Bing redirect virus

Bing redirect virus – a browser hijacker that might affect any browser on Windows or Mac 

Bing redirect virus is a term used to describe browser hijackers that can silently enter your system bundled with other software. Once inside, it might initiate system changes and alter the shortcuts of each web browser installed on the device. The main feature of Bing virus is setting this search provider as a default search engine or/and homepage URL address. If you feel helpless because Google redirects to Bing without a break, think what freeware did you recently install on your computer. The biggest chance when dealing with such cases is that you installed free software from an insecure source that was filled with the browser hijacker as an extra component. It changed your browser’s settings what led you to these issues. At the moment, Bing redirect virus is more active on Mac operating system.

Before we start explaining to you how to get rid of Bing redirect virus on Mac, we want to stress out that Bing is a legitimate search engine. However, hackers tend to use the name of this browsing tool^[1] in order to disguise viruses and potentially unwanted programs (PUP). In fact, this issue is similar to Google redirect virus and Yahoo redirect virus that both have been reported on our experts some time ago.

If you are interested why does your Safari or Google Chrome go to Bing without your approval, you need to check your computer for a “browser hijacker”. Such cyber threats usually spread as a browser add-ons^[2] as free components of the freeware and hijack various web browsers, including IE, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, etc.

Bing redirect virus has mostly been spreading around with the help of bundling. It can be installed under different names as an extra component.

Bing redirect virus has mostly been spreading around with the help of bundling. It can be installed under different names as an extra component.

So-called Bing redirect virus alters affected browser’s settings and might set Bing.com as the start page, default search engine, and new tab page without asking any permission. What is more, it might modify the part of the system’s settings and starts initiating unwanted redirects to completely unrelated websites ^[3].

This activity is initiated for increasing traffic to specific domains and helping them to improve their popularity. If the virus manages to infiltrate the system, Bing starts hijacking Google search or similar search provider. As a result, it can additionally provide lots of online ads, banners, and other commercial content. To get rid of all these negative features, you should scan your computer with the professional anti-malware program. We suggest performing Bing redirect virus removal using a guide below.

Bing redirect is a suspicious and highly annoying activity used to reroute users to sponsored sites that are trying to increase their visitors’ traffic, sales, etc.

Bing redirect is a suspicious and highly annoying activity used to reroute users to sponsored sites that are trying to increase their visitors’ traffic, sales, etc.

As we have mentioned, there are hundreds of questions saying something like “Bing hijacked my Google Search”. In reality, Bing search has nothing to do with this issue. This search engine has mostly been spread as an additional component of other software.

However, you should note that such an activity might install various helper objects preventing users from setting back their preferred homepage or search engine. These apps or extensions are designed to reject all the changes made by the user.

Apart from taking control over the browser, the virus might also track your browsing habits and send this data to its remote server. This cyber parasite might be interested in your browsing history, search queries, how much time you spent online, clicked ads, IP address, etc. Aggregated information is necessary for applying behavioral marketing strategy. Thus, you might see numerous online advertisements that are based on your interests and browsing history. However, in some cases, aggregated data might be shared or sold to third-parties or advertising networks.

Undoubtedly, this activity may lead to privacy-related issues, e.g. the loss of financial data or login information. Therefore, you should not let this cyber infection stay on your computer. Remove Bing redirect virus as soon as you notice it hijacked your PC. Ensure that there are no corrupted files left by running Reimage Reimage Cleaner Intego.

Bing search engine is not related to Bing redirect virus. It has just been misused by virus developers for their malicious deeds.

Bing search engine is not related to Bing redirect virus. It has just been misused by virus developers for their malicious deeds.

Versions of Bing virus

Bing.vc

Bing.vc is bogus search engine is used for generating sponsored links and redirect users to questionable sites with the help of these links ^[4]. It is also worth mentioning that this browser hijacker is designed to promote suspicious tools like FixbrowserRedirect and similar.

Bing.vc redirect virus is a browser hijacker which has been spread in a bundle with freeware. As soon as the virus affects Mac or Windows, it starts rerouting its victim to this page.

Bing.vc redirect virus is a browser hijacker which has been spread in a bundle with freeware. As soon as the virus affects Mac or Windows, it starts rerouting its victim to this page.

What is more, having this program installed on the computer negatively impacts its performance, so it is not recommended to ignore this program’s presence on your computer. Take action as soon as possible!

Bing search virus 

Bing Search virus is the newest version of the Bing redirect virus branch. If you notice Bing.com website suddenly appear on your computer instead of your regular search engine or homepage, this suggests that you should take your system’s security into consideration and look for a browser hijacker that is causing these issues.

Bing redirect is a serious issue related to Safari, Chrome, and some other browsers. It has been circulating on the Internet for five years now.

Bing redirect is a serious issue related to Safari, Chrome, and some other browsers. It has been circulating on the Internet for five years now.

