How to Remove Hotspot Shield Toolbar From Your PC? (Removal Guide)

Is your web browser installed Hotspot Shield Toolbar without your consent? Do you want to uninstall the unknown toolbar from your computer? Hotspot Shield Toolbar comes bundled with Hotspot Shield which is a VPN service used to protect your Internet connection. The toolbar itself is not malicious. However, it may lead to a lot of potential computer problems. It should be deleted as soon as possible in order to protect both your computer and your personal information. The post here shows how to remove Hotspot Shield Toolbar from your PC.

Description of Hotspot Shield Toolbar

Hotspot Shield can help you to visit blocked sites and break the online national boundaries. To some extent, it is helpful. But malicious malware such as toolbar or browser hijacker may be bundled with the program. Hotspot Shield Toolbar is a browser hijacker, which spreads via an existing program. Once installed on your PC, it will change the homepage of web browsers including Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox to search.conduit.com. A search engine you don’t know will replace the default search engine and unfamiliar toolbars will appear on the top the browser.
The threat will display advertisements and sponsored links in your search results and redirect you to malicious websites which contain other malware. Cyber criminals make use of this threat to boost advertising revenue and increase web traffic. When you have freeware that had this browser hijacker bundled into their installation installed on your PC, the browser hijacker can find the chance to install itself on your PC in the customized installation of the freeware.

Symptoms of the infection

The browser settings are changed. The homepage and search engine are not what you have set before. Unfamiliar extensions occur on the browsers.
Annoying pop-up ads and malicious links are displayed on your PC or when you use the web browser.
Your computer speed slows down. Your personal information are stolen and utilized by others.

Shield Toolbar removal guide:

Step 1. Remove the software related to the toolbar from your PC.
Windows XP
Go to Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs, find Hotspot Shield and its related programs and click Remove.
Windows 7
Go to Start > Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features, search for the freeware you installed recently and click on Uninstall to remove them. . 
Reset the homepage of the browser.
Internet Explorer
Tools> Internet Options> General > use a desired domain like www.google.com to replace search.conduit.com. Click Apply.
Google Chrome
Click on Wrench or 3-Bars icon > Options > Basics > Manage Search engines, click on the Homepage to reset your homepage.
Mozilla Firefox
Open Mozilla Firefox. Go to Firefox (tools)>Options. Under Options, select the General tab then change the malicious website to a website you like.

How to remove Hotspot Shield Toolbar automatically?

If you find it difficult to uninstall Hotspot Shield Toolbar with the steps above, use a professional removal tool to get rid of the threat quickly and completely. A powerful removal tool can help you scan the infected PC rapidly and erase all the malicious programs, toolbars and files within minutes. The affected browser can be recovered by the tool at the same time.