To revert to Google as your preferred search engine, please do the following.

• In the location bar, type about:config and hit Enter.
  
  
• In the filter at the top, type: keyword.URL
  
  
• Double click it and remove whatever's in there and replace it with http://www.google.com/search?q=
  
  

The URL to add in "keyword.URL" becomes a link in this post, so right click it and choose "Copy Link Location" to copy it to the Windows clipboard. Then hit CTRL+V to paste it. Saves you having to type the whole thing.

To reset your home page, do the following.

• Go to the site you want to set as your homepage.
  
  
• Click the orange Firefox button and go to Options | Options | General .
  
  
• Make sure it says "Show My Homepage" in the first dropdown menu.
  
  
• Click the button called "Use Current Pages" to set the homepage to the one you have on the screen.
  
  

After you complete the above steps, install this add-on to prevent another search engine from modifying your preferences: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/browserprotect/

Thanks for the method as suggested by you; However I tried doing the same, as suggested by you by keeping my internet connection on and also by switching it off still the result is the same.

Even after Installing Browser protect. Its a no go situation

Please open about:config again and in the filter at the top, copy/paste the following: browser.startup.homepage

Right click it and choose Reset from the menu.

Please check the keyword.URL again. If it's reverted to searchqu again, repeat instructions in my first post to reinstate google.

Next, open Windows Explorer and navigate to C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins. In there, delete the following: SearchquWebSearch.xml

See also:

• /questions/816181
• /questions/790833

You can open the about:config page via the location bar and do a search for searchqu via the Filter at the top of that page.
You can reset all searchqu related prefs via the right-click context menu to their default values.

To open the about:config page, type about:config in the location (address) bar and press the "Enter" key, just like you type the url of a website to open a website.
If you see a warning then you can confirm that you want to access that page.
You can use the Filter bar at to top of the about:config page to locate a pref more easily.

I find an easy way to solve this problem. 1.Starts 2.search 3.tape"searchqu"&Enter 4.delete "hosts" 5.go to Firefox 6.option 7.main page: 8.set the main page to the link that you like 9. Enter

what u have is a popular spyware; go to about:config and type in home, and all the ones that have user set in the status column, right click and select rese; and thats it!

My Homepage is hijacked by http://search.speedbit.com/ how do I need to resolve this asap please help?

I have tried removing Firefox from program and then reinstalled it did not work.

I also tried by changing the home page by going to tools then options and replaced it with the address. it was a no go. Then I tried to replace the same with bookmarked page no go. Them I have tried to restore to default no go.

SO Please help

I got rid of this searchqu.com/405, but when I right mouse click on an image, I get these Chinese letters on the bottom portion. I figured it's a virus and I've tried to do a System Restore but nothing is happening. How do I fix this?

• nevermind,..fixed it when I deleted flashget1.9*

I HAVE A SOLUTION, FINALLY!!!!

I had the same problem with my browser being hijacked with SearchQu.... etc. I tried EVERYTHING in this forum but I was still left with the hijack issue, eg I open firefox only to be directed to : "searchqu.com/405"

My problem came about a few days ago when I installed something for SAVID (which can be used to save a youtube video to your computer etc) . I forgot to remove the tick from the checkbox during the installation process and it installed this stupid SearchQu thing.

It all has to do with programs that are bundled with Bandoo.

I finally found the SOLUTION (below) but I'll post a COPY of the information below the link. My additions are in square brackets.

https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/questions/790833#answer-154201

By cdiez: Searchqu may be unistalled with Control Panel. The trick is to know under which name is registered.

"Windows Searchqu Toolbar" [in my case it was "Windows Savid toolbar" ... look for anything like that when you use the control panel to uninstall a program etc]

After that any new tab will be blank. [or your home page, which you may also now need to set to whatever] Also you'll be asked to choose a search engine in other navigators.

Not everything is deleted. There remains the directory C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Searchqu Toolbar\ which is NOT empty. Also remains some data in the Register. At this point I don't know how it can affect. [I've looked into this and although anoying, searchqu is not malicious, so I wouldn't worry about left overs too much]

This search engine was bundled with Bandoo, and I wasn't asked if I wanted it. So Bandoo and the Searchqu..... to the trash.

personally I don't remember 'missing' the check box. Perhaps I wasn't asked for it either

You may also need to now reopen firefox and reset your browser home page etc. Hope this helps

Hi all, My name is John, and I'm with Searchqu Support Team. I'm here to help :)

When you downloaded and installed a free application (like Bandoo, as mentioned here), Searchqu was offered to you by one of our partners that develop free PC applications. During the installation you accepted the homepage changes.

The point is that in any time you can restore your previous homepage/default search by manually changing your settings in your browser's settings.

An easy guide for removing Searchqu's settings on your browser can be found here: http://www.bandoo.com/uninstall.php (find the relevant section to you).

If that did not work (you tried following the instructions and the homepage remains), please do let me know, and I'll be right here to help and investigate this issue :)

Thank you, the Searchqu Support Team.

I also had this awful searchqu and looked up many complicated ways to get rid of it and finally found my own solution:

go into 'tools' click 'options' now you are in the 'options' page change the searchqu page to the one you want then go to 'manage ad-ons' at the bottom of the options page and disable/uninstall anything to do with: toolbar, searchqu, url helper class, bandoo media, Ilivid, etc. (mine only had searchqu THEN now this is the tricky part: they give you a chance for one split second to click on a message at the bottom right of the page that is a box and it says: "Searchqu is preventing you from changing search engine" (and in very pale grey letters) it says underneath that: "to change this click on this message" BUT it disappears so fast you barely have a chance to read it let alone click on it and if you want to try to catch the slippery fellow again you have to re-start your computor each time as the message only comes up once. they give you ONE chance! ok so just be ready after you click 'ok' after you change to a new page (I changed mine which read www.searchqu to www.ice films for example) and get your cursor ready to click that quick message! once you click it then another message comes up with two options: this one: Keep current setting and this one: Disable homepage and replace with My Home Page (whatever you have chosen) click the latter then re-start your computor and the little devil is gone !