How to Remove Hao123.com Search Bar (Removal Guideline)

Here we’ll share with you the complete procedure how to remove Hao123.com from computer. Being a victim of Hao123.com infection means that unwanted browser shortcuts have been created on your desktop and Windows start menu, which redirect you to http://www.hao123.com/. If such is the case, then the removal techniques mentioned below will surely and permanently remove Hao123.com infection from your computer.

What is Hao123.com?

Hao123.com is a browser hijacker that makes multiple changes on your computer without taking your permission. It starts by hijacking your browser settings and then changes the default search engine and homepage of your browsers to hao123.com. This hijacker redirects your search queries to Yahoo Search where it displays its ads. It also installs a search button on your desktop. Most importantly it adds registry policies, such as HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Policies\Google\Chrome\HomepageLocation and HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Policies\Google\Chrome\RestoreOnStartupURLs\1 to Windows Registry, which automatically open Chrome with http://hao123.com/ set as homepage. Depending on the country this infection changes its extensions, like http://jp.hao123.com/, http://game.hao123.com/, etc.

How Hao123.com comes into computer?

Usually this hijacker is bundled with other freeware programs. Therefore, you are unable to detect its installation while installing that freeware. Later, you find a search button installed on your desktop, unwanted Windows shortcuts added to start menu and browser search engine changed to http://hao123.com/. However, due to hijacked browser settings you can’t modify anything.

Hao123.com main symptoms?

Primary symptoms of this hijacker are:

1. Hijacked browser settings.
2. hao123.com becomes the default search page and homepage of your browsers.
3. Windows shortcuts are created on desktop and start menu.
4. Due to newly appended Windows Registry policies you can’t get rid of Hao123.com infection by using delete or uninstall techniques.

How we can prevent from Hao123.com infection?

To strengthen your computer’s security against such hijackers take these precautions. Never install untrustworthy freeware programs. Read the Terms and Conditions of every program and stop it from installing other apps.

Choose Custom or Advanced installation process for programs and deselect unfamiliar options. Install an antivirus and an anti-malware program on your computer.

Ways to remove Hao123.com?

To completely remove Hao123.com from your computer we recommend manual or automatic technique. These techniques give similar results with one exception. If you use automatic method, then the anti-malware program recommended in that method will additionally provide protection from other similar infections in the future.

STEP 1 : Uninstall Hao123.com malicious program from your computer (Manually).

Uninstall Hao123.com browser hijacker from control panel, which you have accidentally got installed recently, Uninstall recently installed programs. follow below instructions to uninstall it from control panel.

Click on Start button –> click on Control Panel –> click on Add & Remove program or uninstall a program You will get a window which have listed all the installed program on your computer.
(if you are using windows 8, then Right-click on a bottom left hot corner (Normally known as a Start button) –> Control Panel –> click on Uninstall a Program).

Uninstall Hao123.com program. (If Hao123.com won’t uninstall itself then use REVO Uninstaller Tool to remove it.) Click here to know more How to Uninstall any software with Revo Uninstaller Tool
(If you don’t see Hao123.com into installed program list then uninstall all other unwanted programs, may be it has installed with another name.)
Uninstall all unwanted programs which have installed recently (you can short all them by the date using clicking on date column on uninstall page). We are giving you a list of suspicious program, If you got installed any on your computer so please uninstall all them immediately List here:- DownloadTerms 1.0, LyricsGet, BrowseToSave, TidyNetwork.com, SuperLyrics, and WebCake 3.0.

STEP 2 : Remove Hao123.com browser hijacker from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome (Manually).

Internet Explorer.

Remove Hao123.com homepage from Internet Explorer.

Open Internet Explorer.
Click on Tools menu on menu bar (Press F10 key to activate menu bar).
Click on Internet Options.
A Internet options window will come up, click on General Tab. Under General tab you’ll get a homepage box.
Now change your home page as your want. (www.google.com).
Click here to know more How to Remove Addons from Internet Explorer (Removal Guide).

Reset Internet Explorer (Restore to default setting)

Open Internet Explorer.
Click on Tools menu on menu bar (Press F10 key to activate menu bar).
Click on Internet Options.
A Internet options window will come up, click on Advanced Tab.
Click on Reset Button under advance tab.
An another confirmation window will come up, Here Check mark a box “Delete Personal Settings”, then click Reset button on it.
Click here to know more How to Reset Internet Explorer as Default (Reset Guide).

Mozilla Firefox.

Remove Hao123.com homepage from Mozilla Firefox.

Open Firefox browser.
Click on Tools menu (Press F10 key once to activate the menu bar)
Click on “Options”
You’ll get a window. Here change homepage URL.

Remove Hao123.com addons from Mozilla Firefox.

Open Firefox browser.
Click on Tools menu (Press F10 key once to activate the menu bar)
Click on “Addons”
You’ll get a window which have listed all installed addons, Remove / Disable Hao123.com add-ons. Also remove all the unwanted add-ons from there.
Click here to know more How to Remove Addons from Firefox (Addon Removal Guide).

Reset Mozilla Firefox (Restore to default setting)

Open Firefox browser.
Click on Help menu (Press F10 key once to activate the menu bar)
Click on “Troubleshooting Information”
You’ll get a window, Click on Reset Firefox button and follow their on-screen instructions.
Click here to know more How to Reset Firefox as Default (Reset Guide).

