By wow.com (or en.wow.com) we are not referring to a World of Warcraft related site but to a search engine created by AOL that can replace the default home page in your browsers when you install certain programs without customizing them. “wow.com” installs mostly with the AOL toolbar.
We can say with almost complete safety that it is a browser hijacker since even if we can eventually authorize or reject the installation of the AOL toolbar, we are not clearly warned that it will modify the home page and the search engine from our browser.
This search engine, which is based on Google’s, allows AOL to place some of its services directly on the home page and also allows AOL to spread advertising on the results pages that will accrue profits for that company.
Alexa estimates that in some countries like France, this page receives around 6 million visitors. If you are not sure how you can reposition Google or Bing (or the DuckDUckGo search engine that we recommend) or any other home page you want, you can follow the tutorial below.
How to remove wow.com?
Please follow all the steps below to make sure you successfully remove wow.com.
Step 1 – Remove AOL Toolbar from Your Browser Extensions
Step 2 – Restart your browser if necessary
Step 3 – Reconfigure your navigator if necessary
Eliminate wow.com from your browsers
Remove from Chrome
- Start Chrome and click the (three dots) button Chrome menu in the upper right corner of your browser.
- Click on Tools and then Extensions.
- Search the AOL Toolbar Start listing and click the trash can icon Remove an extension from Chrome to get rid of the wow.com program. Do the same with all the extensions that you have not installed. If you cannot find any other similar program, go to the next stage.
- Each time the confirmation dialog is displayed, click Delete.
Remove from Firefox
- Open Firefox.
- Click the large orange Firefox button in the upper left corner of your browser and click Add-on modules.
- Then go to the Extensions and Plugins tabs to find AOL Toolbar and all the extensions that have not been installed voluntarily; delete them every time. If you don’t see any, you can go directly to the next stage.
- Reboot your browser.
Remove from Internet Explorer
- Open Internet Explorer (in Desktop mode if you use Internet Explorer 10 or 11).
- Click the Tools button, select Internet Options, go to the Programs tab, then click Manage Add-ons.
- In View, click All Add-ins.
- Then, click on the Active X control or the add-on you want to remove, and then on More Information.
- In the Information dialog box, click Delete/Remove you are asked to provide an administrator password or confirmation, please provide the password or confirmation. The Delete button may not be available; in this case, you can go directly to the next stage.
- When you’re done, click Close and you are free from “wow”.
Restart your browser (if necessary)
If following all the above steps, wow.com is still present on your computer; you can restart your browser by following the instructions below.
“Bookmarks and saved passwords are not deleted or modified.”
Chrome
- Open Chrome
- Go to the three stripes in the upper right corner Chrome menu and select Settings.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and look for Show advanced settings.
- Scroll down one more time to the bottom of the page and click Reset Browser Settings.
- Click Reset one more time to get rid from wow.com.
Firefox
- Open Firefox
- In the Firefox address bar, type about: support.
- On the page that appears, click Restart Firefox.
Internet explorer
- Open Internet Explorer (in Desktop mode if you use Internet Explorer 10 or 11)
- Click on the Tools button icon, select Internet Options, go to the Advanced tab.
- Select the Reset button.
- Enable Delete personal settings.
- Click on the Reset button.
- Restart Internet Explorer.
Reset your home page (if necessary)
Chrome
- Open your browser, then press at the same time on the Alt + F key to select Settings.
- Go to section When you start and choose to open a specific page or a group of pages, click on Set Pages.
- Delete/replace Artemis URL and click OK.
- Go to the level of the Search section, then click on Manage search engines.
- Hover the mouse over the unwanted link, then click on the X that appeared to delete. Click on OK.
Firefox
- Open your browser, then press the Alt + T key at the same time.
- Select Options, click on the General bar, and modify the entry page. Click on OK.
- Click on the menu at the top right of your browser, to the left of the search area.
- Select Manage Search Engines.
- Select the unwanted search provider, click on Delete. Click on OK.
Internet explorer
- Open your browser and press Alt + E at the same time.
- Select Internet Options
- Click on the General bar and delete/replace the entry page. Click OK.
- Press again on the Alt + E key, then select manage add-on modules.
- Click on Unwanted Search Providers and click Delete.
If you have not managed to remove wow.com on your PC after following these 3 steps, please explain on our support page what you did. Someone will help you quickly! Click here to access it.
