You type a search into Chrome or Microsoft Edge expecting Google, Bing or another search provider.

Instead, you are sent somewhere completely different.

Perhaps the search briefly passes through several strange addresses first. Maybe your homepage has changed as well. Or you change the search engine back, only to find the unwanted one returns after restarting the browser.

There are two very different possibilities:

Your default search engine has simply been changed.

Or:

Something is actively changing or redirecting your browser.

The second deserves considerably more attention.

Here's how to tell the difference and fix it properly.

First: Is It Actually a Browser Hijacker?

Not every unexpected search engine means the PC has malware.

Your search provider can legitimately change because:

• you changed it previously
• a browser extension changed it
• browser synchronisation restored an old setting
• your organisation manages the browser
• another legitimate application changed a browser preference

Microsoft confirms that Edge extensions can change settings including the default search engine, new-tab page and site preferences.

The situation becomes more suspicious when:

• the search engine changes without permission
• changing it back doesn't stick
• searches pass through unfamiliar websites
• unwanted extensions keep returning
• new tabs open by themselves
• the homepage repeatedly changes
• excessive adverts suddenly appear
• several browsers are affected

Google specifically identifies a homepage/search engine repeatedly changing, unwanted extensions returning and browsing being redirected to unfamiliar pages as potential signs of unwanted software or malware.

Step 1: Put Your Search Engine Back

Start with the simplest explanation.

Microsoft Edge

Open:

Settings > Privacy, search and services > Search and connected services > Address bar and search

Find:

Search engine used in the address bar

and select your preferred provider.

Microsoft currently documents this as the standard method for changing Edge's default search provider.

Google Chrome

Open:

Settings > Search engine

Choose the search provider you want.

Now close and reopen the browser.

The correct search engine remains

It may simply have been a configuration change.

The unwanted search engine returns

Something else is probably changing the setting.

Don't keep changing it back.

Find out what is controlling it.

Step 2: Check Browser Extensions

This would be my next step.

In Edge, open:

edge://extensions

In Chrome:

chrome://extensions

Review everything installed.

Pay particular attention to extensions involving:

• search
• shopping
• coupons
• PDF conversion
• downloads
• browser protection
• new tabs
• video downloading

Don't assume an extension is trustworthy simply because its name sounds useful.

Microsoft specifically recommends disabling or removing extensions that appear to be changing Edge's search settings.

Remove anything you:

• don't recognise
• didn't intentionally install
• no longer need

Then restart the browser.

Test Extensions Systematically

If you have many legitimate extensions and don't know which one is responsible, disable them all temporarily.

Test searching again.

If the redirects stop, re-enable the extensions one at a time until the behaviour returns.

That identifies the culprit far more reliably than randomly changing browser settings.

Step 3: Check Startup and Homepage Settings

Browser hijackers don't always limit themselves to searches.

In Chrome, check:

Settings > On startup

In Edge:

Settings > Start, home, and new tabs

Look for unfamiliar websites.

Remove anything you didn't configure.

If the browser opens a suspicious search page every time it starts, changing only the default search engine won't solve that.

Step 4: Check Notifications

This is often mistaken for malware.

A website displays:

Click Allow to continue

The user clicks Allow.

Later, Windows starts showing alarming notifications:

5 VIRUSES FOUND!

YOUR PC IS INFECTED!

MICROSOFT SECURITY WARNING!

These can simply be browser notifications from a website you previously authorised.

Do not click the warning.

In Chrome:

Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications

In Edge:

Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Notifications

Remove or block unfamiliar websites.

A frightening notification carrying a logo does not mean the company whose logo appears actually generated it.

Step 5: Check Recently Installed Software

If the redirects started recently, ask:

What changed immediately before they began?

Open:

Settings > Apps > Installed apps

Sort by installation date.

Look for software installed around the time the problem started.

Pay particular attention to:

• PC optimisers
• download managers
• search utilities
• driver updaters
• shopping tools
• browser assistants
• unofficial media players
• software downloaded from unfamiliar websites

Microsoft recommends uninstalling unwanted software when dealing with potentially unwanted applications.

Don't remove legitimate software simply because you don't recognise the name.

On a business computer, check with IT before removing unfamiliar applications.

Step 6: Run a Security Scan

If the browser settings changed without permission—particularly if the unwanted behaviour returns—scan the computer.

Open:

Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options

Start with a:

Full scan

If the problem persists, consider:

Microsoft Defender Offline scan

Microsoft recommends both a full Defender scan and, where unwanted software persists, Microsoft Defender Offline.

For a business-managed computer, use the organisation's existing endpoint security/EDR platform rather than installing several consumer antivirus programs.

Step 7: Reset the Browser

If you have removed suspicious extensions/software but the browser still behaves incorrectly, resetting it can clean up remaining configuration changes.

Chrome

Open:

Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults

Google says this resets items including:

• default search engine
• homepage/startup pages
• new-tab behaviour
• pinned tabs
• content settings
• extensions

while saved bookmarks and passwords are not deleted.

Edge

Open:

Settings > Reset settings

and restore Edge's settings.

Don't use a browser reset as the very first troubleshooting step, though.

If malware or an unwanted extension is still installed, it may simply change everything again.

