Max-search2016.com

Posted by Max Lehmann on October 21, 2016

What is Max-search2016.com?

Max-search2016.com is a strange search engine that practically does not seem to function for the time being. You can encounter this search page in your browsers after a browser hijacker enters your system and changes the home page settings. Obviously, the mere presence of this hijacker is questionable and you may not even remember installing it. Apart from it being totally useless and without any function, you should know that the emergence of this infection could also indicate the presence of other malware programs that could actually pose a threat to your system security. Of course, this browser hijacker may also start working in the near future so it is best to be prepared and to understand the consequences of keeping it in your browsers. If you do not want to let more infections on board or experience online scams, we suggest that you start restoring your virtual security by removing Max-search2016.com from your browsers. However, this may only be the first step. If you want to use a perfectly safe system, you need to hunt down all other potentially harmful applications as well. test

Where does Max-search2016.com come from?

Our malware specialists at anti-spyware-101.com have found that this browser hijacker is a new clone in a new hijacker family that includes Time-search2016.com and Mim-search2016.com among others. These infections are identical twins of each other and none of them appears to work as yet. We have also realized that this malware infection, including the other clones, is not really popular and widely spreading, but this can change soon. In any case, you may infect your computer with this useless search engine page after you click on unreliable third-party commercial advertisements. If this happens while you are browsing the web, it is possible that there are unwanted applications on your computer, such as adware programs. You need to know that not only can ad-supported programs display potentially unsafe advertisements coming from cyber criminals, but they can also hijack normal and authentic third-party commercials. This means that you are never safe surfing the web if there is even one single adware app hiding on your system.

The other very frequent way to infect your computer with malicious programs even in bundles is to visit shady websites related to gambling and file sharing. But it can be any questionable website that promotes third-party content, including banner and pop-up ads. If you find yourself on an unfamiliar website that offers you three to four download buttons and links, at least two to three next-page buttons, and so on, you may get easily confused and could click on the wrong content. It is possible that only one out of four download buttons is real and belongs to the site itself. Imagine what could happen if you choose wrongly. You may download a bundle packed with malicious software installers. If this happens, it is definitely not enough for you to delete Max-search2016.com alone. We suggest that you use a proper malware scanner to run a deep scan on your machine to find all threats.

How does Max-search2016.com work?

As we have pointed it out earlier, this browser hijacker along with all the other clones do not work at all. This means that if you try to send your search request, nothing really happens. Apart from the main search box on this page, there are eight categories below with five keywords each. Clicking on these copies the keywords into the search box but no real search happens. By first look, you would think that this is an innocent and harmless search page. This could be the trick and the trap as well because many users may keep it in their browsers and would not bother to remove it.

However, behind the innocent façade, there could be malicious intention. For example, what if this browser hijacker can gather information about your browsing activities? What if this information is shared with third parties? What if cyber criminals can pose as third parties? And, of course, what if this search engine starts to function and you may find yourself on a legitimate-looking third-party search results page containing potentially harmful third-party ads and sponsored links? If you happen to click on the wrong ad or link, you could end up on malicious websites or simply drop infections onto your system. It is also possible that you lose money from your bank account or even your personal information could be stolen by criminals. If you want to protect yourself and your computer from such nightmares, it is best for you to remove Max-search2016.com from your PC.

How can I delete Max-search2016.com?

Mainly, there are two ways for you to put an end to this threat. Since there is a possibility that this is not the only undesirable infection in your browsers, you may want to reset them all. But, if you do not want to lose your preferences or some beloved extensions, you can use our instructions below. Not all users like to or dare to go for the manual method though. And, you may also see that protecting your computer is way too difficult for you. The solution in this case is installing a trustworthy anti-malware program, such as SpyHunter, or any other security tool you find suitable for your needs.

Remove Max-search2016.com from browsers

Internet Explorer

Press Win+R and type in regedit. Click OK.
Edit the value data of “http://max-search2016.com” in the following registry keys:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Start Page (64-bit)
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Start Page
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Start Page
Close the editor.

Google Chrome

Press Win+E to launch File Explorer.
Go to the “C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default” folder.
Bin Preferences, Secure Preferences, and Web Data files.

Mozilla Firefox

Press Win+E to launch File Explorer.
Go to the “C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{Unique Mozilla user ID}” folder.
Open prefs.js in a text editor, such as Notepad.
Locate the user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://max-search2016.com /") string and overwrite “max-search2016.com” with a URL you want as your home page.