Like the majority of browser hijackers, it may spy on you as well as redirect to suspicious sites. By no means, you should keep this program installed on your computer.

Why does my search engine keep changing to Bing

Finding an unknown search engine set as default one and being unable to use your preferred search tool is definitely frustrating. However, the majority of users are not aware of the fact that they are responsible for setting Bing provided search as their default search provider.

Bing is promoted just like any other potentially unwanted program or a browser hijacker. If you want to avoid it, you should know that it may appear on each of your web browsers if you don’t like to monitor installation of the freeware and keep clicking the “Next” button while installing such programs as download managers, PDF creators, video streaming software, etc.

Bing redirect virus – PUP that can installed together with download managers, PDF creators, video streaming software, video recording software, from P2P networks, etc. You must monitor the installation of the freeware to prevent it from infiltrating your system.

Bing redirect virus – PUP that can installed together with download managers, PDF creators, video streaming software, video recording software, from P2P networks, etc. You must monitor the installation of the freeware to prevent it from infiltrating your system.

For avoiding this, you should start paying more attention to the installation of freeware programs. First, you should read what is said in its Privacy Policy and End User’s License Agreement. In addition, make sure you select Custom or Advanced installation option and opt-out of optional components that may be offered to you along the way.

You should uncheck such sentences as “Make Bing my start page,” “I agree to make Bing.com my default search engine.” etc. Otherwise, you may be forced to use this site for searching the web. We highly recommend not ignoring that because you may find yourself on an unknown website ^[5].

How to get rid of Bing redirect virus on Mac

To remove Bing from Safari search bar or another browser installed on Mac, you have two options. The first one suggests scanning the system with reputable anti-malware software and resetting affected web browsers. Thus, this option is highly advised for less-skilled computer users who have never dealt with such cyber threats.

The second way to block Bing on Mac requires finding and deleting hijacker-related components manually. You have to check the list of Applications and move Trash all unknown entries. Once you empty the trash, check web browsers: uninstall suspicious add-ons and reset the browser. At the end of this article, you can find detailed instructions.

How to uninstall Bing provided search from Windows

In order to remove Bing from Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or another Windows 10 browser is not enough just to change the URL address in the browser’s settings. The hijacker is designed in a way that can reset Bing as a default search provider after a system reboot.

Bing redirect virus removal from Windows requires either deleting hijacker-related components manually or letting reputable anti-malware do the job for you. Our team has prepared elimination guidelines at the end of the article. Feel free to use them in order to investigate and clean the system.

However, we recommend taking advantage of security software to remove Bing redirect virus easier and quicker. This method requires scanning the device with updated anti-malware and resetting each of the browsers installed on Windows machine.

Bing redirect virus removal video to guide you through the termination process

This application is a legitimate search engine that becomes related to malware once hijackers use the name for their purposes. When the potentially unwanted program like this Bing redirect infiltrates the system a new default search engine, homepage and new tab preferences get assigned. These are only a few changes the PUP can make on the affected computer. You need a thorough system check to eliminate all parts of the hijacker and reverse changes back to default. Follow the video guide and double-check after the process to make sure that your device runs as smooth as before.

You may remove virus damage with a help of Reimage Reimage Cleaner Intego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.

Eliminate Bing redirect from Windows systems

Follow the steps below to delete Bing virus from the computer manually.

1. Click Start → Control Panel → Programs and Features (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs). Windows 10 / Windows 8 user, then right-click in the lower left corner of the screen. Once Quick Access Menu shows up, select Control Panel and Uninstall a Program.
2. Uninstall Bing redirect and related programs
   Here, look for Bing redirect or any other recently installed suspicious programs.
3. Uninstall them and click OK to save these changes.
4. Remove Bing redirect from Windows shortcuts
   Right click on the shortcut of Mozilla Firefox and select Properties.
5. Go to Shortcut tab and look at the Target field. Delete malicious URL that is related to your virus.

Repeat steps that are given above with all browsers’ shortcuts, including Internet Explorer and Google Chrome. Make sure you check all locations of these shortcuts, including Desktop, Start Menu and taskbar.

Delete Bing redirect from Mac OS X system

To remove Bing from Mac OS X, you need to follow a guide given below. These instructions will help you locate and remove all questionable components that were used to install the hijacker on your computer. After that, you will be able to switch search engines on Mac.

1. If you are using OS X, click Go button at the top left of the screen and select Applications.
2. Wait until you see Applications folder and look for Bing redirect or any other suspicious programs on it. Now right click on every of such entries and select Move to Trash.

Erase Bing redirect from Internet Explorer (IE)

In order to get rid of Bing redirect problem, you need to remove suspicious add-ons from IE, and reset the browser.

