Search.hwatchtvnow.co

If your browser’s default homepage address was replaced with Search.hwatchtvnow.co, then you should know that you have a browser hijacker on your hands. Sure, it is a usable search engine, but it is malicious at the same time as its creators intentionally distribute it the help of deceptive methods. If you got on your PC accidentally, then you should consider removing it. Nevertheless, you should do this same if you got it intentionally as well because it provides you with ad-supported search results that can be unreliable. So this search engine is both malicious, and of poor quality, so it is not worth keeping it. For more information, we invite you to read this whole article.

We have found that Search.hwatchtvnow.co is yet another browser hijacker released by the infamous Polarity Technologies, a company exclusively dedicated to releasing browser hijackers. Among many of its other releases we find Search.hlocalweatherradar.co, Search.htrackyourpackages.co, and Search.searchquickm.com, among others. All of these hijackers are very similar because they are mostly clones of each other with few minor changes that include the collection of links featured at the top of their man pages. Search.hwatchtvnow.co in particular, has a movie theme going on with links to Netflix, ESPN GO, and Hulu. However, it provides nothing of substance because it was designed for the purpose of hijacking your browser deceptively.

Like many of its predecessors, this new hijacker is bundled with malicious software installers featured on Filewon.com, Filewin.com, Malavida.es, and Descargar.es freeware hosting sites. Some of the installers may have been configured to inject this hijacker into your browser automatically without allowing you to deselect it. Some of the installers may not even disclose that Search.hwatchtvnow.co is included in the bundle, so if you visit any of the websites mentioned above, and download software, remember to select advanced or custom installation settings and opt out undesirable software.

Like hijackers developed by Polarity Technologies, Search.hwatchtvnow.co works rather well as a search engine, though the quality of its search results can be debated. It is important to note that it redirects all entered search queries to a modified Yahoo search engine. This search engine can be modified by Search.hwatchtvnow.co to include promotional links that can be unreliable. Indeed, some of the search results can be of malicious nature as the advertising partners of Polarity Technologies are largely unknown.

It is also worth mentioning that this malicious search engine has been configured to collect information about you and use it for marketing and advertising purposes. The all of its clones, Search.hwatchtvnow.co can legally obtain information such as your IP address and, thus, your approximate geographical location, Internet Service Provider domain name, browsing history, entered search queries, browser type, operating system type, and so on. This information is collected automatically and used to show personalized, region specific promotional links featured in the search results.

No matter how harmless Search.hwatchtvnow.co may seem to you, it is a real browser hijacker with an agenda, and that agenda is to subject you to promoted and sometimes potentially dangerous commercial content. Therefore, we believe that it would be wise to remove this hijacker from your computer entirely. It does not hijack the Target line, so all you have to do is go to your browser’s settings, erase the URL of this hijacker and enter a new one. See the instructions below on how to do that for your particular browser.

How to change your browser’s homepage

Microsoft Internet Explorer

1. Lunch the browser.
2. Press Alt+T and click Internet Options.
3. Erase http://search.hwatchtvnow.co/
4. Enter a new URL.
5. Click OK.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Lunch the browser.
2. Press Alt+T.
3. Click Options and select General.
4. Erase Search.hwatchtvnow.co and enter a new address.

Google Chrome

1. Lunch the browser.
2. Press Alt+F keys.
3. Select Settings.
4. Click Set pages.
5. Erase http://search.hwatchtvnow.co/
6. Enter a new URL
7. Click OK.