How To Remove MetaCrawler Toolbar Malware And Infospace.com Viruses (Metacrawler.com Hijacker Virus)

What is Metacrawler (Metacrawler.com)?

Meta Crawler (Metacrawler, Metacrawler.com [formerly “Live Search”]) is a corrupt “meta crawler” search engine that blends top search results from Bing, Google, Yahoo, and other search engines such as Ask.com currently owned by InfoSpace. Metacrawler.com and the Metacrawler Toolbar are very dangerous. Removing Metacrawler settings from your computer and internet browser are strictly recommended to protect personal information, computer settings, and internet browser funtionality.

Metacrawler Toolbar is a malware add-on/extension which installs to internet browsers with or without user consent. The Metacrawler Toolbar is used to activate and distribute malware such as adware and spyware.

Metacrawler.com also operates similar to a redirection virus in which Metacrawler.com (or related URLs, infospace.com) redirect internet browser users to metacrawler.com and other meta search engines. Metacrawler is known to provide more third party links and advertisements than useful search results.

What is Infospace (Blucora)?

InfoSpace, also known as Blucora (or Blue Cora, rembrand) is a corrupt company involved in many online scams and illegal activity such as share holder lawsuits. In a shareholder lawsuit filed in 2003, a lower court federal judge ruled that former InfoSpace CEO, Naveen Jain, had purchased shares of Infospace in violation of six month short swing insider trading rules, and issued a $247 million judgment against him.

InfoSpace is assumed to act corrupt because of it’s once promise and ownership (Excite, etc) in the early 1990’s which lead to complete failure. For example, in March 2000 the company’s stock price reached $1,305 and by June 2002 Infospace’s stock price plummeted to $2.67.

•  In 2000, InfoSpace used a controversial accounting method to report $46 million in profits when in fact it had lost $282 million. Company executives skirted SEC trading restrictions to sell large blocks of their personal stock.
• In June 2012, after a slue of releasing employees, and selling, and purchasing other websites the company purchased TaxAct and rebranded to Blucora, and the NASDAQ tag has changed to BCOR.

Blucora’s flagship metasearch site is Dogpile; its other consumer brands are WebCrawler, Nation, and DoGreatGood.

Metacrawler.com/Infospace.com malware symptoms

• A Metacrawler.com infection may cause redirections to a variety of Metacrawler.com based websites and Infospace.com websites such as fantastigames.metacrawler.com, wsdsold.infospace.com/pemonitorhosted/ws/index, infospace.com/pemonitorhosted/search/home, and others.

• Metacrawler.com installs the Metacrawler Toolbar on internet browsers, or other third party add-ons and extensions. Most extensions will be similar to other Blucora malware products.
• Metacrawler.com and Infospace.com change internet browser settings such as additional managed search engines (search providers).
• Metacrawler.com and Infospace.com change home page (start up page) settings to redirect to a variety of Metacrawler.com and Infospace.com related websites such as fantastigames.metacrawler.com, wsdsold.infospace.com/pemonitorhosted/ws/index, infospace.com/pemonitorhosted/search/home, and others.

Why are Metacrawler.com and Infospace.com dangerous?

• Metacrawler.com and Infospace.com track and trace infected users internet activity.
• Metacrawler.com and Infospace.com gather personal information and information from internet protocol addresses such as latitude and longitude of the infected system.
• Metacrawler.com and Infospace leave the door open for third party applications to access your internet browser, alter settings, install cookies, and track and trace internet activity.
• Metacrawler.com and Infospace.com display third party advertisements which may be malicious. Metacrawler.com and Infospace.com do not claim responsibilities for third party links they associate with or provide.
• Metacrawler.com and Infospace.com have a very dangerous, dishonest, and wild past which may define their services, software, and websites as a total risk. The actions of Metacrawler.com and Infospace.com in the past can only lead security experts to assume Metacrawler.com and Infospace.com are highly dangerous, especially concerning the privacy of personal information and cyber criminal activity such as extortion schemes. Metacrawler.com and Infospace.com have been involved in many criminal schemes and lawsuits which can only conclude their online presence is solely extortion induced.

How to remove Metacrawler.com and Infospace.com

Removing the Metacrawler Toolbar and repairing internet browser settings to normal is strongly recommended. Please note that if you find removing the Metacrawler Toolbar difficult or impossible you may have to enter your system as an administrative user.

Metacrawler Toolbar and Metacrawler.com removal process

1. Uninstall Metacrawler Toolbar and applications (Only if necessary)
2. Remove add-ons / extensions (Only if necessary)
3. Repair additional search engine settings (stop redirection)
4. Repair home page (start up page) settings

1. Uninstall Metacrawler Toolbar and applications (Only if necessary)

First check to see if Metacrawler or any Infospace associates installed applications or software onto your computer. Please note it is more so unlikely that you will find any software.

Windows XP 

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add or Remove Programs or Uninstall a Program.

2. In the Currently installed programs list, click “Metacrawler Toolbar” or search for other suspicious applications then click Uninstall. and follow the on-screen steps.

Windows Vista or Windows 7

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Programs and Features or Uninstall a Program. 2. In the Currently installed programs list, click “Metacrawler Toolbar “ (or other) then click Uninstall.

2. Remove add-ons / extensions (Only if necessary)

It is recommended to search for any extensions which Metacrawler.com or Infospace.com may have attached to your internet browser and remove them if present.

Google Chrome click the wrench icon, navigate to Tools > Extensions and remove any malicious extension from the list.

Mozilla Firefox navigate to Tools > Add-ons > Extensions and remove all malicious extensions.

Microsoft Internet Explorer navigate to Tools> Manage add-ons and remove all malicious add ons.

3. Repair additional search engine settings (stop redirection)

Internet Explorer users

1. Open the Internet Options window.

2. In the General Tab, click the Settings button under the Search section

3. Select Metacrawler.com (or related) and click on Remove.

4. Then click on OK.

Mozilla Firefox users

1. Open the  Search Engine menu by clicking the arrow which is located in the upper-right corner of FireFox.

2. Choose Manage Search Engines…

3. Select Metacrawler.com (or related).

4. Click the Remove button, and then click OK.

Google Chrome users

1. Click the wrench icon next to the browser address bar

2. Select Options or Settings

3. Click the Basics tab.

4. Click Manage search engines in the “Search” section.

5. Select Metacrawler.com (or related) from the Other search engines list

6. Click the X that appears at the right side.

7. Click the Make default button on the search provider you desire and then simply navigate away from that page.

4. Repair home page (start up page) settings

Internet Explorer

1. In Internet Explorer, select Tools > Internet Options from the top menu.

2. Make sure the General Tab is opened.

3. In the Home page section, remove Metacrawler.com (or related) and switch it to what you desire.

Mozilla Firefox

1. In FireFix, select  Tools > Options from the top menu.

2. Make sure the General Tab is selected.

3. In the Startup section, remove Metacrawler.com (or related) and add switch it to what you desire.

Google Chrome 

1. Open Google Chrome and click on the Wrench icon on the right.

2. Then click on Settings from the drop down menu.

3. In the On startup section, next to Open a specific page or set of pages click Set pages. Remove Metacrawler.com (or related) and add your preferred URL.