1. Remove dangerous add-ons
   Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top right corner of the browser and choose Manage Add-ons.
2. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for Bing redirect and other suspicious plugins. Disable these entries by clicking Disable:
3. Change your homepage if it was altered by virus:
   Click on the gear icon (menu) on the top right corner of the browser and select Internet Options. Stay in General tab.
4. Here, remove malicious URL and enter preferable domain name. Click Apply to save changes.
5. Reset Internet Explorer
   Click on the gear icon (menu) again and select Internet options. Go to Advanced tab.
6. Here, select Reset.
7. When in the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset again to complete Bing redirect removal.

Uninstall Bing redirect virus from Microsoft Edge

After the Bing hijack, you need to fix Microsoft Edge by following these steps.

Reset Microsoft Edge settings (Method 1):

1. Launch Microsoft Edge app and click More (three dots at the top right corner of the screen).
2. Click Settings to open more options.
3. Once Settings window shows up, click Choose what to clear button under Clear browsing data option.
4. Here, select all what you want to remove and click Clear.
5. Now you should right-click on the Start button (Windows logo). Here, select Task Manager.
6. When in Processes tab, search for Microsoft Edge.
7. Right-click on it and choose Go to details option. If can’t see Go to details option, click More details and repeat previous steps.
8. When Details tab shows up, find every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right click on each of them and select End Task to end these entries.

Resetting Microsoft Edge browser (Method 2):

If Method 1 failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method.

1. Note: you need to backup your data before using this method.
2. Find this folder on your computer: C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
3. Select every entry which is saved on it and right click with your mouse. Then Delete option.
4. Click the Start button (Windows logo) and type in window power in Search my stuff line.
5. Right-click the Windows PowerShell entry and choose Run as administrator.
6. Once Administrator: Windows PowerShell window shows up, paste this command line after PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> and press Enter:
   

   Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml -Verbose}

   

Once these steps are finished, Bing redirect should be removed from your Microsoft Edge browser.

Get rid of Bing redirect from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

To fix your Firefox browser, you need to uninstall all suspicious apps. Once you do that, you should also reset Mozilla Firefox. It helps when you need to delete browser helper objects, tracking cookies, and other virus-related entries.

1. Remove dangerous extensions
   Open Mozilla Firefox, click on the menu icon (top right corner) and select Add-ons → Extensions.
2. Here, select Bing redirect and other questionable plugins. Click Remove to delete these entries.
3. Change your homepage if it was altered by virus:
   Click on the menu (top right corner), choose Options → General.
4. Here, delete malicious URL and enter preferable website or click Restore to default.
5. Click OK to save these changes.
6. Reset Mozilla Firefox
   Click on the Firefox menu on the top left and click on the question mark. Here, choose Troubleshooting Information.
7. Now you will see Reset Firefox to its default state message with Reset Firefox button. Click this button for several times and complete Bing redirect removal.

Remove Bing redirect from Google Chrome

To remove Bing from Chrome (of course, you should do that only if you think that your search engine was hijacked by a virus), follow the steps below. Make sure you remove all suspicious browser add-ons and extensions.

1. Delete malicious plugins
   Open Google Chrome, click on the menu icon (top right corner) and select Tools → Extensions.
2. Here, select Bing redirect and other malicious plugins and select trash icon to delete these entries.
3. Change your homepage and default search engine if it was altered by your virus
   Click on menu icon and choose Settings.
4. Here, look for the Open a specific page or set of pages under On startup option and click on Set pages.
5. Now you should see another window. Here, delete malicious search sites and enter the one that you want to use as your homepage.
6. Click on menu icon again and choose Settings → Manage Search engines under the Search section.
7. When in Search Engines…, remove malicious search sites. You should leave only Google or your preferred domain name.
8. Reset Google Chrome
   Click on menu icon on the top right of your Google Chrome and select Settings.
9. Scroll down to the end of the page and click on Reset browser settings.
10. Click Reset to confirm this action and complete Bing redirect removal.

Eliminate Bing redirect from Safari

To remove Bing from Safari web browser, you should check your recently-installed extensions. Make sure you eliminate the ones that seem unsafe. We also recommend resetting this browser to eliminate minor components that could be malicious, such as BHOs and similar ones.

1. Remove dangerous extensions
   Open Safari web browser and click on Safari in menu at the top left of the screen. Once you do this, select Preferences.
2. Here, select Extensions and look for Bing redirect or other suspicious entries. Click on the Uninstall button to get rid each of them.
3. Change your homepage if it was altered by virus:
   Open your Safari web browser and click on Safari in menu section. Here, select Preferences as it was displayed previously and select General.
4. Here, look at the Homepage field. If it was altered by Bing redirect, remove unwanted link and enter the one that you want to use for your searches. Remember to include the “http://” before typing in the address of the page.
5. Reset Safari
   Open Safari browser and click on Safari in menu section at the top left of the screen. Here, select Reset Safari….
6. Now you will see a detailed dialog window filled with reset options. All of those options are usually checked, but you can specify which of them you want to reset. Click the Reset button to complete Bing redirect removal process.