InstantQuest extension (Virus Removal Guide) Search Engine Fix

What is InstantQuest?

InstantQuest is a type of harmful software known as a browser hijacker. It was discovered by our team during an investigation of suspicious websites. This hijacker gets into computers through fake installers that appear legitimate. Once installed, it changes your browser settings and forces you to use finditfasts.com, a fake search engine, and redirects you to other unreliable sites like doktox.com.

Details about InstantQuest

InstantQuest appears to be a harmless browser extension but quickly takes over your browser settings, changing your homepage, search engine, and new tab page to finditfasts.com. Unlike some hijackers that might redirect to legitimate search engines like Google or Yahoo to blend in and seem less suspicious, InstantQuest pushes users towards unreliable sites like finditfasts.com and doktox.com. The goal of redirecting even to legitimate sites is often to generate advertising revenue from search ads or to boost traffic to specific sites under deceptive pretenses.

InstantQuest is also hard to remove because it uses Google Chrome’s “Managed by your organization” feature, making it difficult to delete or change back your settings.

Furthermore, InstantQuest collects a lot of data from your browsing activity. It tracks:

The websites you visit

• Your search queries in the browser.
• Browser cookies, which may contain login information.
• Personal information you enter during browsing.
• This collected data might be sold to third parties, used to target ads based on your browsing habits, or for more harmful purposes like stealing your identity.

Our checks found that doktox.com often sends users to risky and harmful websites. These sites might try to steal your personal information or trick you into downloading harmful software. Below are some examples of such sites:

Signs of InstantQuest:

• Changes to browser settings: InstantQuest changes your browser’s homepage, default search engine, and new tab settings without your consent.
• Unwanted redirects: Forces you to visit finditfasts.com and other dubious sites constantly.
• Hard to remove: Employs Chrome’s management features to stay installed against your wishes.
• Tracks your data: Gathers extensive information about your online activities, posing significant privacy risks.

Recognizing InstantQuest is crucial for keeping your computer safe. It’s built to take over your browsing, direct you to unwanted sites, and collect your data. If infected, your privacy is at risk, and your computer is more vulnerable to further attacks.

How InstantQuest Enters Your Computer 🚪

Browser hijackers can infiltrate your system through various means:

• Deceptive Installers: browser hijackers often come bundled with other software, tricking you into installing it alongside seemingly legitimate programs.
• Misleading Updates: Fake update notifications might actually install a browser hijacker when clicked.
• Phishing Emails: Emails with malicious links or attachments can install a browser hijacker if interacted with.
• Compromised Websites: Simply visiting a malicious website might initiate an automatic download of a browser hijacker.

What You Should Do:

To stay safe, remove InstantQuest if you find it on your browser. Make sure to keep your browser and security software up to date to prevent similar risks.

Be careful about what you install and always review the permissions an extension asks for. Avoiding InstantQuest and similar extensions can protect you from security problems and privacy issues.

Examples of Browser hijackers

Browser hijackers are a persistent and growing threat to computer security. They are often distributed through free software downloads, and once installed, they can cause a range of problems such as changing browser settings, redirecting search queries, displaying unwanted ads, and collecting personal data. The InstantQuest browser hijacker is just one example of such hijackers, and unfortunately, there are many more out there. JsTimer, QuickSearch, MaxSearch, Nature Theme Tab are examples of other browser hijackers similar to InstantQuest browser hijacker that you should be aware of. By learning to recognize these threats, you can take steps to protect your computer and your privacy.

Threat Summary

Name	InstantQuest, “InstantQuest browser extension”, “InstantQuest browser hijacker”
Type	browser hijacker, adware
Affected Browser Settings	home page, search provider, newtab URL
Affected Browsers	Google Chrome (primary target), may affect others (Edge, Opera, etc)
Distribution	Bundled downloads, fake extensions, malicious ads, fake software updaters
Symptoms	Unwanted changes to browser settings, redirects, ads
Risks	Privacy invasion, system security compromise, fraud
Removal	Use the InstantQuest removal guide

How to remove InstantQuest from Windows 11 (10, 8, 7, XP)

When the InstantQuest browser hijacker gets onto your Windows computer, it’s important to act quickly. This isn’t just about annoying changes to your web browsing; it’s a real risk to your online security. In the following steps, we’ll show you a straightforward way to get rid of InstantQuest from your Windows system. Let’s get started and get your computer back to normal.

