Do you know what OnlineMapSearch Toolbar is?
It is possible to find OnlineMapSearch Toolbar, a new bad toolbar from Mindspark Interactive Network, Inc., in your browsers as your new home page and new tab page without remembering how or when you actually installed this. Obviously, this would raise some important system security questions but first of all we must tell you that however questionable this browser extension may be based on our past experiences with this family, it does not mean serious and direct danger. This is why it has been categorized as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) by our researchers after examining and testing it in our internal lab. This PUP is almost identical to other members of the Mindspark family, including DailyProductivityTools Toolbar, NoteHomepage Toolbar, and AllInOneDocs Toolbar. Just like in the previous cases, we suggest that you remove OnlineMapSearch Toolbar to keep your system clean and safe.
In all fairness, you can install this browser extension officially by either visiting its webpage at free.onlinemapsearch.com or the Chrome web store at chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/onlinemapsearch/bdgekjdcgjjbgkhaphfidhfmppeebahn. We do not believe though that too many users would find these pages while looking for a free tool featuring links to interactive map-related sites. In fact, you can easily bookmark such pages by simply using your browsers’ built-in function. So before you rush to install such a tool, we recommend that you run a quick web search first since you may find articles right on the first results page talking about how and why you should remove OnlineMapSearch Toolbar as a PUP.
One of the main things against this application is the fact that it may use alternative channels to your computer. This means that you may download it in a freeware bundle or by clicking on an unreliable third-party advertisement pretending to be a software update. Clearly, the bigger security threat comes from a whole bundle of unfortunate surprises. In fact, such a software bundle may pack several PUPs and malicious infections in addition to a legitimate free program. You may infect your computer with such a bundle if you click on questionable third-party content. This content could be generated by malware infections on your system, including browser hijackers and ad-supported programs, or by suspicious websites that tend to host several third-party ads, such as torrent, freeware, and gambling pages.
OnlineMapSearch Toolbar screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
Even if you drop such a package accidentally onto your system, while you are installing it you may still have a chance to deselect the components and tools you do not wish to let on board. This is what most users miss or ignore and end up with a bunch of PUPs and threats. This is why we believe that you should delete OnlineMapSearch Toolbar first and then, use a malware scanner to figure out how seriously your system may have been hit by malicious programs as well.
At first sight this browser extension might seem to be useful if you are a traveler and constantly need to check maps and directions to your destinations. But even so, we believe that it is much safer and easier to simply bookmark certain pages that you may use over and over again. Using a Mindspark toolbar always has its risks. This is mainly owing to the search engine promoted by this family. This particular toolbar offers you a number of links to map and direction-related websites via a menu system, including menus like Map Links, Traffic Maps, and Find Local Events. You can also see a line of thumbnail links below the main search field as well as two input fields further below where you can directly enter two locations and find direction information. To be frank, this page looks a bit too messy. But this is not why we say that you should delete OnlineMapSearch Toolbar.
Its search engine (int.search.myway.com) redirects your web search queries to a possibly manipulated and customized Google search results page, which may hold some unpleasant surprises for you. You might, for example, be exposed to unreliable third-party ads and sponsored links that are the only source of easy income for the creators of this free tool. However, no responsibility can be taken for the third parties and their contents, which means that even cyber criminals might pose as third parties. If you click on questionable ads or links, you could be taken to fake websites pretending to be online shops or downright malicious pages that are there to infect you with more serious threats or scam you in different ways. We advise you to remove OnlineMapSearch Toolbar if you prefer to use a secure computer.
If you want to make this PUP disappear, first you need to locate its uninstaller in Control Panel. We must tell you though that this uninstaller only works for Internet Explorer. For this reason, you should reset your Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome to be on the safe side. We have prepared the necessary instructions for you, which you can find below. Since restoring security in your virtual world may not only be about this PUP alone, we suggest that you make sure that all other potentially harmful applications are taken care of, too. You may want to consider using a professional malware remover, such as SpyHunter, which is a reliable security tool that can automatically defend your system from all known malware infections.
Remove OnlineMapSearch Toolbar from Windows
Windows XP
- Click Start and go to Control Panel.
- Open Add or Remove Programs.
- Click on the application and press Remove.
Windows Vista and Windows 7
- Press Win+R and enter Control Panel. Press OK.
- Select Uninstall a program.
- Click on the application and press Uninstall.
Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10
- Tap Win+I and open Control Panel.
- Go to Uninstall a program.
- Click on the application and press Uninstall.
How to reset your browsers
Google Chrome
- Tap Alt+F and choose Settings.
- Click Show advanced settings at the bottom.
- Click Reset settings at the bottom.
- Press Reset.
Mozilla Firefox
- Tap Alt+H and go to Troubleshooting Information.
- Press Refresh Firefox and press Refresh Firefox in the pop-up.
In non-techie terms:
OnlineMapSearch Toolbar is a new creation of Mindspark Interactive Network, Inc. that might present some virtual security issues for you if you keep it on board. This potentially unwanted program might display manipulated search results to you that may redirect you to malicious websites run by criminals or may behave in an unexpected way, such as they might drop further infections. Since this extension may be found spreading in questionable freeware bundles containing malware infections, we suggest that you remove OnlineMapSearch Toolbar as soon as possible along with all other threat sources. If the manual protection of your PC exceeds your IT skills, we recommend the use of a trustworthy anti-malware application.