Does anyone here know how to get rid of the virus that makes Yahoo your search engine? UPDATE in OP.

[Tap]

Title says it all. This isn't a simple "reinstall the browser" or "delete Yahoo".  Normal virus scans won't get rid of it. There are countless ideas online (it is a virulent bug), but who ever made it, must read them because they adapt the bug to go around the fixes.  This is a plague that my daughter brought down on my laptop. It won't even let me set my laptop back to factory settings. 😞

UPDATE 🙂 I might have stopped the redirect!!!

If you are running Windows with Chrome try this.

Click the three dots in right upper corner of screen. Select Settings. Then Advanced. Then Reset and Clean Up. Then Restore Settings to their original defaults.

This worked for the version of the malware I had. I know from my research there are many versions, but I hope this helps someone out there in the hive. 

I also ran Malwarebytes to see if it could locate the malware, but alas no luck. I don't think the above removes the malware, just stops it from switching it to Yahoo. If I find out anything else, I will update again. I hope this at least keeps someone from tossing a good laptop. I have to admit, I was looking at replacing it, because I was so irritated every time I logged on. :0) It is sooooooo maddening, especially since Yahoo sucks as a browser. LOL

Edited March 27, 2020 by Tap

[PrincessMommy]

40 minutes ago, Tap said:

Title says it all. This isn't a simple "reinstall the browser" or "delete Yahoo".  Normal virus scans won't get rid of it. There are countless ideas online (it is a virulent bug), but who ever made it, must read them because they adapt the bug to go around the fixes.  This is a plague that my daughter brought down on my laptop. It won't even let me set my laptop back to factory settings. 😞

oh my, it isn't just me.  I hate that.  

[Tap]

1 hour ago, WendyAndMilo said:

You've tried going through the apps control panel and uninstalling *everything* you don't remember installing?

Nothing there. Even tried uninstalling updates to clear everything updated or installed past a date that I know it wasn't there.

[Meriwether]

My computer does this, too, and it won't let me reinstall Windows or do any kind of reset. I've tried all the options. I will be so excited if someone has an answer.

[PrincessMommy]

I wish I'd made the connection that it was a virus BEFORE I sent it in to be serviced earlier this week. 😞   They couldn't find the virus and didn't ask me about Yahoo.  They had to reload Windows, etc. I'm now trying to get all my stuff in it's right place and/or reinstalled.  Ugh.  What a hassle.