To remove InstantQuest, perform the steps below:

1. Uninstall any suspicious programs
2. Fix Windows Policies
3. Remove the InstantQuest from Chrome
4. Scan your computer for malware

Read this section to know how to manually remove the InstantQuest browser hijacker. Even if the step-by-step guide does not work for you, there are several free removers below which can easily handle such malware.

Uninstall any suspicious programs

The first step is to check your computer for any suspicious programs or extensions and remove them. To do this, go to the Control Panel (on Windows) or Applications (on Mac) and uninstall any programs that you don’t recognize or that you think may be associated with the InstantQuest hijacker.

Windows 7	Windows 8
Click ‘Start’. In the Start menu select ‘Control Panel’. Find and select ‘Programs and Features’ or ‘Uninstall a program’. Select the program. Click ‘Uninstall’.	Press and hold Windows key and hit X key. Select ‘Programs and Features’ from the menu. Select the program. Click ‘Uninstall’.
Windows 10	Mac OS
Press and hold Windows key and hit X key. Select ‘Programs and Features’ from the menu. Select the program. Click ‘Uninstall’.	On the top menu select ‘Go’, then ‘Applications’. Drag an unwanted application to the Trash bin. Right-click on the ‘Trash’ and select ‘Empty Trash’.

Fix Windows Policies

Sometimes, removing a browser hijacker can be tricky due to malware-imposed restrictions. You can get past this by modifying the Windows Registry and adjusting group policies. Here’s how:

1. Open Windows Registry Editor:
   • Press the Windows key (🪟) and “R” simultaneously. This will bring up the Run dialog box.
   • Type “regedit” and hit Enter. The Windows Registry editor will now be visible.

   

2. Navigate and Remove Malicious Registry Entries:
   • Head over to “Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\”. Use this path as your guide.
   • Identify and delete the folders named Chromium and Chrome which are associated with the “Managed by your organization” malware.
   • Once done, exit the Windows Registry editor.

   

3. Address Group Policy Folders:
   • Hold the Windows key (🪟) and “X” together to open a quick-access menu.
   • From the menu, choose Command prompt (Administrator). You’ll be presented with a command prompt window.

   

4. Execute the Following Commands:
   • Input rd /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicyUsers" and hit Enter.
   • Next, type rd /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicy" and press Enter.
   • Lastly, enter gpupdate /force and press Enter. If executed correctly, you’ll be greeted with messages indicating both the Computer Policy and User Policy have been updated successfully.

   

5. Restart Your Computer:
   • After executing the above steps, it’s crucial to restart your computer to ensure the changes take effect.

Remember, modifying the registry and group policies are advanced actions. Always proceed with caution and ensure you’re following the steps correctly.

This is a video guide that demonstrates How to remove ‘Managed by your organization’ Chome virus):

Remove InstantQuest from Chrome

Having successfully fixed any restrictions that might have prevented the removal of unwanted extensions, it’s now time to tackle and eliminate InstantQuest from your Chrome browser.

1. Access Chrome Extensions: Open your Google Chrome browser. Locate the three horizontal dots at the top-right corner (the Chrome menu button) and click it to reveal a drop-down. From this list, opt for ‘More Tools’ and subsequently select ‘Extensions’. Alternatively, quickly navigate by typing chrome://extensions into Chrome’s address bar.
2. Inspect and Remove: Examine the list of installed extensions. Identify any unfamiliar or suspicious ones, or those you simply don’t need anymore. Click the “Remove” button beneath these extensions. A confirmation pop-up will appear; press “Remove” again.
3. Reset Your Browser: To ensure no traces remain, consider resetting your browser settings. This action disables all extensions, clears cookies, and undoes unwanted changes but preserves your bookmarks and saved passwords. To do this:
   • Revisit the Chrome main menu.
   • Choose “Settings”.
   • Find and select “Reset settings”.
   • Click on “Restore settings to their original defaults”.
   • Confirm by selecting the “Reset settings” button.

