How to Remove Yahoo! Redirect From Chrome in 2025 by Manual Thomas

Manual Thomas

Updated on: January 7, 2025
Writer

If your Google Chrome browser keeps redirecting you to Yahoo!, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with a browser hijacker. These sneaky programs are designed to redirect you to specific websites — usually to spread malware, steal your data, or worse. You might notice fake Yahoo! search pages, strange search results, or even experience browser crashes.

The easiest and most effective way to remove the Yahoo! redirect virus (or any browser hijacker) is by using a reliable antivirus program. A good antivirus program will scan your system, isolate harmful files, and completely remove the hijacker. Plus, it’ll clean up any other malware causing trouble on your device.

The best tool for removing the Yahoo! redirect browser hijacker and other malware is Norton. It’s effective, affordable (starting at just £19.99 / year), and you can try it risk-free with a 60-day money-back guarantee.

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Preliminary Step: Check Chrome for Suspicious Browser Extensions and Restore Chrome’s Default Settings

Browser hijackers often install themselves as malicious or unwanted extensions in Chrome and then change your browser behavior. You may not even remember installing extensions: they often come bundled with freeware. Visiting certain websites or interacting with suspicious ads can also trigger unwanted downloads. Either way, it’s a good idea to try fixing the Yahoo! redirect issue by removing any suspicious browser extensions.

To remove suspicious browser extensions from Chrome, follow these steps:

1. Click on the 3 vertical dots (⋮) in the top right corner of Chrome.
2. Click Extensions. Then select Manage Extensions from the submenu that appears.

3. Check for any extensions that you don’t recognize (or that have appeared all of a sudden).
4. Click Remove.

Next, you should reset your browser’s search settings to their default options. To do this:

1. Click on the 3 vertical dots (⋮) in the top-right corner of Chrome.
2. Click Settings, then Reset settings.
3. Start typing “restore” in the search box and click on Restore settings to their original defaults when the option appears. Confirm your choice when prompted.

Google Chrome should now be back to normal. However, running a virus scan is still a good idea. If you have a browser hijacker installed on your system, when you next close Chrome or restart your computer, it will hijack your browser again and reconfigure your settings to redirect through the fake Yahoo! Page once more. You can also try the additional steps below.

If the Yahoo Redirect Issue Persists — Additional Steps to Try

If clearing suspicious extensions and resetting Chrome’s settings didn’t fix the problem, follow these additional steps:

1. Check Chrome Shortcut Properties

Sometimes, browser hijackers modify Chrome shortcut properties to include a malicious redirect URL. This step ensures your shortcut is clean:

1. Right-click on your Chrome shortcut (on your desktop or taskbar).
2. Select Properties.
3. In the Shortcut tab, look at the Target field. It should look something like this:
   “C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe”
4. If you see anything added after chrome.exe (e.g. a URL like usearch.net), delete that extra part. Do not touch the original path.
5. Click Apply, then OK.

2. Delete Suspicious Entries in Search Engines

Browser hijackers often modify Chrome’s search engine settings, adding or replacing legitimate search engines with malicious ones. To clean up these settings:

1. Open Chrome and click the 3 vertical dots (⋮) in the top-right corner.
2. Go to Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search.
3. Check the default search engine in the Search engines section at the top. If Yahoo or another unwanted search engine is set as the default, click the 3 vertical dots next to your preferred search engine (e.g., Google) and select Make default.
4. Review the list of search engines and delete any suspicious or unwanted entries, including Yahoo, if you don’t use it.
5. Scroll down to the Site Search section.

• Delete all entries except legitimate ones, such as Google, by clicking the 3 vertical dots next to each suspicious entry and selecting Delete.
• For Google, click the pencil icon and ensure the URL uses the correct query:{google:baseURL}search?q=%s&{google:RLZ}{google:originalQueryForSuggestion}{google:assistedQueryStats}{google:searchFieldtrialParameter}{google:language}{google:prefetchSource}{google:searchClient}{google:sourceId}{google:contextualSearchVersion}ie={inputEncoding}

3. Clear the DNS Cache

Malicious DNS entries can still cause redirects even after browser fixes. Clearing the DNS cache ensures a fresh start.

On Windows:

1. Press Win + R, type cmd, and hit Enter to open the Command Prompt.
2. Type:
   ipconfig/flushdns
3. Press Enter. You should see a confirmation that the DNS Resolver Cache has been flushed.

On Mac:

1. Open the Launchpad in the Dock and search for Terminal.
2. Open the Terminal app.
3. At the command prompt, type:
   sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder and press Return.
4. Enter your Mac’s password when prompted, then press Return again. (Note: Your password won’t appear as you type.)
5. Quit Terminal.

On Chrome:

1. Go to chrome://net-internals/#dns in the address bar.
2. Click Clear host cache.

4. Delete Temporary Files

Malware and hijackers sometimes leave behind temporary files that can interfere with your browser’s behavior. Clearing them removes any lingering traces.

