About Duckduckgo.com
Duckduckgo.com is legitimate browser extension that focuses on privacy. While it is in no way a virus, nor is it harmful, some users find it in their browsers without recollection of ever installing it. There are plenty of extensions that take over browsers without permission, and they’re usually referred to as browser hijackers. However, calling Duckduckgo a hijacker may be a bit harsh, although it does employ some questionable methods to distribute.
The extension is will change your browser’s settings and set you a different homepage/search engine. Once that is done, all searches you perform via your browser address bar will go through Duckduckgo.com. It’s a privacy oriented search engine, so you don’t need to worry about harmful results being shown to you. However, if you did not install the extension yourself, you should not permit it to remain installed on your device. It may have used the bundling method to install, which allows programs to set up without being noticed by users. It’s usually the result of users installing programs without paying attention. However, it’s easy to avoid these unwanted installations, as long as you correctly install programs. We will explain how to do that in the following paragraph.
Some browser hijackers can cause harm to your device indirectly, as they redirect users to questionable websites. However, Duckduckgo will not do that. Nevertheless, if you feel that you will not use it, or it installed without permission, you should delete Duckduckgo.com.
How do Duckduckgo.com install?
You could have installed the extension yourself, as it is popular, particularly among privacy enthusiasts. However, if you do not remember ever installing it, it may have used the bundling method. That essentially means that it could have been attached to some free software you did install as an extra offer. Those extra offers are authorized to install alongside, unless you manually prevent them from doing so. Because the offers are hidden during freeware installation, many users do not notice them. In order to make them visible, you need to use Advanced (Custom) settings to install freeware. While Default settings will keep the offers hidden, Advanced will make them visible. When you are given a list of offers, all you need to do is uncheck their boxes. Once the boxes have been unchecked, you may continue installing the program.
Choosing Advanced settings and deselecting the offers will help you avoid many unwanted programs, which can be annoying to get rid of later on. Unchecking those boxes take mere seconds, and you might spend hours trying to uninstall those unwanted offers.
Should you remove Duckduckgo.com?
Like we said above, Duckduckgo is a fully legitimate search engine that a lot of people use. It does not track users, which makes it a popular choice among privacy cautious people. However, not everyone chooses to use it willingly. Using the bundling method is a questionable strategy that could put off users from using it.
Once the extension is installed, it will set Duckduckgo.com as your homepage/search engine. That means that every time you open your Internet Explorer, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox browsers, you will be redirected to Duckduckgo.com. Some users might be confused about why that is happening, but it’s simply because the site is set to be the homepage. These changes are irreversible while the extension is installed, so if you try to change the homepage manually only to have it set to Duckduckgo.com again, you might start thinking it’s a virus. However, the extension is simply nullifying your changes. As soon as you remove it, you will be able to change your homepage.
Duckduckgo.com is a search engine focused on privacy. It does not track your searches, store personal information or show you targeted ads. You will see ads, however. As usual, our advice is to be careful with adverts, as they may not always be safe, even on completely legitimate search engines. Results should be okay, as they are certainly checked for security.
Unlike browser hijackers, Duckduckgo.com does not track you so there is no need to worry about it collecting information about you. However, if you did not install it yourself, keeping it may not be the best idea.
Duckduckgo.com removal
It’s doubtful anti-spyware programs will detect Duckduckgo.com as a threat. If you want it gone, you will likely have to uninstall it manually. It shouldn’t be difficult to do, but if you are confused about how to begin, follow the instructions provided below this article.
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Quick Menu
Step 1. Uninstall Duckduckgo.com and related programs.
Remove Duckduckgo.com from Windows 8
Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen. Once Quick Access Menu shows up, select Control Panel choose Programs and Features and select to Uninstall a software.
Uninstall Duckduckgo.com from Windows 7
Click Start → Control Panel → Programs and Features → Uninstall a program.
Delete Duckduckgo.com from Windows XP
Click Start → Settings → Control Panel. Locate and click → Add or Remove Programs.