Remove the cause first. Reset the configuration second.

What If the Redirect Comes Back?

This is the important part.

If you:

change search engine → restart browser → unwanted engine returns

then something is enforcing the change.

Investigate:

• browser extension
• installed application
• browser policy
• synchronisation
• malware

Don't repeatedly change the same setting.

Check Browser Synchronisation

Suppose you remove a suspicious Chrome extension.

Everything works.

Then Chrome Sync runs and the extension reappears.

It may have been restored from your account or another synchronised device.

Temporarily disable browser synchronisation while cleaning up the problem.

Also check other computers using the same browser account.

If you believe somebody has gained unauthorised access to the account, change the password and enable MFA.

“Managed by Your Organisation”

Chrome and Edge can display:

Managed by your organisation

On a company computer, this is usually perfectly normal.

IT departments use browser policies to control:

• extensions
• security settings
• homepage
• search providers
• password behaviour

Do not start deleting Registry entries from a business computer because a website told you that “Managed by your organisation” means malware.

On a personal computer that has never been managed by an employer, however, an unexpected management message deserves investigation.

You can inspect active policies using:

Chrome:

chrome://policy

Edge:

edge://policy

If unfamiliar policies keep returning after removal, investigate which application or management component is creating them.

What If Every Browser Redirects?

This changes the diagnosis.

Suppose:

Chrome redirects.

Edge redirects.

Firefox redirects.

The chances that three separate browsers independently developed the same setting problem are relatively low.

Now investigate system-wide causes such as:

• unwanted software
• proxy configuration
• DNS
• malware
• network configuration

Check the Windows Proxy

Open:

Settings > Network & internet > Proxy

Most home users do not require a manually configured proxy server.

However, do not change proxy settings on a business computer without checking with IT. Corporate security products and networks may intentionally configure them.

What If Every Device on the Network Redirects?

This is another valuable clue.

Imagine:

PC redirects

Laptop redirects

Phone redirects

even though the devices use different browsers.

Now the individual browser becomes a much less likely explanation.

Investigate the network:

• router
• DNS configuration
• router administrator account
• security settings

If the router's DNS settings have been changed maliciously, multiple devices can be affected simultaneously.

At that point, changing Chrome's search engine repeatedly isn't going to solve the underlying problem.

Don't Automatically Change DNS

Many troubleshooting articles jump immediately to:

Change DNS to 8.8.8.8

That isn't a good first response to a browser search hijack.

If only Chrome redirects but Edge works perfectly:

DNS is unlikely to be where I would start.

If every browser and several devices are affected:

DNS becomes considerably more interesting.

Follow the evidence.

Be Careful With Saved Passwords

If you genuinely suspect browser malware or a hijacker, avoid entering sensitive information until you've cleaned the device.

That includes:

• online banking
• Microsoft 365 administrator credentials
• business systems
• payment details

A search redirect may be merely annoying adware.

But you don't yet know that.

If credentials were entered into suspicious pages, treat that as a separate security incident and change them from a known-clean device.

Don't Download a “Browser Hijacker Removal Tool”

This deserves saying explicitly.

If your browser is already redirecting searches, searching for:

FREE BROWSER HIJACKER REMOVER

and installing the first advertised program is not a particularly safe strategy.

Use:

• built-in browser controls
• Windows Security
• your existing trusted endpoint security
• reputable vendor tools where genuinely required

Avoid turning one unwanted application into three.

A Simple Diagnostic Example

Suppose Edge suddenly sends every address-bar search to an unfamiliar search website.

You:

1. Change Edge back to Google.
2. Restart Edge.
3. The unwanted engine returns.
4. Open edge://extensions.
5. Find an unfamiliar “Search Assistant”.
6. Disable it.
7. Change the search engine again.
8. Restart Edge.

The correct search engine remains.

You have now identified the cause, rather than merely correcting its symptom.

That's the objective.

The Fastest Troubleshooting Order

If your browser redirects to the wrong search engine:

1. Check the default search engine.
2. Restart the browser and see whether the change sticks.
3. Review browser extensions.
4. Check homepage/startup settings.
5. Check notification permissions if fake warnings appear.
6. Review recently installed software.
7. Run a full security scan.
8. Reset the browser if configuration remains damaged.
9. Check browser sync if unwanted settings return.
10. Check browser policies if settings appear enforced.
11. If every browser is affected, investigate Windows-wide settings.
12. If every device is affected, investigate the router and DNS.

The most useful principle is:

One browser affected → start with the browser.

Every browser affected → investigate Windows.

Every device affected → investigate the network.

How Hamilton Group Can Help

A changed search engine can be nothing more than an incorrect browser setting.

But persistent redirects can also indicate unwanted software, malicious extensions or a broader security problem.

Hamilton Group can help businesses with:

• browser hijackers
• malicious browser extensions
• Microsoft Edge
• Google Chrome
• Microsoft Defender
• endpoint detection and response
• malware investigation
• DNS security
• Microsoft 365 security
• compromised accounts
• cyber security monitoring

For a business computer, the objective shouldn't simply be to make Google appear again. It should be to establish what changed the browser, whether the device has been compromised and whether any credentials or business information may have been exposed.

Visit or call 0330 043 0069.