On Windows:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type %temp% and press Enter to open the Temp folder.
3. Press Ctrl + A to select all files and folders.
4. Press Delete. Skip any files that can’t be deleted.

On Mac:

1. Open Finder > Applications > Utilities.
2. Open Disk Utility.
3. In Disk Utility, you will see a list of disks on the left side.
4. Select your Mac’s main drive (usually named “Macintosh HD”).
5. Click the “First Aid” button at the top of the window.
6. Click “Run” to start the process. This will check and repair disk errors, including issues related to cache and temporary files.

You can also clear the cache on a Mac with a third-party app like Intego. Follow these steps:

1. In the top-left corner of the window, click the Reclaim button.
2. Choose the Caches category.
3. Click Clean to remove the cache files.

You can now move on to scan your devices for viruses to ensure complete protection.

Step 1. Identify the Browser Hijacker With Your Antivirus (And Don’t Make the Problem Worse!)

Before we start, make sure your cell phone, tablet, or any removable storage devices are unplugged from your PC. If you have malware on your PC, it can replicate onto your removable storage devices and reinstall itself at a later date.

Pick a good antivirus program first. I recommend Norton 360 because it has a 100% malware detection rate, tons of security features, and is simple to use. You can also use Norton’s Power Eraser, which is a great free tool for removing malware, but it’s pretty basic — if you want full protection, any of the 360 plans is a much better choice.

After downloading a comprehensive antivirus program, run a full disk scan. You need to do this even if you’ve already removed suspicious extensions from Chrome, followed the above additional steps, or suspect you know where the malware files on your machine are located. Since malware replicates, there’s no way of knowing how many copies of it are hidden throughout your PC.

Don’t cancel the scan even if you see viruses you recognize in the infected file list. There’s no way of knowing how much malware is on your system, so it’s best to run the full disk scan through to completion.

The full disk scan can take up to 4 hours as your antivirus needs to check every file and process on your computer. You might experience a slowdown if performing CPU-intensive activities while scanning, so it’s a good idea to run the scan overnight or when you’re not using your computer. When your antivirus has alerted you the malware scan is complete, every instance of malware will be quarantined. You’re now ready to move on to step 2.

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Step 2. Remove the Browser Hijacker and Delete Any Other Infected Files

Your antivirus will now take you to its quarantine folder. Here you’ll see a list of every flagged file. You can go through this list and look for safe files (if you’re a tech-savvy user) or trust your antivirus and delete everything it quarantined (if you’re an inexperienced user).

After removing/whitelisting every detected file, restart your computer. When your computer has restarted, run a second full disk scan to ensure every trace of malware has been removed. The second scan won’t take as long as the first scan because many antiviruses remember recently scanned files and only check new or modified ones.

You shouldn’t be able to see any more flagged files after the second scan. However, if there are files listed in the quarantine folder, you need to keep repeating steps 1 and 2 until you can scan your PC without any detections.

When this is done, check if Google Chrome is working as usual. If it’s not, you may have to follow our preliminary step again to reset Chrome’s default search engine.

If Chrome is back to its normal self, you’re ready for step 3.

Step 3. Keep Your Device Protected From Other Unwanted Programs

You’ve now witnessed how easy it is to get infected by malware on your PC. Cybercriminals release new malware daily, and without protection, you’re constantly at risk of data harvesting, identity theft, and more. Here’s what you need to do avoid getting re-infected with a browser hijacker or a similar piece of malware:

• Avoid Freeware From Untrusted Sources: Everybody likes free stuff, but many free programs bundle adware or unwanted software. Using freeware is fine, but always stick to reputable websites. If you’re unsure about a site, you can always check its URL using an online URL and virus scanner.
• Avoid Downloading Suspicious Files: Stay away from suspicious links and don’t download attachments from unfamiliar senders. Even when you recognize the sender, double-check their full email address before opening any attachments. Always ensure you have an antivirus with real-time protection running, too, so that files, websites, and emails are actively scanned for harmful content and unsafe downloads are blocked.
• Keep Your Software, OS, and Drivers Up-To-Date: Outdated software exposes your system to vulnerabilities, making it easier for cybercriminals to exploit them and infect your device with malware. Enable automatic updates whenever possible and use this free scanner to check for vulnerabilities on your device. Some top antivirus programs even offer vulnerability scanners that automatically ensure your computer runs the latest software versions.
• Limit Administrator Privileges: Use a standard user account and avoid logging in with administrator privileges for everyday tasks. This limits the damage if malware tries to install itself, as admin access is often required for significant changes.
• Install an Ad Blocker: Many unwanted programs spread through malicious ads (malvertising) on websites. An ad blocker like any from this list will reduce the chance of interacting with these ads.
• Practice Good Password Hygiene: Weak or reused passwords can leave you vulnerable to cyberattacks and data breaches. Use a password manager like 1Password to create and store strong, unique passwords for all your accounts. 1Password also offers features like monitoring for compromised logins and secure vaults to keep your sensitive data protected.

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