Mountain Browse – What is it?

“Mountain Browse” search hijacker is a potentially unwanted application (PUA)¹, that is spread as a plugin for your web browser. It is usually marketed as an add-on for Chrome or Firefox, that helps to search some particular information, for instance, about sporting activity events, make your web browser a lot more secure, allow downloading of any kind of video, and so on. Also, this app adds the “Managed by your organization” feature (on Chrome browsers).

Nonetheless, the “Mountain Browse” plugin is rather ineffective because all such functions are currently built-in to your web browser and/or system. Such advertising slogans are targeted at low-skilled computer users, for example, pensioners or schoolchildren. But in some cases even qualified users are getting caught on such an appeal. In particular instances, this hijacker is distributed together with free programs.

Mountain Browse Search Hijacker

How harmful is Mountain Browse hijacker?

Besides its impracticality, Mountain Browse hijacker is also fairly harmful for web browser use. It changes your search engine to its particular – Mountainbrowse.com, and likewise alters your background, putting its watermark on your wallpaper (or, sometimes, changing it to default with the mentioned symbol).

Besides viewable changes done by Mountain Browse hijacker, you can notice that a couple of your search questions are redirecting to the suspicious web pages, filled with links and promotions – so-called doorway websites. Such websites can include web links for malware downloads. The chance of redirecting surges if you try to open Google search page forcibly.

However all these actions are much more bothersome than really destructive. The major hazard, particularly for individuals who have a huge amount of confidential information in their web browsers, is embedded in data collecting functionalities. Cookie files, chats, often-visited sites, and various other activities are simply collected by Mountain Browse hijacker.

How to remove Mountain Browse 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 almost always quite easy to delete. In most cases, they have an independent application that can be spotted in the list of installed apps. Due to the specific marketing method of Mountain Browse hijacker, it can be easily tracked and removed by hand. However, if you got Mountain Browse in the bundle with a free program, your PC can be contaminated with much more harmful malware – trojans, spyware or perhaps ransomware. That’s why I’d advise you use anti-malware programs to delete the Mountain Browse PUA and all various other malware.

You can use Microsoft Defender² – it is capable of finding and removing a wide range of malware, including named hijacker. However, major malware, that can be present on your computer in the discussed instance, can disable the Windows antivirus tool by editing the Group Policies. To keep away from such situations, it is far better to make use of GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

To detect and remove all malicious applications on your desktop with GridinSoft Anti-Malware, it’s better to utilize Standard or Full scan. Quick Scan is not able to find all the malicious apps, because it checks only the most popular registry entries and folders.

You can spectate the detected malicious programs sorted by their possible hazard simultaneously with the scan process. But to choose any actions against malware, you need to wait until the scan is over, or to stop the scan.

To choose the action for each spotted malicious or unwanted program, click the arrow in front of the name of the detected virus. By default, all the viruses will be moved to quarantine.

Reset browser settings to original ones

To revert your browser settings, you are required to use the Reset Browser Settings option. This action is not able to be intercepted by any malicious program, hence, you will surely see the result. This action can be located in the Tools tab.

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

Deleteing Mountain Browse 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