What is Catstart.com?
Catstart.com (also called catstart new tab) is a well-known browser hijacker, which is distributed with different free software that user downloads off of the Internet. It changes a homepage in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, IE, and Safari. A virus has an alternative search provider, which can show not actually results with a great number of commercials and malware sites. Besides, Catstart.com analyses all users history in a browser, including a list of all visited sites. In result, users have problems, that machine become slowly, and it is difficult to find any result in an infected machine.
It is known that Catstart.com bundled with other free programs. A malicious program blocks browser settings, so user can’t change a homepage http://catstart.com/ on another. Besides that, a hijacker is implemented into the registry, so removing is blocked by Windows Group Policies. As well as others similar hijackers, Catstart.com can cause troubles on Windows XP, Vista/7, 8/8.1, Windows 10. Follow instructions below to remove Catstart.com from browsers.
How Catstart.com got installed on your computer?
Catstart.com don’t install on your PC automatically. Sometimes it gets with spam emails or torrents. Usually, a malware program installs with different programs, like “additional” or “bonus” program, so it can be successfully checked and deselected in advanced options of the installation process. Also, you can accidentally get it from advertising links or sites. Note, that without your permission Catstart.com has near to zero chances to be installed on your device so our advice is to grant access for installation only for trusted software.
- First and the most striking proof of having a browser hijacker is the change of the main page. Usually, it is a search engine page that is designed so that user would believe in its legitimacy.
- Generally, hijackers cause redirections when user makes a search query on its page or tries to reach a blocked site (usually another search engine or anti-malware sites)
- Another indicator of hijacker infection is appearance of new programs, toolbars and browser extensions that you don’t remember installing and processes in start-up queue.
- Also, you may notice the significant slowdown in the system operating, since running of the applications required for malware activity may consume a lot of CPU.
- Besides, hijacker infection may as well negatively affect the speed of Internet connection.
- Click the Start button and open Control Panel
- Go to Add or Remove Programs
- Find the application related to Catstart.com and click Uninstall
- Click the Start button and open Control Panel
- Go to Uninstall Program
- Find the application related to Catstart.com and click Uninstall
- Right-click the menu icon in left bottom corner
- Choose Control Panel
- Select the Uninstall Program line
- Uninstall the application related to Catstart.com
- Press Win+X to open Windows Power menu
- Click Control Panel
- Choose Uninstall a Program
- Select the application related to Catstart.com and remove it
- Start Command Prompt as Administrator
- To do this in Windows 10/8 or Windows 7 click Start and in the search box type cmd. Right-click on the found result and choose Run as Administrator.
- While in command prompt type:
rd /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicyUsers" - Press Enter button.
- Then type:
rd /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicy" - Press Enter button.
- Finally, type:
gpupdate /force - Press Enter button.
- Start Google Chrome
- Click on More tools, then go to the Extensions
- Delete Catstart.com or other extensions that look suspicious and you don’t remember installing them
- Launch Internet Explorer
- Click on the Tools/Gear icon, then select Manage Add-ons
- Delete Catstart.com or other extensions that look suspicious and you don’t remember installing them
- Start Mozilla Firefox
- Click on the right-upper corner button
- Click Add-ons, then go to Extensions
- Delete Catstart.com or other extensions that look suspicious and you don’t remember installing them
- Start Microsoft Edge
- Click the three-dot button in the upper right corner
- Choose Extensions
- Click the gear icon near Catstart.com or other extensions that look suspicious and you don’t remember installing them
- Choose Remove
- Click on the icon in the right-upper corner
- Choose Settings
- Click Advanced settings
- Click the Reset button
- In “reset” window click the Reset button
- Click the icon in the upper right corner
- Choose Help
- Select Troubleshooting Information
- Click the Refresh Firefox… button
- Click on the Tools button
- Go to Internet options
- Go to the Advanced tab
- Click Reset
- Start Microsoft Edge
- Click the three-dot button in the upper right corner
- Choose Settings
- Under the Clear browsing data category select Choose what to clear
- Select everything and click Clear
Symptoms of Catstart.com infection
How to remove Catstart.com?
To make sure that the hijacker won’t appear again, you need to delete Catstart.com completely. For this, you need to remove the application from the Control Panel and then check the drives for such leftovers as Catstart.com files and registry entries.
We should warn you that performing some of the steps may require above-average skills, so if you don’t feel experienced enough, you may apply to the automatic removal tool.
Performing an antimalware scan with Norton would automatically search out and delete all elements related to Catstart.com. It is not only the easiest way to eliminate Catstart.com, but also the safest and most assuring one.
Steps of Catstart.com manual removal
Uninstall Catstart.com from Control Panel
As it was stated before, more likely that the hijacker appeared on your system brought by other software. So, to get rid of Catstart.com you need to call to memory what you have installed recently.
How to remove Catstart.com from Windows XP
How to remove Catstart.com from Windows 7/Vista
How to remove Catstart.com from Windows 8/8.1
How to remove Catstart.com from Windows 10
If you experience problems with removing Catstart.com from Control Panel: there is no such title on the list, or you receive an error preventing you from deleting the application, see the article dedicated to this issue.
Read what to do if program won’t uninstall from Control Panel
Remove Catstart.com from browsers
How to unlock Windows Group Policies
Before you will started to remove Catstart.com from browser you should perform following instructions in Command Prompt
This step is necessary to delete Windows Group Policies created by Catstart.com
Since some of hijacker threats use a disguise of a browser add-on, you will need to check the list of extensions/add-ons in your browser.
How to remove Catstart.com from Google Chrome
How to remove Catstart.com from Internet Explorer
How to remove Catstart.com from Mozilla Firefox
How to remove Catstart.com from Microsoft Edge
Reset your browsers
How to reset settings in Google Chrome
How to reset settings in Mozilla Firefox
How to reset settings in Internet Explorer
How to reset settings in Microsoft Edge
If the above-mentioned methods didn’t help in eliminating the threat, then it’s better to rely on an automatic way of deleting Catstart.com.
We also recommend to download and use Norton to scan the system after Catstart.com removal to make sure that it is completely gone. The antimalware application will detect any vicious components left among system files and registry entries that can recover Catstart.com.
