What is Search.hfasttrackerpackage.net? And how does it implement its attack?
Search.hfasttrackerpackage.net is another browser extension developed by Polarity Technologies Ltd. It supposedly allows users to track their packages online. You might find it useful, especially if you want to keep track of your packages but you should know better than to trust any browser extensions created by Polarity Technologies since most of them, if not all, have the reputation of being browser hijackers.
If you install Search.hfasttrackerpackage.net in your browser, it will quickly modify the default settings in your browsers such as the homepage, new tab page, and search provider. These changes are done without your permission which is why security experts tagged Search.hfasttrackerpackage.net as a browser hijacker and a potentially unwanted program. Like a typical browser hijacker, Search.hfasttrackerpackage.net is actually created not to help users track packages online but to generate revenue by displaying tons of sponsored content from its affiliated sites.
These sponsored contents mostly consist of pop-ups, in-text links, banners, etc. and they can get quite annoying as some of them won’t go away unless you click them. And if you click them, you might end up getting redirected to shady websites that could harm your computer. Moreover, aside from injecting ads, Search.hfasttrackerpackage.net also has the capability of tracking users’ activities online in order to collect browsing-related data like search queries, websites you frequently open, ISP, email addresses, and many more. The data obtained may be used to bring in more ads.
How does Search.hfasttrackerpackage.net spread over the web?
Search.hfasttrackerpackage.net could spread the web using several techniques. For one, it might spread via free sharing websites. Browser hijackers like Search.hfasttrackerpackage.net often use these free sharing websites. Thus, if you want to avoid browser hijackers and PUPs, you must always use the Advanced or Custom setup when installing browsers instead of the standard setup.
Make sure to use the removal guide laid out below as a reference to get rid of Search.hfasttrackerpackage.net from your browser and computer.
Step_1: First, you have to close the browser infected with the browser hijacker. And if you can’t close it manually, you can close it using the Task Manager instead. Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys and open the Task Manager.
Step_2: Next, look for the process of your browser, right-click on it and select End task or End process to close it.
Step_3: Afterwards, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “appwiz.cpl” in the field and press Enter to open the Programs and Features in Control Panel.
Step_4: From the list of programs installed, look for any programs that could be related to Search.hfasttrackerpackage.net or any suspicious program you don’t remember installing under the list of installed programs, and once you’ve found it, uninstall it.
Step_5: Edit your Hosts File.
- Tap the Win + R keys to open then type in %WinDir% and then click OK.
- Go to System32/drivers/etc.
- Open the hosts file using Notepad.
- Delete all the entries that contain Search.hfasttrackerpackage.net.
- After that, save the changes you’ve made and close the file.
Step_6: Now you have to flush the DNS cache of your computer. To do so, right-click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator). From there, type the “ipconfig /flushdns” command and hit Enter to flush the DNS.
Step_7: After that, restart your computer and then open your browsers and reset them back to their default state.
Google Chrome
- Open Google Chrome, then tap the Alt + F keys.
- After that, click on Settings.
- Next, scroll down until you see the Advanced option, once you see it, click on it.
- After clicking the Advanced option, go to the “Restore and clean up option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
- Now restart Google Chrome.
Mozilla Firefox
- Open Mozilla Firefox and tap Ctrl + Shift + A to access the Add-ons Manager.
- In the Extensions menu Remove the unwanted extension.
- Restart the browser and tap keys Alt + T.
- Select Options and then move to the General menu.
- Overwrite the URL in the Home Page section and then restart the browser.
Internet Explorer
- Launch Internet Explorer.
- Next, click the wrench icon for Settings.
- Then click Internet Options.
- After that, go to the Advanced tab.
- From there, click the Reset button. This will reset Internet Explorer’s settings to their default condition.
- Now click OK to save the changes made.
- Restart your computer.
Step_8: Hold down Windows + E keys simultaneously to open File Explorer.
Step_9: Navigate to the following directories and look for suspicious files associated with the browser hijacker such as the software bundle it came with and delete it/them.
- %USERPROFILE%\Downloads
- %USERPROFILE%\Desktop
- %TEMP%
Step_10: Close the File Explorer and empty the contents of Recycle Bin.
Congratulations, you have just removed Search.hfasttrackerpackage.net extension in Windows 10 all by yourself. If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit fixmypcfree.com daily.
Now that’s how you remove Search.hfasttrackerpackage.net extension in Windows 10 on a computer. On the other hand, if your computer is going through some system-related issues that have to get fixed, there is a one-click solution known as Restoro you could check out to resolve them.
This program is a useful tool that could repair corrupted registries and optimize your PC’s overall performance. Aside from that, it also cleans out your computer for any junk or corrupted files that help you eliminate any unwanted files from your system. This is basically a solution that’s within your grasp with just a click. It’s easy to use as it is user-friendly. For a complete set of instructions in downloading and using it, refer to the steps below
Perform a full system scan using Restoro. To do so, follow the instructions below.