   

Note: If an unwanted extension remains despite these steps, consider using a trustworthy antivirus tool to scan your computer for any related malware or threats.

Scan your computer for malware

After you’ve tried to remove InstantQuest and reset your browser, there might still be hidden problems. Some bad files can stay hidden or look like normal ones. It’s always a good idea to do a full computer scan to catch these. This way, you can be sure everything harmful is gone. Let’s make sure your computer is clean and safe!

To fully ensure your computer’s safety, consider using MalwareBytes to automatically remove the InstantQuest redirect virus. MalwareBytes is a trusted anti-malware tool with a strong track record. It’s been widely recognized for its efficiency in detecting and eliminating a broad range of threats, from sneaky browser extensions to more aggressive forms of malware. By employing advanced scanning techniques, MalwareBytes digs deep into your system, ensuring no malicious elements go unnoticed. Simply download, install, and run a full scan with MalwareBytes to clear out any lingering threats related to the InstantQuest or other potential risks.

1. Download Malwarebytes by clicking on the link below. Save it on your Windows desktop.
   
   

   Malwarebytes Anti-malware
   326462 downloads
   Author: Malwarebytes
   Category: Security tools
   Update: April 15, 2020
   
2. Once the download is done, close all applications and windows on your personal computer. Open a folder in which you saved it. Double-click on the icon that’s named MBsetup.
3. Choose “Personal computer” option and press Install button. Follow the prompts.
4. Once installation is finished, scan your computer. Run a full scan of your computer to detect and remove adware, malicious extensions, browser hijackers and other forms of malware. The scan may take several minutes to complete, depending on the size of your hard drive and the speed of your computer.
5. Remove detected threats. If the scan finds any threats, click Quarantine to remove them. The software will automatically remove found malware. After the removal process is complete, restart your computer to ensure that any changes made by the malware are fully removed.

What to Do After Removing the browser hijacker

After successfully removing unwanted software, especially one as deceptive as a malicious browser extension, it’s crucial to take a few additional steps to ensure the safety and security of your device and data. Here are some recommended actions to take:

1. It’s important to change your browser settings back to your preferred search engine and homepage. Make sure that the InstantQuest browser hijacker is completely removed from your browser’s settings and that it cannot reappear.
2. If you entered any sensitive information such as login credentials or passwords while the browser hijacker was active, change them immediately. This will prevent any potential identity theft or unauthorized access to your accounts.
3. To remove any traces of the browser extension, clear your browser history and cache. This will help ensure that any data or information collected by the browser hijacker is removed from your system.
4. Use a reputable anti-malware program like Malwarebytes to scan your computer for any remaining malware or potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). This can help ensure that there are no hidden threats or malicious files on your computer.
5. Make sure that your browser and operating system are up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates. This can help prevent future security issues and keep your system protected.
6. To avoid getting infected with similar browser hijackers in the future, be cautious of downloads and only download from reputable sources. Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments from unknown sources.

In Conclusion: Your Online Safety Matters! 🛡️

InstantQuest is a browser extension that modifies your browser settings. It redirects your searches to a fake search engine, disrupting your browsing experience and compromising your privacy. Recognizing the signs of InstantQuest and following specific removal instructions can help you regain control and protect your online activities.

To keep yourself safe, be cautious when downloading and installing software, and think twice before adding any extensions to your browser. Regularly update your computer and use trusted antivirus software. If InstantQuest or any suspicious software gets through, don’t hesitate to ask for help from tech experts to keep your online experience safe and smooth. Remember, taking proactive steps is crucial for