Yahoo search has kidnapped my searches

[petergo]

hi

running win 10, and FF ver 52.3.0 ESR

all along Google has been my default search engine, and suddenly Yahoo is now.
I have gone to Tools/Options, and changed it so that Google is the default
I even deleted Yahoo search from the other alternatives.

May I kindly ask how to get google back as the default search please?

kindest thanks, cheers
peter g

[Happy112]

Hi petergo,

Yahoo Search may be a legitimate search engine, but it sounds like you're dealing with search.yahoo.com redirect virus.

Go to the 3-bar menu (or 'Tools') => Addons => Extensions
and look for any unfamiliar or suspicious looking extensions,
like e.g. :

SafeSearch Incognito
SearchAssist Incognito
Search for Fire Fox 1.6
SafeSearch ch
SafeSearch net
Converter.onesearch org
File Convertor and Search Addon
Findwide Search Engine 1.7

When you find any : remove them.

Do the same in Windows Control Panel.

However : most malware will be 'hiding' somewhere , so
let's run malware scans :

Further information can be found in this article :
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/tr ... e?cache=no

Run most or all of the listed malware scanners.
They all work differently - what one program doesn't pick up, the other might.

Also see :
https://malwaretips.com/blogs/remove-search-yahoo-com/

[petergo]

g'day Happy

thanks for the suggestion and advice
That will be my pet project this coming weekend
Better than having an actual life <smiles>

I'll be sure to post what happens
thanks again, cheers
peter

[Happy112]

Take all the time you need, Peter - and let actual life prevail .....

Have a nice weekend !

[petergo]

I'm happy , Happy

thank you for your great advice.
I ran Malwarebytes and Avast free, and nothing detected.
I checked programs in the control panel and nothing untoward there
Nothing suspicious in the Add-ons either

Ran Zemana, and lo and behold, it found 5 thingys, and suggested I repair them all, so I clicked next, and voila ( Aussie for there ya go ) problem solved.
Opened FF, changed the search default back to Google, and Bob's your uncle

thanks so much
peter

[petergo]

aaarrrggghhhhhh!!

I was too hasty, sorry

opened FF browser, and it yahoo search again
If I go to tools/options, and manually change it to google, it'll work with google search until next time I open the FF browser

I ran Zemana again, and it detected it again, so the repair function did not resolve the problem.
I have repeated this process all over again ( I have no life )
It detected the yahoo seach malware again

what do you think I should do Happy?

cheers
peter

[Happy112]

Awww, bummer !

You mention Zemana, Malwarebytes and Avast, but did you run the others as well ?

And : in Add-ons => Extensions - nothing unfamiliar there, or in Windows Control Panel ?

If nothing works, then (as a last resort) you could scroll down to tip 5 in the malwaretips :

https://malwaretips.com/blogs/remove-search-yahoo-com/

You say " I have no life " - I sure hope you will get it back ASAP !!!

Good luck, Peter !

[petergo]

Happy is a beautiful name if you are a lady, and a cool name if you are a fella, but what is the 112 if you don't mind <smiles>

I found a program that somehow sneaked in past me called Lavasoft web companion, which I did not notice when I scrolled through the Programmes listed in Control Panel/programmes & features.
So I used my good friend Revo to uninstall it.
I ran Zemana again, and nothing detected.
I am now running eSet
ah ha! Eset found lava web companion also, and quarantined the sod, then deleted it.

I retsrated the computer, opened dear ol FF, and Happy, Google is my default search again

hoping this is not another false positive, therefore, so so many many thanks for riding along with me on resolving this issue
Merry Xmas and Happy New Year
peter
ps.. hope to live to it <smiles>
I have opened FF again, and so far, she's good to go, no yahho search.......................... yet
just waiting for eSet to finish takes an hour or two

[Happy112]

Well done !

Bye-bye, Yahoo ! And good riddens !

I am sooo glad that everything is finally back to normal and you got your life back !

As for my username (Happy112) : the '112' stands for my initials ( 1 and 12) and I am definately not a fella ......

Wishing you a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year too !!!