Remove maxask.com browser hijacker

maxask.com is a fake search engine pushed by the Max Ask browser hijacker. If you find this site loading as your homepage, your computer is infected with a browser hijacker, a minor but very annoying infection. It will not directly harm your computer but it will make unwanted changes to your browser’s settings. You should remove maxask.com browser hijacker as soon as you notice it loading as your homepage.

 

 

Browser hijackers use deceptive methods to sneak into users’ computers but once installed, they become very obvious because they make unwanted changes to a browser’s settings. The Max Ask browser hijacker is pushing maxask.com, so it will set it as the homepage, new tabs, and default search engine. This means that not only will the site load every time you open your browser, but all searches you do through your browser’s address bar will go through maxask.com as well. Hijackers can affect all popular browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, etc. It’s also worth mentioning that the changes are irreversible while the hijacker is installed. It will just keep canceling out all the changes you make. Until you remove maxask.com browser hijacker, you’re stuck with the changes.

Browser hijackers are not considered to be dangerous infections because they do not directly harm the computer. However, they can redirect to dangerous websites. A hijacker’s main purpose is to expose users to sponsored content and redirect users to certain websites to generate revenue. This is done by pushing users to use questionable search engines that insert sponsored results among legitimate ones. For example, maxask.com.

Sponsored results are usually quite obvious because they don’t have anything to do with the search queries. We don’t recommend interacting with them because you could be redirected to sites that promote scams or conceal serious malware infections. Those results will be useless to you in any case so there’s no reason to click on them.

In addition to redirecting users to questionable sites, another thing to note about browser hijackers is their intrusive data collection practices. The hijacker will likely track what sites you visit, what you search for, your IP address, etc. This information could also be shared with third parties. There’s no reason to put up with this type of intrusive data collecting, particularly from a hijacker that has no redeeming qualities and is completely useless.

Because browser hijackers are not serious infections, you can remove them both manually and using an anti-virus program. Using an anti-virus program like WiperSoft to remove maxask.com browser hijacker would be easier because the program would take care of everything. Browser hijackers can be pretty persistent infections so using an anti-virus program is a good idea.

How did a browser hijacker install on my computer?

Infections like adware, browser hijackers, and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) are often attached to free software as extra offers in what’s known as the software bundling method. It’s a controversial installation method that allows unwanted programs to be installed without users’ explicit permission.

When something is added to a program as an extra offer, said offer is set to install alongside. All added offers are technically optional but they need to be manually deselected by users to prevent them from installing. However, this is made difficult because the offers are hidden in settings users don’t normally use. This allows the offers to go unnoticed.

In order to prevent unwanted installations, you just need to pay attention when installing programs. More specifically, during installation, choose Advanced or Custom settings instead of Default. The installation window recommends using Default settings but if you do that, all added offers will be hidden and permitted to install alongside.

If you opt for Advanced (Custom) settings, the added offers will be made visible and you will be given the option to deselect all of them. All you need to do is uncheck the boxes. Unfortunately, most free programs you download from non-official websites will have something attached to them. Unless you want to fill your computer with junk programs, always deselect the offers. They are significantly easier to deselect than to remove once fully installed.

The hijacker pushing the maxask.com search engine may also be promoted as a legitimate browser extension. Such extensions are promoted as tools that promise to improve the browsing experience. If you frequently install free programs, always research them before downloading them to avoid accidentally installing some kind of infection. A simple search with Google is often enough to determine whether a program is safe to download and install or not.

How to remove maxask.com redirect

As mentioned above, you can remove maxask.com browser hijacker both manually and using anti-virus software. Using an anti-virus program like WiperSoft would be much quicker because the program would take care of everything. Once the hijacker has been removed, you will be able to change your browser’s settings like normal.