Full troubleshooting information may help. Are you able to paste that in from the troubleshooting page. Navigate there by keying about:support into the address bar.

• Use the Troubleshooting Information page to help fix Firefox issues

Assuming you have removed all malware try the Search Reset addon, that installs resets preferences and uninstalls itself.

Not malware I am familiar with but it could have changed your icon shortcuts. Does Firerfox behave if started from Windows Run dialogue ?

• Use Windows Key (WinKey) + R then type in firefox.exe and hit Return

If it works ok then check your Firefox shortcut icons by right clicking and inspecting the properties. If an address has been added the shortcut will cause Firefox to open that webpage.

I had this Trovi thing, too. These are the steps I followed:

I found the directory where it resided, in my case C:\Program Files\Search and Protect and deleted (shift-delete, not recycle bin) the whole directory. Some would not delete because they were in use. Used ctrl-alt-del to start task manager to find those processes and "end process" the ones in use, and got them all, after a few iterations.

In Firefox I restored my home page back to default, so 1st tab not hijacked anymore. Also in Firefox used Manage Search Engines to remove Trovi from the list.

Ran Spybot S&D to clean up remnants of Search and Protect in the registry and elsewhere.

My new tabs were still being hijacked. I found this thread. I looked at the Firefox shortcut I use to start it , but properties were clean. I went and got the suggested Search Reset addon, and my tabs are now clean.

There may be a cleaner way to achieve the same results, but this seems to have killed all traces of it.  :)

Download the Mozilla Search Reset {web link} This add-on is very simple: on installation, it backs up and then resets your search preferences and home page to their default values, and then uninstalls itself. This affects the search bar, URL bar searches, and the home page.

Sometimes a problem with Firefox may be a result of malware installed on your computer, that you may not be aware of.

You can try these free programs to scan for malware, which work with your existing antivirus software:

• Microsoft Safety Scanner
• MalwareBytes' Anti-Malware
• TDSSKiller - AntiRootkit Utility
• Hitman Pro
• ESET Online Scanner

Microsoft Security Essentials is a good permanent antivirus for Windows 7/Vista/XP if you don't already have one.

Further information can be found in the Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware article.

Did this fix your problems? Please report back to us!

Trovi variants that are being promoted via Pay per install networks are more aggressive than the one offered on the official website. It doesn't hijack browser's shortcut while those from the PPI do. See this:

http://deletemalware.blogspot.com/2014/05/remove-trovi-search-virus-uninstall.html

AdwCleaner might be useful for some of you guys as well when removing trovi hijacker from the system.

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/

Cheers!

I have also noticed user.js files on some with Trovi issues, that may need deleting or at least renaming.

• see http://kb.mozillazine.org/User.js_file
  • Note The file is in the Firefox profile, and the profile is easily found by using the button on the troubleshooting page.
  • See Profiles - Where Firefox stores your bookmarks, passwords and other user data_how-do-i-find-my-profile
    & Use the Troubleshooting Information page to help fix Firefox issues (Navigate to by typing into the address bar about:support )
• Windows users may need to set Windows to display file extensions to properly identify files. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/865219

If someone has a malware or adware issue it often suggests risky sites could have been visited and good practice not followed, so the chances are multiple malware issues could be present.

CARE Generally if in any doubt rename files instead of deleting them it disables them but is easily reversible. A file such as user.js may have been created by genuine software

Do you uninstall all adware program or PUPs in your computer system? Also do check your add-ons and get rid of them before you change back your browser settings. (link removed by moderator) can give you some clues

Please take care with using such guides. They may sometimes be over complicated. They may link to charged support services. I have removed the link from the post display.

Modified July 4, 2014 2:23:23 PM BST by Jeremy

I have removed the link (? again)

I note a MacAfee review for the site in question says

Bad shopping experience

This PC self-help site exists to promote downloads of SpyHunter, a program which has to be paid for and is of dubious worth.

The site advice may be quite reasonable other than the possibly unnecessary registry hacks if it were not for the offer of downloads and the scary waning that

Note: The following removal needs certain computer skills. If you want to avoid any accident caused by wrong manual operation and save your time, It’is recommended to use this powerful Automatic Virus Removal Tool to save your time and trouble.