Google Chrome

Remove Hao123.com homepage from Google Chrome

Open Google Chrome, click on menu icon which is located right side top of the google chrome.
Click on Settings –> click on “Set Pages”, remove all other pages and make a new startup page www.google.com.

Remove Hao123.com extension from Google Chrome

Open Google Chrome, click on menu icon which is located right side top of the google chrome.
Click on Tools –> Extension, you will get a window which have listed all the installed Addons / Extension.
Select Hao123.com extension and click on their recycle bin icon to remove it completely from Google chrome. Also remove all the unwanted extensions from there.
Click here to know more How to Remove Addons from Google Chrome (Addon Removal Guide).

Reset Google Chrome (Restore to default setting)

Close All the Google Chrome window.
Open Google Chrome, click on menu icon and then click on settings (Note: menu icon is located right side top corner)
Scroll down and click on “Show advanced settings…” You’ll get more option expend on the bottom of the page. (Note: , “Show advanced settings…” is located bottom of the setting page.)
Now scroll down this setting page and click on “Reset Browser setting” button
That’s it
Now, your google chrome has been restored back to factory default settings.
Click here to know more How to Reset Google Chrome to Default Setting (Reset Guide).

STEP 3 : Remove Hao123.com infection from “Windows Shortcuts” (Manually).

Right click on the icon of Internet Explorer on desktop then select Properties option, you’ll get a small window, In that window, look on the target field, if you found “Hao123.com” string in this target field, please remove all the string related to Hao123.com.
(You may leave that step, if you don’t see this type of infection.)
Repeat the same step with all the shortcuts of browsers (Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari) and from all the locations under Startmenu/Taskbar/Desktop etc.

STEP 4 : Remove Hao123.com malicious program from “Registry” (Manually).

Press Windows key + R key together on your keyboard, you’ll get a RUN box, Type Regedit on this RUN box and then click on OK button or hit enter key on your keyboard. You’ll get open a Registry Editor window.
Before modifying registry, we have to take backup of whole registry. click on computer icon on the top of Registry Editor, then click on File menu and then click on Export, then Save that registry backup file with any name.
Click on Edit menu and then click on Find, you’ll get a find box to find any string in registry.
Type Hao123.com into find box, and click on Find Next button. if it found any entry with the name of Hao123.com in result, so please replace all them to Google, or you may remove them if you found suspicious.

STEP 5 : Remove Hao123.com suspicious entries from “Computer Start-up” (Manually).

Press Windows key + R key together on your keyboard, you’ll get a RUN box, type MSCONFIG into this RUN box and then click on OK button or hit enter key on your keyboard. You’ll get open a System Configuration window.
Click on Services Tab, and un-check all the Hao123.com entries.
Click on Startup Tab, and un-check all the Hao123.com entries.
Then click on apply and then click on OK.

STEP 6 : Remove Hao123.com Adware registry entries using “AdwCleaner” (Free).

Download Adwcleaner.exe, click here to download : Adwcleaner.exe, and then Run it. An Adwcleaner application will be started, It have the 4 buttons Scan / Clean /Report / Uninstall.
Click on “Scan” Button to start the scanning on your computer. After finished the scan, it will show you results, actually adwcleaner has been found all the Unwated Programs / Adwares on your computer and all these have been selected here. so please look on them once and Un-check the Items which you don’t want to remove (only selected items will be deleted when you click on “Clean” button).
Now click on “Clean” button to remove all that selected items – then follow their on screen instruction to complete it.
Now after all done, it will be asking for reboot your computer, so please allow it to reboot. After reboot, you will get a notepad open automatically when computer get started, this notepad will be listed all the logs.
After reboot you will be got rid of Hao123.com from your computer.

STEP 7 : Remove Hao123.com browser hijacker using “Junkware Removal Tool” (Free).

Download Junkware Removal Tool, click here to download : Junkware Removal Tool, and then Run it.
A “Junkware Removal Tool” application will be started with the command line screen. Here it is asking you that “press any key to continue” to start the scanning, so “press any key” on your keyword to start the scanning and fixing process.
Now “Junkware Removal Tool” is scanning your computer, After finished the scan, it will automatically open a text file which have listed all the logs, you can close that text file after reading.
Now please Reboot your computer.
After reboot, you’ll get removed Hao123.com from your computer completely.

STEP 8 : Remove Hao123.com virus using “Hitman-Pro” Anti-Malware (Free for 30days).

Download Hitman Pro, click here to download : Hitman pro-32bit – Hitman pro-64bit, and then Install it.
Start Hitman Pro program.
Click on Next button to start the scanning process and then follow their on screen instructions to complete it.

STEP 9 : Remove Hao123.com Infection using “Malwarebytes” Anti-Malware (Free).

Download Malwarebytes, click here to download : Malwarebytes, and then install it on your computer.
(If you want to use it free for forever , so don’t select the check box named as “Enable free trial of malwarebytes Antimalware PRO” while installing).
Now Start Malwarebytes application.
Now select option “Perform quick scan” then click on “Scan” button to run a scan on your computer.
After finished the scan process, click on “Show Results” button.
It will show you a results page, actually Malwarebytes has been found all the Adwares / Malware on your computer. so please select all the found items and then click on “Remove Selected” button.
(You can deselect the selected items if you don’t want to remove any- because only selected items will be deleted when you click on “Remove Selected” button).
Now please Reboot your computer.
After reboot, you’ll get removed Hao123.com from your computer completely.

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