How to remove Quick Search Tool

Quick Search Tool is a browser hijacker that aims on infecting prominent browser applications like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Edge. There are a couple of ways on how Quick Search Tool can gain entry on the computer without the know-how of users. Probably, the most favored and effective method is by packaging Quick Search Tool with a number of freeware, shareware, and third-party software. After the bundling, attackers will find crucial file-servers where they will upload a copy of the maliciously modified free software, which web users may liberally download before long.

The installation of Quick Search Tool on the browser can be the root for several annoyances especially during web user’s online surfing. It constantly produces excessive pop-up ads and redirects that contain irrelevant and unusual subjects. The motive of Quick Search Tool for such ads and redirects is to further infect the browser program with relevant adware including Watch TV Quick and My Mail Finder.

Aside from the annoying display of ads, Quick Search Tool also performs unauthorized browser modification on homepage and search engine. It appoints Hp.quicksearchtool.com as the new default. Therefore, each time computer user performs and online search, Hp.quicksearchtool.com will be the one in-charge for processing the outcome. It is unfortunate for users that the search results provided are filled with advertisements and paid links, but with very few useful information. Also, web users may never obtain the same accurate search outcome as compare to legitimate search engine like Google, Bing, or Yahoo.

Screenshot of Quick Search Tool

After knowing that Quick Search Tool is not a worthy browser extension as how it is projected on official page, there is no need to let it stay on the internet software. Immediate removal of this potentially unwanted program (PUP) is recommended. Execute the guide on this page and scan the computer with suggested virus and malware removal applications to totally remove Quick Search Tool adware.

Quick Search Tool Removal Procedure

Below is a systematic instruction that is very useful in getting rid of the potentially unwanted program (PUP) from compromised Windows computer. Aside from removing the malicious browser extension, this guide is also helpful in deleting Hp.quicksearchtool.com hijacker and pop-ups.

In order to totally eliminate the threat, it is vital to follow the process in exact manner.

Step 1 : Delete Quick Search Tool Browser Extension

Most adware and unwanted programs use an application called a "browser extension" to be able to take over the settings of internet applications. Therefore, we highly recommend checking and removing the extension that is closely related to Quick Search Tool. If it is not present, look for and delete any suspicious browser extension.

Remove the Quick Search Tool Extension from Google Chrome

1. Open your Google Chrome browser.

2. Type chrome://extensions/ in the address bar and press Enter on the keyboard.

Chrome URL

3. Find Quick Search Tool or any relevant entry and remove it from the Google Chrome browser.

Quick Search Tool Chrome Extension

Uninstall the Quick Search Tool Extension from Mozilla Firefox

1. Open the Mozilla Firefox browser.

2. Type about:addons in the address bar and press Enter on the keyboard.

Firefox URL

3. Choose Extensions from the sidebar menu.

4. Look for an object that pertains to Quick Search Tool and remove it from the browser.

After deleting the malicious browser extension, it is expected that pop-ups and other troubles will be gone from the internet browser.

Remove Quick Search Tool from Microsoft Windows and Edge Browser

1. On your keyboard, press Windows Key + R and then, type the appwiz.cpl command.

2. The Program and Features window will open. Arrange the list in a chronological manner, with recently installed applications on top. To do this, click on the 'Installed On' column.

Add-Remove Malware

3. Select Quick Search Tool or a recently installed unwanted entry. Then, click on Uninstall to remove it from the Windows system.

If Quick Search Tool is still present on the browser and there are still homepage and pop-ups, another option is to remove the adware from the browser settings.

4. Open the Microsoft Edge program.

5. Input edge://extensions/ in the URL bar and press Enter on the keyboard.

6. Look for and Remove or Disable entries for Quick Search Tool from the Installed Extensions area. Additionally, delete the same object from the Search Providers section by executing the Hijacker Removal Procedure for Edge.

7. Close the window and restart Microsoft Edge.

Step 2 : Scan the computer with Sophos Antivirus

To remove Quick Search Tool automatically, checking the computer with this powerful malware scanner recommended. This security application does not just uncover known threats like viruses or malware, it is also effective in discovering browser hijacker that assigns Hp.quicksearchtool.com as the homepage URL.

1. Download Sophos Virus Removal Tool from the link below. Save the file on your computer where you can easily access it.

2. Once the download completes, browse the location of the file. Double-click to run the program and begin the install process.

Screnshot of Sophos Installer

3. On first windows of installation wizard, click Next to continue. Then, it will display the program’s License Agreement. You need to Accept the terms in order to proceed. If Windows prompts for User Account Control, please click Yes to proceed.

Screenshot of Sophos EULA Page

4. On succeeding windows, click Next or Continue to carry on with the installation. After completing the installation process, Launch Sophos Virus Removal Tool.

5. Internet connection is required when running this scanner in order to download important updates. Make sure that everything is up-to-date to effectively remove malicious program like Quick Search Tool.

6. Click the  button to  carry out the Scan. This will check the system for presence of malicious objects, malware, and viruses. The tool reveals items that were found linked to Quick Search Tool and other suspicious entities. Be sure to remove all identified threats.

Screenshot of Sophos Virus Scan

The above procedures should have totally eliminated the Quick Search Tool browser hijacker. However, if you found that there are still remnants of the threat and Hp.quicksearchtool.com still exists on internet application, please proceed to manual removal of associated objects as outlined below.

Step 3 : Scan and Delete Adware with AdwCleaner

In addition to the procedure, we suggest scanning the computer with AdwCleaner tool. Possibly, there are some traces of Quick Search Tool on the browser that was not deleted during the preceding steps. This tool will scan the computer and check for presence of malicious applications as well as invalid browser entries that produces Hp.quicksearchtool.com pop-ups.