The thread is already marked as solved and already locked. ~J99

Please do not post links to sites that charge for support services.

Download.com _{delinkified J99} is letting the bad guys into my computer. When I ran a Malwaresbytes scan, it found 109 of them, and I had scanned and gotten clean results on Sunday. Once Malwarebytes (a free download) removed and quarantined the hijackers, after my computer re-started, things seem fine, including my tabs. Recommend getting malwarebytes here: _{edit linked to malware bytes site J99,} malwarebytes.org and using it. Be careful to opt out of all other software choices if you download it. When nothing else worked for me, this did.

Hi, there is actually a software that constantly disables the search mechanism of your browser. This software is called something shield (I forgot the name), it can be found in your systray on the taskbar, it has a blue icon. Uninstall that from your control panel and you will be good to go. :)

Assuming you've already fixed your home page and removed the searchprotect/conduit/etc. stuff using MalwareBytes or another malware scanner as several other answers have suggested, fixing the New Tab url is easy.

Just go to about:config and search for "browser.newtab.url". You should get only one result. Right-click it and choose "Reset" and you're done.

Had Trovi come into my computer uninvited, also. For me, the "browser.newtab.url" fix didn't work, but Malwarebytes restored things after taking out more than a hundred bad guys.

One thing that is sometimes noticed is that once someone falls for some bundled software there is probably more chance of picking up yet more unwanted software or malware.

Removal and troubleshooting gets more complicated as there will often be more than one single problem to deal with.

Note that you should run MalwareBytes before doing the about:config fix. The only thing that changing "browser.newtab.url" does is change the page displayed when opening a new tab, which is the one thing that MalwareBytes doesn't take care of on its own.

Hello, You can follow this free removal guide: http://malwaretips.com/blogs/remove-trovi-virus/

Stay safe!

I first used 'REVO Uninstaller' for the list of malwares that were found in my program list. REVO also ran a scan after each uninstall to eliminate other places that the named intruder showed up in the registry (that was found often in many places). That was a phase when it was coming into PC at furious pace and as fast as I could uninstall, I was being hit by something new-it was crazy!

Later, when REVO finished, I found it fairly easy to remove 'trovi' (a current intruder) from my search options from managing search options. Foolishly I thought I was done with trovi.

My continuing issues which are quite daunting - removal of 'trovi' (interferes with many functions includes typing issues & cursor at its will all over the screen. Also something, and it seems to be something separate, although I don't know that for sure - something recommends updating of programs that are already up to date -that is SO annoying and time consuming. For this 'updater' I have no name which makes it more difficult since there isn't a word to find to eliminate it from the system. It also may be responsible for recommendations of programs that need another to function properly although since I am rebuilding my system, that situation DOES exist in some situations so it is not malware in all situations. My most recent example is with java needing to be enabled-but upon investigation, it WAS enabled so no action was needed. It just happened but I wondered if trovi or the updater had something to do with it since it effectively took me to a different goal in place of what I was trying to do which is what is the overall outcome of intrusion by trovi- wasting my time.

My initial scan by Malwarebytes gave me hope (found & deleted a long list-scary since my PC was restored last week!) but that was shortlived as I continue to see trovi changing where I go, what I see, all sorts of changing of what I have it mind.

Thank you, FredMcD, for the list of helpful programs and I'll be adding Microsoft Security Essentials first along with Microsoft Safety Scanner and now I see that other recommendations have been added that were jumped over when I opted to reply. I had made note of Spybot as I used that on an earlier PC & it solved my issue so I'll give it a try. While I said that trovi wasn't a search issue- I meant that it is no longer in the list when I click next to G, I no longer see trovi in list of search options but in reality it IS in charge because it seems to take me to wherever it chooses! When I have intention to add any program and think I'm on their site (now I'm wiser and have learned to be very careful), instead, I'm on a different site!, a sound-a-like and look-a-like! After thinking I was starting with zero corruption, (after last week's restoring to new by Dell tech support), I feel I've been hit hard immediately and I am become so very weary!

All suggestions from experience with this 'trovi' or my 'updater' are welcome. Thanks for the help!