Remove Duckduckgo.com from Mac OS X
Click Go button at the top left of the screen and select Applications. Select applications folder and look for Duckduckgo.com or any other suspicious software. Now right click on every of such entries and select Move to Trash, then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.
Step 2. Delete Duckduckgo.com from your browsers
Terminate the unwanted extensions from Internet Explorer
- Tap the Gear icon and go to Manage Add-ons.
- Pick Toolbars and Extensions and eliminate all suspicious entries (other than Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Oracle or Adobe)
- Leave the window.
Change Internet Explorer homepage if it was changed by virus:
- Tap the gear icon (menu) on the top right corner of your browser and click Internet Options.
- In General Tab remove malicious URL and enter preferable domain name. Press Apply to save changes.
Reset your browser
- Click the Gear icon and move to Internet Options.
- Open the Advanced tab and press Reset.
- Choose Delete personal settings and pick Reset one more time.
- Tap Close and leave your browser.
- If you were unable to reset your browsers, employ a reputable anti-malware and scan your entire computer with it.
Erase Duckduckgo.com from Google Chrome
- Access menu (top right corner of the window) and pick Settings.
- Choose Extensions.
- Eliminate the suspicious extensions from the list by clicking the Trash bin next to them.
- If you are unsure which extensions to remove, you can disable them temporarily.
Reset Google Chrome homepage and default search engine if it was hijacker by virus
- Press on menu icon and click Settings.
- Look for the “Open a specific page” or “Set Pages” under “On start up” option and click on Set pages.
- In another window remove malicious search sites and enter the one that you want to use as your homepage.
- Under the Search section choose Manage Search engines. When in Search Engines..., remove malicious search websites. You should leave only Google or your preferred search name.
Reset your browser
- If the browser still does not work the way you prefer, you can reset its settings.
- Open menu and navigate to Settings.
- Press Reset button at the end of the page.
- Tap Reset button one more time in the confirmation box.
- If you cannot reset the settings, purchase a legitimate anti-malware and scan your PC.
Remove Duckduckgo.com from Mozilla Firefox
- In the top right corner of the screen, press menu and choose Add-ons (or tap Ctrl+Shift+A simultaneously).
- Move to Extensions and Add-ons list and uninstall all suspicious and unknown entries.
Change Mozilla Firefox homepage if it was changed by virus:
- Tap on the menu (top right corner), choose Options.
- On General tab delete malicious URL and enter preferable website or click Restore to default.
- Press OK to save these changes.
Reset your browser
- Open the menu and tap Help button.
- Select Troubleshooting Information.
- Press Refresh Firefox.
- In the confirmation box, click Refresh Firefox once more.
- If you are unable to reset Mozilla Firefox, scan your entire computer with a trustworthy anti-malware.
Uninstall Duckduckgo.com from Safari (Mac OS X)
- Access the menu.
- Pick Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions Tab.
- Tap the Uninstall button next to the undesirable Duckduckgo.com and get rid of all the other unknown entries as well. If you are unsure whether the extension is reliable or not, simply uncheck the Enable box in order to disable it temporarily.
- Restart Safari.
Reset your browser
- Tap the menu icon and choose Reset Safari.
- Pick the options which you want to reset (often all of them are preselected) and press Reset.
- If you cannot reset the browser, scan your whole PC with an authentic malware removal software.
Site Disclaimer
2-remove-virus.com is not sponsored, owned, affiliated, or linked to malware developers or distributors that are referenced in this article. The article does not promote or endorse any type of malware. We aim at providing useful information that will help computer users to detect and eliminate the unwanted malicious programs from their computers. This can be done manually by following the instructions presented in the article or automatically by implementing the suggested anti-malware tools.
The article is only meant to be used for educational purposes. If you follow the instructions given in the article, you agree to be contracted by the disclaimer. We do not guarantee that the artcile will present you with a solution that removes the malign threats completely. Malware changes constantly, which is why, in some cases, it may be difficult to clean the computer fully by using only the manual removal instructions.