Although it’s not malicious, Omniboxes is considered a browser hijacker as it acts a bit intrusive: it alters your browser settings without permission, may display subjective search results, and will track and collect your personal information.
How Does Omniboxes Work?
Once in your system, Omniboxes will change your default browser settings and home page whether you want it or not. The browser hijacker is likely to manipulate your search results in order to lure you into clicking links to possibly infected websites that you wouldn’t otherwise open.
It is also possible that Omniboxes will start displaying various unwanted pop-up ads that could also redirect you to corrupted webpages when you click them.
Omniboxes is created by SuperNet Technology Limited , and according to its Privacy Policy, it will collect some personally identifiable (email address, age, gender , address, telephone, login name, areas of interest, etc.) and non-identifiable information (IP address, browser type, Internet service provider, browsing habits, cookie information, etc.).
The Privacy Policy also states that Omniboxes uses cookies in order to “improve the users experience while visiting the website.”
Although Omniboxes claims that the personal data it tracks and records from you is to improve your user experience, it may share your data with third party advertising agencies which will use it to customize your search results and spam you with even more ads.
How Did I Get Omniboxes on My PC?
You can either personally install Omniboxes from its official website or it can infiltrate your system bundled with other freeware you download from the Web.
The bundling method is a popular and legal option of attaching various PUPs (potentially unwanted programs) to free programs. This method is legal because it is mentioned during the installation process of the freeware, and you are even given the option to opt out of it. Unfortunately, most users rarely pay attention to such details and miss to disable the bundling. This way, they often end up with unwanted programs that could slow down their system, annoy them with multiple pop-up ads, and even put their system at risk.
It is then of utmost importance to read carefully the information during an installation process, disallow the bundling, uncheck all options you know nothing about and aim for custom installation.
Should You Remove Omniboxes?
Omniboxes is not malicious as it does not harm your system. It acts intrusive because it can enter your system without permission; will make changes to your browser; will track your browsing routine; will record your personal information; may manipulate your search results and could annoy you with multiple ads.
Needless to say, you have no benefit of keeping Omniboxes in your system. If you already have it on your PC without intentionally downloading it, it’s best to remove it – just to save yourself a little hassle.
In order to remove it, make sure you use a well-trusted anti-malware tool that would scan and clean your system successfully.
Spy Hunter FREE scanner will only detect the threat. If you want the threat to be automatically removed, you need to purchase the full version of the anti-malware tool. Find Out More About SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
2. Remove Omniboxes automatically with Spy Hunter Malware – Removal Tool.
To clean your computer with the award-winning software Spy Hunter –
It is highly recommended to run a FREE scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter.
- Guide 1: How to Remove Omniboxes from Windows.
- Guide 2: Get rid of Omniboxes from Mac OS X.
- Guide 3: Remove Omniboxes from Google Chrome.
- Guide 4: Erase Omniboxes from Mozilla Firefox.
- Guide 5: Uninstall Omniboxes from Microsoft Edge.
- Guide 6: Remove Omniboxes from Safari.
- Guide 7: Eliminate Omniboxes from Internet Explorer.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
How to Remove Omniboxes from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Omniboxes
Step 2: Uninstall Omniboxes and related software from Windows
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.Step 3: Clean any registries, created by Omniboxes on your computer.
The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by Omniboxes there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.Before starting "Step 4", please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Get rid of Omniboxes from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall Omniboxes and remove related files and objects
1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove Omniboxes via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 2: Scan for and remove malware from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts, programs and malware, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. Combo Cleaner offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Remove Omniboxes from Google Chrome.
Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu
Step 2: Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"
Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Erase Omniboxes from Mozilla Firefox.
Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window
Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.
Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Uninstall Omniboxes from Microsoft Edge.
Step 1: Start Edge browser.
Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.
Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".
Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.
Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Remove Omniboxes from Safari.
Step 1: Start the Safari app.
Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.
Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".
Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.
Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.
Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.
A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the Omniboxes will be removed.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Eliminate Omniboxes from Internet Explorer.
Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.
Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'
Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.
Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click 'Disable'. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click 'Disable'.
Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red 'X' button located at the top right corner and start it again.