1. Follow the link below to download the tool called AdwCleaner.

2. When the download has completed, please close all running programs on the computer especially browsers affected by Quick Search Tool.

3. Browse the location of the downloaded file and double-click on adwcleaner_Ver.exe to start running the tool. Then, click on Scan button.

AdwCleaner

4. AdwCleaner searches the computer for malicious programs, extensions, plug-ins, adware, and any items that may be associated to Quick Search Tool. It will also check for suspicious entries on browser settings that is associated with Hp.quicksearchtool.com.

5. Clean or Remove all suspicious and harmful items identified after the thorough scan.

6. After the cleanup procedure, rebooting the computer is required to finalize the removal of detected threats.

Check if your internet browser application is no longer being bothered by Hp.quicksearchtool.com. If the browser hijacker still persists, please continue with the steps below to reset internet programs to default settings.

Optional : Reset Internet Browser Program

Cleaning your internet browser from clutter and unwanted add-on/extension is a must when dealing with Quick Search Tool. The procedure below discusses on resetting various browsers to their default state.

Restore Google Chrome to Default Settings

Resetting Google Chrome to its default settings is helpful in deleting hard-to-remove extensions, such as Quick Search Tool. This method is highly advisable to perform if you have difficulty removing unwanted extensions.

1. Open the Google Chrome internet browser.
2. On the address bar, type chrome://settings/reset and press the Enter key.
3. Click on Reset Settings on the sidebar and choose Restore settings to their original defaults.
4. On the confirmation window, click the Reset settings button to clear all entries for Quick Search Tool.
5. Close the existing tab and restart Google Chrome. That should have removed the Quick Search Tool extension and associated objects.

Reset Mozilla Firefox to Default

This section describes how to remove unwanted extensions from Firefox that may be related to Quick Search Tool. This process can fix many browser issues by restoring Firefox to factory settings without affecting your essential information (bookmarks, browsing history, passwords, and Internet cookies) on the browser. If you desire to remove only a specific extension, please see the manual removal of add-ons from Firefox.

1. Input the string about:support on the Firefox web address and press Enter on the keyboard.
2. You will now see the Troubleshooting Information page of Mozilla Firefox.
3. You will notice a section in the upper-right corner of the screen stating, Give Firefox a tune-up. Click the Refresh Firefox button.
4. If a confirmation window appears, click Refresh Firefox to continue.
5. Firefox browser will close and start the resetting process. When done, it will display a list of restored data. Quick Search Tool should be gone by now. Click Finish to open a fresh version of Firefox.

Restore Microsoft Edge to Default Settings

1. Open the Microsoft Edge browser.
2. On the address bar, please input edge://settings/reset and press Enter on the keyboard.
3. Once you are on the Reset Settings page, click on Restore settings to their default values.
4. A confirmation window will appear; click on the Reset button to continue.

Your data, like favorites, bookmarks, and history, will remain in the browser. However, this process will delete add-ons by Quick Search Tool and other unknown objects.

How to remove Hp.quicksearchtool.com Pop-ups (Notification)

Most of the time, browser hijackers are combined with intrusive pop-up ads originating from the source website Hp.quicksearchtool.com. It is taking advantage of push notification feature of popular internet programs like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or Edge. These pop-up ads from Hp.quicksearchtool.com are extra ordinary as it exceeds the normal display volume and they are certainly annoying.

Hp.quicksearchtool.com

Normally, Hp.quicksearchtool.com pop-ups will start to bombard internet browser screen with pop-ups if web user was deceived to click “Allow” button that triggers the said website to send push notification. To stop Hp.quicksearchtool.com from showing the pop-ups, please execute the procedures below. Remember, these steps may only be successful after the removal of the main component or dubious browser extension.

Google Chrome

1. On Google Chrome browser, input the following in the address bar and press Enter:

chrome://settings/content/notifications

2. Navigate to the list under "Allow" section and look for Hp.quicksearchtool.com.

3. Click the ellipses (3 dots) beside Hp.quicksearchtool.com list to reveal the options.

Chrome Push Notification

4. Click on Block or Remove to stop Hp.quicksearchtool.com from displaying pop-up ads on Google Chrome browser.

6. Please restart Google Chrome browser.

Mozilla Firefox

1. On Mozilla Firefox browser, type the following in the address bar and press Enter key:

about:preferences#privacy

2. Navigate below to Permission area and look for Notifications.

Firefox Notification Settings

3. Click the Settings button aligned with the Notifications.

4. Look for Hp.quicksearchtool.com entry and change the Status to Block.

Block Notification from Firefox

5. Click on Save Changes and restart Mozilla Firefox and check if Hp.quicksearchtool.com pop-up is gone.

Safari (Mac)

1. On top menu, click on Safari and then, select Preferences from the drop-down list.

2. Click on Websites tab to open its settings.

3. Select Notifications from the left sidebar.

Safari Push Notification

4. On right panel, it will display a list of websites with "Allow" attribute.

5. Find and click on Hp.quicksearchtool.com.

6. You may choose to Deny or Remove it from the notification list.

7. You may now restart Safari browser and see if Hp.quicksearchtool.com pop-up is gone.

Microsoft Edge

1. Assuming that Edge browser is open, click on the ellipses (3 dots) on upper right corner to open the Settings. Alternatively, you can press Alt + X on the keyboard.

2. Select Settings from the drop-down list.

3. Click on Advanced.

4. Under Website Permissions area, click on Manage Permissions button.

Edge Push Notification

4. Find and select Hp.quicksearchtool.com from the list. Click on X button to stop it from showing pop-up ads or notifications.

Edge Notification Removal

5. You may now restart Edge browser.

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