MovieBox Search Redirect – Guide to remove it from system

Guide to Remove MovieBox Search Redirect

MovieBox Search is a dubious browser extension that has recently been reported to have impacted a large number of computer users around the world. It claims to be a convenient & quick mode of searching the internet for movies & TV series related content directly from a web-browser tab – https://gomovix.com/.

The overview of MovieBox Search Redirect further states this browser extension modifies the default browser settings & changes the search engine from Chrome to Yahoo. This extension helps the users to search the net for movies, TV Series, Thrillers, Movie Reviews & Celebrity related content.

Despite these claims & services, many of the users have reported about the suspicious behavior of MovieBox Search. It makes the web-browsing infuriating as it doesn’t let the impacted users to restore the old settings.

According to the cyber-security analysts, the prime methods of propagation used by MovieBox search browser hijacker such as software bundling, freeware downloads, spam e-mail campaigns & network file-sharing.

In case you are observing unauthorized changes in the browser settings such as home page, default search engine & new tab functionality & finding restoring the default browser settings a daunting task, probably your system has been attacked by a malefic browser Hijacker – MovieBox Search.

Threat Summary

Name	MovieBox Search
Type	Browser Hijacker
Category	Malware
Targeted Browser	Google Chrome
Targeted OS	Windows
Symptoms	Modifications in the Default browser settings without the user’s consent. Searches are redirected to Yahoo.com instead of Google Chrome.
Removal	Download Removal Tool

Threat Behavior of MovieBox Search Redirect-

Developed & Maintained by a New York based movie search address, Gomovix.com, MovieBox Search is a browser extension that offers users an unlimited access to movies & TV series.

The description of this application states that it is capable of providing an easy & convenient way searching the internet for movies, thrillers, TV shows, Reviews & celebrity content.

Detailed analysis shows that MovieBox Search Redirect changes the default browser settings without the user’s consent. It replaces the home-page with https://i.gomovix.com/, a web address that enables the users to search movies, TV Series & much more!

It modifies the default search engine from Chrome to movix.serachalgo.com & redirects the searches to https://search.yahoo.com/.

Though, MovieBox Search is not a high-risk browser redirector, it may not let you bring the old browser settings back. You may not be able to access Google Chrome to get your preferred search results.

Thus, it makes the web-browsing exasperating.

In addition to that, cyber-security analysts state it is able to track & record your browsing history & search queries. The collected data may be sold or shared with the third-parties/advertisers to deliver promotional ads, pop-ups & discount offers.

This Browser Hijacker has intrusive permissions such as able to read & change user’s data on all the visited sites.

Modifications Made By MovieBox Search Redirect

Once the MovieBox Search Redirect is installed on your system, you will observe following changes:

1). Modified Default Web Browser Settings such as Home Page, Search Engine & New Tab functionality.

2). This browser Hijacker loads into the web-browser via MovieBox Search Extension & add-on.

3). Search Queries are redirected to https://search.yahoo.com/

It is evident that presence of MovieBox Search Redirect in your system can ruin your web-browsing experience. It poses as a threat to your data privacy as well.

Therefore, impacted users are suggested to remove MovieBox hijacker from their system immediately. You may follow the instructions given below to get rid of this malign browser extension.

Distribution Techniques of MovieBox Redirect

MovieBox is linked with Gomovix – a movie search web address that is already renowned for delivering an array of browser-hijackers such as iTheatre Search Plus & mixGames Search. This malign web address uses multiple channels to deliver pernicious browser hijackers on the systems across the world.

Amongst all, the chief method of the propagation of MovieBox Search Redirect is software bundling & third-party software installers.

Other spread techniques used by MovieBox Search Redirect are mentioned below:

1). Free-ware Programs

2). Questionable websites, links such as torrents & adult-content sites.

3). Peer-to-Peer File Sharing

4). Online Gaming Sites

5). Malvertising such as sponsored adverts, pop-ups & discount coupons.

