Remove Hao123 (Uninstall Instructions) - Oct 2017 updated

Uninstall Hao123 in Windows systems

Follow these steps to remove Hao 123 from the computer entirely:

1. Go to Start → Control Panel → Programs and Features (if you are Windows XP user, open Add/Remove Programs).
2. If you are Windows 10 / Windows 8 user, click on Windows icon in the lower left corner of the screen to open Quick Access Menu. Then click Control Panel and select Uninstall a Program.
3. Remove Hao123 and programs related to it
   Now, take a look at the list of programs and find Hao123 or other programs that you do not remember installing.
4. Right-click on these programs and select "Uninstall." Then click OK to save changes.
5. Delete Hao123 from Windows shortcuts
   Right-click on the shortcut of Mozilla Firefox and click Properties.
6. Now, go to Shortcut tab and find Target field. Then delete the URL that is associated with your virus.

Follow the same steps as explained above with all other shortcuts of Internet browsers, including Google Chrome and Internet Explorer. Please check Start Menu, Desktop, and taskbar to find all shortcuts.

Uninstall Hao123 in Mac OS X system

These guidelines will give you an explanation on how to wipe out all suspicious components from Mac OS X:

1. Users who use OS X should click on Go button, which can be found at the top left corner of the screen and select Applications.
2. Wait until you see Applications folder and look for Hao123 or any other suspicious programs on it. Now right click on every of such entries and select Move to Trash.

Delete Hao123 from Internet Explorer (IE)

Follow the instructions to clean Internet Explorer after the hijack:

1. Delete suspicious browser add-ons
   Launch Internet Explorer, and then open IE by clicking on the Gear icon, which is located at the top right corner of the Internet browser. Then, click Manage Add-ons.
2. Manage Add-ons window will appear on your screen. Now, search for Hao123 and other questionable browser add-ons. Right-click them on each of them and select Disable.
3. If virus altered your homepage, change it:
   Click the Gear icon at the top right corner of the Internet browser and then click Internet Options. Stay in General section.
4. Now, delete malicious URL and enter
5. Reset all Internet Explorer settings
   Click on Gear icon and then opt for Internet options. Then go to Advanced section.
6. Click Reset.
7. A new window appears, and then you have to tick Delete personal settings and click Reset to finalise Hao123 removal.

Delete Hao123 from Microsoft Edge

In order to delete hao123.com or similar domain from Microsoft Edge, follow these steps:

Reset settings in Microsoft Edge (Technique No.1):

1. Open Microsoft Edge browser, then click on More button, which is situated at the top right edge of the screen
2. Select Settings from the drop down menu.
3. When the Settings panel appears, find Clear browsing data section and hit Choose what to clear button.
4. Then mark all components that you wish to delete and after that hit Clear.
5. Right-click the Start button (that has Windows logo on it) and choose Task Manager.
6. Go to Processes tab and look for Microsoft Edge.
7. Right-click on it and select Go to details. If there is no Go to details option, select More details and carry out previous instructions.
8. Once Details tab appears, look for entries that contain Microsoft Edge name. Right-click on such individual entries and choose End Task option to terminate them.

Reset Microsoft Edge (Technique No.2):

In case the Technique No.1 did not help you to fix the problem, use advanced Edge reset option.

1. Important: you must backup your files before you use these tips
2. Locate this folder on your PC: C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
3. Select all items in this folder and right-click with your mouse. Select Delete.
4. Click on the Start button (that has Windows Logo on it) and in Search my stuff field, type in window power.
5. With the right button of your mouse, click on every entry and select Run as administrator.
6. Once you get Admin's rights, Windows PowerShell window should show up shortly. Paste this line:
   

   Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml -Verbose}

   after PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> and hit Enter.

After completing these steps, Microsoft Edge should be Hao123-free.

Delete Hao123 from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Uninstall suspicious add-ons from Firefox to get rid of Hao 123.

1. Delete suspicious browser extensions
   Launch Mozilla Firefox, and then open menu (click a button at the top right corner). Then, go to Add-ons → Extensions.
2. Now, locate Hao123 and other suspicious extensions. Click Remove to eliminate them.
3. If virus altered your homepage, change it:
   Open Firefox menu (click the button at the top right corner), and go to Options → General.
4. Delete malicious URL and then enter the address of the website that you want to set as your homepage.
5. Click OK to save the changes.
6. Reset all Mozilla Firefox settings
   Click on the Firefox at the top left corner and then click the question mark. Then, select Troubleshooting Information.
7. Reset Firefox to its default state message should appear then. You will see Reset Firefox button. Click this button a few times and finalise Hao123 removal.

Delete Hao123 from Google Chrome

Hao123 elimination guidelines are presented below:

1. Remove malicious extensions
   Launch Google Chrome, and then open menu (click a button at the top right corner). Then, go to Tools → Extensions.
2. Now, look for Hao123 and other suspicious extensions and then click the trash icon to remove them.
3. If virus altered your homepage, change it:
   Open menu and select Settings.
4. Find Open a specific page or set of pages under On startup section and click Set pages.
5. An additional window should pop-up. Here, remove dubious URLs and add a new page that you wish to set as a homepage.
6. Open Chrome menu and go to Settings → Manage Search engines under the Search section.
7. In Search Engines..., configure default search engine settings. Remove untrustworthy ones. We advise you to leave only Google or another reputable website of your choice.
8. Reset all Google Chrome settings
   Open menu by clicking the button at the top right corner of Google Chrome, and go to Settings.
9. Scroll down to find Reset browser settings button. Click on it.
10. Click Reset to approve this action and finish Hao123 removal.

Delete Hao123 from Safari

Fix Safari after the hijack:

1. Delete suspicious browser extensions
   Open Safari web browser and click on Safari in menu at the top left of the screen. Once you do this, select Preferences.
2. Here, select Extensions and look for Hao123 or other suspicious entries. Click on the Uninstall button to get rid each of them.
3. If virus altered your homepage, change it:
   Open your Safari web browser and click on Safari in menu section. Here, select Preferences as it was displayed previously and select General.
4. Here, look at the Homepage field. If it was altered by Hao123, remove unwanted link and enter the one that you want to use for your searches. Remember to include the "http://" before typing in the address of the page.
5. Reset all Safari settings
   Open Safari browser and click on Safari in menu section at the top left of the screen. Here, select Reset Safari....
6. Now you will see a detailed dialog window filled with reset options. All of those options are usually checked, but you can specify which of them you want to reset. Click the Reset button to complete Hao123 removal process.