are found, the number of the security threats will change accordingly. Wait until the the checking is finished.
- Once HitmanPro has completed scanning, Hitman Pro will display a scan report. Review the scan results and then click “Next”. Now, press the “Activate free license” button to begin the free 30 days trial to get rid of all malicious software found.
Run MalwareBytes to get rid of Vista-Search.com home page
We recommend using the MalwareBytes Free that are completely clean your computer of the browser hijacker. The free tool is an advanced malware removal application designed by (c) Malwarebytes lab. This application uses the world’s most popular anti-malware technology. It’s able to help you remove hijacker, PUPs, malware, adware, toolbars, ransomware and other security threats from your personal computer for free.
Visit the following page to download the latest version of MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) for MS Windows. Save it to your Desktop so that you can access the file easily.
326464 downloads
Author: Malwarebytes
Category: Security tools
Update: April 15, 2020
When the downloading process is done, run it and follow the prompts. Once installed, the MalwareBytes Free will try to update itself and when this task is done, click the “Scan Now” button to perform a system scan for the Vista-Search.com hijacker and other web browser’s harmful extensions. Once you have selected what you wish to delete from your personal computer press “Quarantine Selected” button.
The MalwareBytes AntiMalware (MBAM) is a free program that you can use to remove all detected folders, files, services, registry entries and so on. To learn more about this malicious software removal tool, we recommend you to read and follow the step-by-step guide or the video guide below.
How to block Vista-Search.com
We advise to install an ad-blocker program which can block Vista-Search.com and other intrusive websites. The ad blocking tool like AdGuard is a application that basically removes advertising from the Web and blocks access to malicious web-pages. Moreover, security experts says that using ad-blocking applications is necessary to stay safe when surfing the Net.
Installing the AdGuard is simple. First you’ll need to download AdGuard on your personal computer by clicking on the following link.
26659 downloads
Version: 6.4
Author: © Adguard
Category: Security tools
Update: November 15, 2018
After downloading it, run the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” screen as on the image below.
Follow the prompts. Once the installation is done, you will see a window as on the image below.
You can press “Skip” to close the setup program and use the default settings, or click “Get Started” button 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 run automatically and stop unwanted ads, block Vista-Search.com, as well as other harmful or misleading web sites. For an overview of all the features of the application, or to change its settings you can simply double-click on the AdGuard icon, that is located on your desktop.
Finish words
After completing the guide outlined above, your personal computer should be clean from this hijacker and other malware. The Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Internet Explorer will no longer display annoying Vista-Search.com webpage on startup. Unfortunately, if the steps does not help you, then you have caught a new hijacker infection, 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 undesired Vista-Search.com start page.
