How to remove Mountain Browse browser plugin?

Written by Wilbur Woodham
The Mountain Browse search hijacker is an example of a standard unwanted program; such applications are spread enormously these days. On this page you will see the comprehensive instructions of “Mountain Browse” hijacker removal in various tactics: making use of anti-malware programs and also manual removal method.
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Mountain Browse – What is it?

“Mountain Browse” search hijacker is a potentially unwanted application (PUA)1, that is spread as a plugin for your web browser. It is usually marketed as an add-on for Chrome or Firefox, that helps to search some particular information, for instance, about sporting activity events, make your web browser a lot more secure, allow downloading of any kind of video, and so on. Also, this app adds the “Managed by your organization” feature (on Chrome browsers).

Nonetheless, the “Mountain Browse” plugin is rather ineffective because all such functions are currently built-in to your web browser and/or system. Such advertising slogans are targeted at low-skilled computer users, for example, pensioners or schoolchildren. But in some cases even qualified users are getting caught on such an appeal. In particular instances, this hijacker is distributed together with free programs.

Mountain Browse hijacker - Mountainbrowse.com

Mountain Browse Search Hijacker

Here is a short info for the Mountain Browse hijacker
NAMEMountain Browse
SiteMountainbrowse.com
HostingAS8075 Microsoft Corporation
Netherlands, Amsterdam
Infection TypeBrowser Hijacker, Unwanted Application
IP Address137.117.224.218
SymptomsChanged search engine; search queries redirection
Similar behaviorFreesearchconverters, Mystreamssearch/, Your
Fix Tool
To remove possible virus infections, try to scan your PC

How harmful is Mountain Browse hijacker?

Besides its impracticality, Mountain Browse hijacker is also fairly harmful for web browser use. It changes your search engine to its particular – Mountainbrowse.com, and likewise alters your background, putting its watermark on your wallpaper (or, sometimes, changing it to default with the mentioned symbol).

Besides viewable changes done by Mountain Browse hijacker, you can notice that a couple of your search questions are redirecting to the suspicious web pages, filled with links and promotions – so-called doorway websites. Such websites can include web links for malware downloads. The chance of redirecting surges if you try to open Google search page forcibly.

However all these actions are much more bothersome than really destructive. The major hazard, particularly for individuals who have a huge amount of confidential information in their web browsers, is embedded in data collecting functionalities. Cookie files, chats, often-visited sites, and various other activities are simply collected by Mountain Browse hijacker.

How to remove Mountain Browse search hijacker?

  • Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware.
  • Open GridinSoft Anti-Malware and perform a “Standard scan“.
  • “Move to quarantine” all items.
  • Open “Tools” tab – Press “Reset Browser Settings“.
  • Select proper browser and options – Click “Reset”.
  • Restart your computer.

Browser hijackers are almost always quite easy to delete. In most cases, they have an independent application that can be spotted in the list of installed apps. Due to the specific marketing method of Mountain Browse hijacker, it can be easily tracked and removed by hand. However, if you got Mountain Browse in the bundle with a free program, your PC can be contaminated with much more harmful malwaretrojans, spyware or perhaps ransomware. That’s why I’d advise you use anti-malware programs to delete the Mountain Browse PUA and all various other malware.

You can use Microsoft Defender2 – it is capable of finding and removing a wide range of malware, including named hijacker. However, major malware, that can be present on your computer in the discussed instance, can disable the Windows antivirus tool by editing the Group Policies. To keep away from such situations, it is far better to make use of GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

To detect and remove all malicious applications on your desktop with GridinSoft Anti-Malware, it’s better to utilize Standard or Full scan. Quick Scan is not able to find all the malicious apps, because it checks only the most popular registry entries and folders.

Main screen in GridinSoft Anti-Malware

You can spectate the detected malicious programs sorted by their possible hazard simultaneously with the scan process. But to choose any actions against malware, you need to wait until the scan is over, or to stop the scan.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware during the scan

To choose the action for each spotted malicious or unwanted program, click the arrow in front of the name of the detected virus. By default, all the viruses will be moved to quarantine.

List of the detected malware after the scan

Reset browser settings to original ones

To revert your browser settings, you are required to use the Reset Browser Settings option. This action is not able to be intercepted by any malicious program, hence, you will surely see the result. This action can be located in the Tools tab.

Tools tab in GridinSoft Anti-Malware

After choosing the Reset Browser Settings option, the menu will be displayed, where you can choose, which settings will be reverted to the original.

Reset Browser Settings options

Deleteing Mountain Browse hijacker manually

Besides using anti-malware software for browser restoration, you may choose the “Reset browser settings” function, which is usually embedded in all popular browsers.

To reset Edge, do the following steps :
  1. Open “Settings and more” tab in upper right corner, then find here “Settings” button. In the appeared menu, choose “Reset settings” option :
  2. Reseting the Edge browser

  3. After picking the Reset Settings option, you will see the following menu, stating about the settings which will be reverted to original :
For Mozilla Firefox, do the next actions :
  1. Open Menu tab (three strips in upper right corner) and click the “Help” button. In the appeared menu choose “troubleshooting information” :
  2. The first step to revert Mozilla Firefox

  3. In the next screen, find the “Refresh Firefox” option :
  4. The second step of Firefox restoration
    After choosing this option, you will see the next message :
    The last step for Firefox

If you use Google Chrome
  1. Open Settings tab, find the “Advanced” button. In the extended tab choose the “Reset and clean up” button :
  2. In the appeared list, click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” :
  3. Finally, you will see the window, where you can see all the settings which will be reset to default :
Opera can be reset in the next way
  1. Open Settings menu by pressing the gear icon in the toolbar (left side of the browser window), then click “Advanced” option, and choose “Browser” button in the drop-down list. Scroll down, to the bottom of the settings menu. Find there “Restore settings to their original defaults” option :
  2. After clicking the “Restore settings…” button, you will see the window, where all settings, which will be reset, are shown :

As an afterword, I want to say that time plays against you and your PC. The activity of browser hijacker must be stopped as soon as possible, because of the possibility of other malware injection. This malware can be downloaded autonomously, or offered for you to download in one of the windows with advertisements, which are shown to you by the hijacker. You need to act as fast as you can.

I need your help to share this guide.

Browser hijackers are among the largest and also disruptive kinds of malware. I published this article to help you, so I wish you will help me to make the computer world completely clean of malware. Please, share this article in the social networks you use – Twitter, Reddit, Facebook – wherever.
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Wilbur Woodham
How to Remove Mountain Browse?

Name: Mountain Browse

Description: Mountain Browse - a lot of users became a victim of browser hijacker. I have a lot of friends who literally bombed me with the questions like “how to remove Mountain Browse?”. In this article we will show you how to deal with Mountain Browse (Mountainbrowse.com), which may corrupt your browser’s correct performance, and create a lot of troubles while you are working.

Operating System: Windows

Application Category: Browser Hijacker

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References

  1. More information about PUAs
  2. Detailed review of Microsoft Defender

About the author

Wilbur Woodham

I was a technical writer from early in my career, and consider IT Security one of my foundational skills. I’m sharing my experience here, and I hope you find it useful.

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