6). Unreliable Software Updaters/Downloader

7). Pirated/Cracked software of Paid Applications

Download Vipre Malware Remover

How to remove MovieBox Redirect infection from the system-

STEP A: Remove unwanted & suspicious browser extension from Google Chrome

1. Open Google Chrome and click on the three vertical dots ( ) i.e.Menu option which are located at the upper right corner of the Chrome Window.
2. Find and click on More tools from the drop down menu that is displayed & select Extensions or you can open a Chrome window and type “chrome://extensions” in the address bar.
3. Check the developer mode option which is located opposite to extensions heading on the top of the Chrome window. By enabling the developer mode, additional details and option related to all the installed extensions will be displayed. One of the details that will be displayed is the ID. ID is the folder name created by the extension at the location “C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions”.
4. Locate the extension you want to uninstall or delete. Copy and paste the folder name opposite to the ID Tag of that extension into a notepad file. In this case the folder name is “mdepocdhogfjacchiigdpmgnnfbjgane”
5. Now, uncheck the enabled option next to the extension in question. Make sure you also click the trash icon to delete the extension from the browser. It is important to note that even after uninstalling and deleting the extensions from the browser, the extension might not uninstall properly. Thus, it is a good practice to make sure that we have deleted the folder as mentioned in step 3.
6. 
7. Make sure that you have made the hidden files and folders visible.
8. Open My Computer and go to “C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions”. Now, look for folder with the name as specified in Step 4 i.e. “mdepocdhogfjacchiigdpmgnnfbjgane”. Delete the folder if present.
9. Close and reopen the browser. It is also advisable to restart your computer once done.

STEP B: Restore the Settings of Google Chrome changed by the Browser Hijacker

1. Open Google Chrome and click on the three vertical dots () located on the top right corner of the Chrome Window.) located on the top right corner of the Chrome Window.
2. From the Drop down menu that appears, click on the “Settings”. A new browser tab will open up, displaying all the settings.
3. Now, we will make changes to the appearance section. Under the “Appearances” section, we will enable the “Show Home Button” option. You can select New Tab page or can add Google or any of your preferred browsers under the “Show Home Button” option.
4. After this, we will go to the “Search Engine “section.
5. Here, make Google or any of your preferred browsers as your default browser in the drop-down menu under the option “Search engine used in the address bar”.
6. After this click on Manage Search Engines. Now you can remove Other Search Engines that were added by the browser hijacker. Simply click the three vertical dots () and select the option “Remove from list”. ) and select the option “Remove from list”. 
7. You can make Google or any other preferred browser as your Default Search Engine by clicking the three vertical dots () and clicking on the “Make default” option.
   
8. At the end, we will go to the section “On Startup”. You can select the “Open the New Tab page” or can “Continue where you left off”.  If you want to open a specific page or set of pages, select the option “Open a specific page or set of pages”  and remove any pages added by the browser hijacker by clicking on the three vertical dots () and selecting “Remove”.) and selecting “Remove”.
9. Then, add Google or any of your desired URL in “Add a new page” option under the “Open a specific page or set of pages”.
10. This is a very important step and we would like you to pay very close attention here. This step has to be repeated with all the shortcuts to the browser that you can locate; like your desktop, start menu and the shortcut pinned to your taskbar. Right click on the shortcut and a context menu will appear. On this menu select the last option that reads Properties.
    
11. A Google Chrome Properties Dialogue box will appear as below. Replace whatever is there in the text box next to the label Target with the following: Make sure that inverted commas are included.“C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe”
    
12. Click OK at the end to save the changes.

How to prevent MovieBox Redirect from infecting your system-

1. Keeping the Operating System Updated- In order to remain protected and avoid such infections, it is recommended to keep your Operating System updated by enabling the automatic update on your system. The systems with outdated or older versions of Operating System become an easy target for the attackers.
2. Resist clicking on spam emails – One of the major techniques used for malware distribution is forwarding spam emails to the user. The system gets infected as soon as the user clicks on the attachment. These mails appear to be genuine, so be aware and resist falling for these tricks.
3. Keep an eye on third party installations- It is quite important that you take due care while installing any third party applications for they are major source of such infections. Such malware programs come bundled with the free applications thereby requiring the user to remain cautious.
4. Regular periodical backup- In order to keep your data and files safe, it is recommended to take regular back up of all your data and files either on an external drive or cloud.
5. Use Anti-Virus Protection- We strongly recommend the use of antivirus protection/internet security in your PC like Vipre and BULL GUARD so that it remains safe.
6. Enable the Ad Blocker/Popup Blocker in your browser- Enabling the popup blocker/ ad blocker in your chosen browser will help you to stay protected from annoying adware.