GoToMovieSearch – What is it?

“GoToMovieSearch” search hijacker is a potentially unwanted application (PUA)¹, that is distributed as a plugin for your internet browser. It is typically promoted as an add-on for Chrome or Firefox, that helps to browse some specific information, for example, about sport events, make your web browser a lot more secure, allow downloading of any web video, and so on. Also, this app adds the “Managed by your organization” feature (on Chrome browsers).

Nevertheless, the “GoToMovieSearch” plugin is rather useless since all such features are currently embedded to your web browser and/or Windows. Such marketing slogans are targeted at low-skilled computer users, such as pensioners or schoolchildren. But frequently even qualified users are getting caught on such a lure. In certain cases, this hijacker is dispersed together with free software.

GoToMovieSearch Search Hijacker

How harmful is GoToMovieSearch hijacker?

Besides its impracticality, GoToMovieSearch hijacker is also considerably harmful for browser utilization. It changes your search engine to its specific – Gotomoviesearch.com, and additionally alters your background, putting its watermark on your wallpaper (or, sometimes, altering it to default with the mentioned sign).

Apart from seeable changes done by GoToMovieSearch hijacker, you can observe that some of your search inquiries are redirecting to the suspicious sites, full of web links and advertisements – so-called doorway websites. Such sites can consist of web links for malware downloads. The possibility of redirecting increases if you try to start Google search page by force.

However all these actions are more annoying than truly harmful. The biggest hazard, particularly for people who have a lot of confidential information in their web browsers, is embedded in data collecting functions. Cookie files, conversations, often-visited web pages, and various other activities are simply collected by GoToMovieSearch hijacker.

How to remove GoToMovieSearch search hijacker?

• Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware.
• Open GridinSoft Anti-Malware and perform a “Standard scan“.
• “Move to quarantine” all items.
• Open “Tools” tab – Press “Reset Browser Settings“.
• Select proper browser and options – Click “Reset”.
• Restart your computer.

Browser hijackers are usually quite very easy to deal with. Most of the times, they have an independent app that can be spotted in the list of installed software. Due to the specific marketing method of GoToMovieSearch hijacker, it can be simply tracked and removed manually. Nevertheless, if you got GoToMovieSearch in the bundle with a free applications, your personal computer can be infected with much more serious malware – trojans, spyware or even ransomware. That’s why I’d advise you use anti-malware programs to deal with the GoToMovieSearch PUA and all various other malware.

You can utilize Microsoft Defender² – it is capable of finding and eliminating various malware, including named hijacker. However, major malware, that may be present on your personal computer in the discussed instance, can disable the Windows antimalware tool by editing the Group Policies. To stay clear of such situations, it is better to use GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

To detect and delete all malicious programs on your personal computer with GridinSoft Anti-Malware, it’s better to use Standard or Full scan. Quick Scan is not able to find all the malicious programs, because it scans only the most popular registry entries and folders.

You can observe the detected malware sorted by their possible harm till the scan process. But to perform any actions against malicious apps, you need to hold on until the scan is over, or to stop the scan.

To set the action for every spotted malicious or unwanted program, click the arrow in front of the name of the detected malware. By default, all malware will be removed to quarantine.

Reset browser settings to original ones

To revert your browser settings, you need to use the Reset Browser Settings option. This action cannot be counteracted by any virus, hence, you will surely see the result. This action can be found in the Tools tab.

After pressing the Reset Browser Settings option, the menu will be displayed, where you can choose, which settings will be reverted to the original.

Deleteing GoToMovieSearch hijacker manually

Besides using anti-malware software for browser restoration, you may choose the “Reset browser settings” function, which is usually embedded in all popular browsers.

1. Open “Settings and more” tab in upper right corner, then find here “Settings” button. In the appeared menu, choose “Reset settings” option :
2. After picking the Reset Settings option, you will see the following menu, stating about the settings which will be reverted to original :

1. Open Menu tab (three strips in upper right corner) and click the “Help” button. In the appeared menu choose “troubleshooting information” :
2. In the next screen, find the “Refresh Firefox” option :

After choosing this option, you will see the next message :

1. Open Settings tab, find the “Advanced” button. In the extended tab choose the “Reset and clean up” button :
2. In the appeared list, click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” :
3. Finally, you will see the window, where you can see all the settings which will be reset to default :
   

1. Open Settings menu by pressing the gear icon in the toolbar (left side of the browser window), then click “Advanced” option, and choose “Browser” button in the drop-down list. Scroll down, to the bottom of the settings menu. Find there “Restore settings to their original defaults” option :
2. After clicking the “Restore settings…” button, you will see the window, where all settings, which will be reset, are shown :

As an afterword, I want to say that time plays against you and your PC. The activity of browser hijacker must be stopped as soon as possible, because of the possibility of other malware injection. This malware can be downloaded autonomously, or offered for you to download in one of the windows with advertisements, which are shown to you by the hijacker. You need to act as fast as you can.

References

1. More information about PUAs
2. Detailed review of Microsoft Defender