How to Remove Trktacular

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The latest version of Trktacular’s extension, now affecting 80,000 users, uses Chrome’s automatic update system to spread its malicious components without consent. It exploits Chrome’s declarativeNetRequest API and fetches redirection rules from abslocks.com/config/init to dynamically rewrite network requests. This allows it to stealthily reroute all search queries through search.trktacular.com, embedding obfuscated affiliate parameters to generate illicit revenue.

To get rid of this malicious hijacker, I urge you to follow the steps shown in the following guide.

Trktacular Removal Steps

Sometimes, getting rid of hijackers like Trktacular can be done through some simpler steps, so I suggest you try those first, before moving on to the more elaborate methods shown further down:

1. Open your browser and find the menu button – the three dots or lines in the top corner.
2. Click through to Extensions (or Add-ons, depending on what you’re using). Take a good look at everything installed.
3. If anything looks unfamiliar, sketchy, or just plain wrong, delete it. No hesitation. If you don’t remember installing it, you probably didn’t.
4. Next, head over to Privacy and Security settings. Check out Site Permissions, especially anything to do with notifications or pop-ups.
5. If Trktacular (or anything remotely related) has been given permission to send you notifications, display pop-ups, or redirect your browsing, revoke it. No second chances.

Now, restart your browser and see if Trktacular is gone. If it is, great. If not – don’t worry. We’re just getting started.

SUMMARY:

How to Remove Trktacular From Your Browser

Hijackers like Trktacular will often add their own policies to the affected browsers. These policies keep the user from reversing any unwanted settings changes made by the hijacker, which is the main reason you may be having trouble getting rid of Trktacular.

To check if there’s a rogue third-party policy in your browser, click its menu and look at the bottom. If there’s a “Managed by your organization” message there, it means Trktacular has enforced such a policy and you need to remove it before being able to restore your browser’s regular state.

If your browser is controlled by a hijacker policy, type one of the following addresses in the browser’s URL bar and go to that page:

• Chrome Users: Type chrome://policy into the address bar.
• Edge Users: Type edge://policy.
• Brave Users: Type brave://policy.
• Other (Chromium) browsers: just swap the name in the same URL

What pops up is a list of policies currently controlling your browser. If you see any random strings of letters in the Value column, copy those values into a text file. You’ll need them later.

Now, go back to the Extensions page and enable Developer Mode. This reveals the unique ID of every installed extension. Copy the IDs of extensions you don’t trust and save them alongside the values from earlier.

But what if you can’t even access the Extensions page? That means Trktacular has locked it down. You’ll need to dig a little deeper:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to:
   C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions
2. Delete everything inside this folder. Yes, everything. This forces Chrome to reset all extensions, wiping out anything Trktacular installed.

Here are the Extensions folder locations for some other popular browsers:

After this is done, the Extensions page should once again be accessible and you’ll be able to collect the IDs of any rogue extensions.

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Video walkthrough for this step:

Delete Search.trktacular.com Policies

Now that you’ve gathered all rogue policy values and extension IDs linked to Search.trktacular.com, it’s time to use the collected info to look for related items in the Registry and delete them. This is how you weed out the rogue hijacker policy.

Perform the Registry cleanup in the following way:

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and hit Enter.
2. Once inside the Registry Editor, press Ctrl + F and search for the policy values or extension IDs you copied earlier.
3. If you find one, delete it. But be careful – don’t delete anything unless you’re absolutely sure it’s related to Trktacular.
4. Run multiple searches for each value/ID to ensure that all related Registry keys are deleted.

If you run into an Access Denied error that prevents you from deleting a particular Registry item, do this:

• Right-click the key, select Permissions, then click Advanced.
• Click Change, enter Everyone, and apply the changes.

• Back in the previous window, check both Replace options, then click Apply and OK.

Now you should be able to delete the entry. Keep searching until you’re confident everything linked to Trktacular is gone.

Video walkthrough for this step:

Alternative Ways to Get Rid of Search.trktacular.com Browser Policies

Still seeing the “Managed by your organization” message in Chrome? That means there are still hidden Search.trktacular.com policies lingering in your system. If the Registry cleanup wasn’t enough, try this:

Method 1: The Group Policy Editor Fix

• Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and hit Enter.
• Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates.

• Right-click Add/Remove Templates, then remove everything listed.

Most people don’t use these settings, so wiping them won’t cause any harm.

Method 2: Chrome’s Policy Remover Tool

If you’re using Chrome, you can make your life easier by downloading Chrome Policy Remover. It’s a free tool that automatically finds and deletes unwanted policies. Download it, run it with admin rights, and ignore any security warnings – this tool is legit.

Once you’ve tried one (or both) of these methods, restart your browser and check if Trktacular is finally gone.

Video walkthrough for this step:

Manual Group Policy Removal

Automatic Group Policy Removal

Remove Trktacular From Chrome, Opera GX, Edge, and other Browsers

At this point, the Trktacular policies should be fully gone from your browser. This lets you go back to your browser’s settings and restore them to the way they were before the hijacker took over. Here are the main settings areas that you need to check:

• Go back to Extensions and delete anything suspicious still hanging around.
• Clear your browsing data. Open Privacy and Security settings, then wipe out your cache, cookies, site data, and everything else except the passwords. Choose All time to make sure nothing is left behind.

• Review Site Permissions. under Site Settings Check for any leftover permissions that could let Trktacular sneak back in. Open each permission category and delete from it unfamiliar addresses to ensure nothing unwanted has access to the browser.

• Fix your homepage and search engine. If Trktacular changed these, reset them to something safe. Then go to Manage Search Engines and remove anything you don’t recognize.

Now, restart your browser one last time. It should feel brand new.

Video walkthrough for this step:

Chrome

Microsoft Edge

Mozilla Firefox

When You Need Extra Help

If Trktacular still won’t go away, it’s time to bring in reinforcements. SpyHunter 5 is a solid malware removal tool that can scan your system for anything hiding beneath the surface.

1. Download SpyHunter 5 and install it.
2. Run a full system scan.
3. Follow the software’s recommendations to remove anything suspicious.

Using a tool like this ensures that any remnants of Trktacular—especially those buried deep in your system—are wiped out for good.

Keeping Your Browser Safe from Future Attacks

Now that Trktacular is gone, let’s talk about how to keep it that way.

• Be skeptical of random messages. If someone you don’t know reaches out on Telegram, Discord, or anywhere else, assume they’re up to no good.
• Don’t download shady extensions. Stick to the official Chrome Web Store or your browser’s trusted sources.
• Avoid clicking on weird pop-ups. If a website tells you to enable notifications, don’t do it unless you trust the site.
• Check your browser settings regularly. Make sure nothing new has snuck in.
• Keep your security software updated. Most modern antivirus tools can block hijackers before they even get to you.

Staying cautious now means you won’t have to go through this whole mess again.

Final Thoughts: Take Back Your Browser

Trktacular and its kind thrive on catching people off guard. But now, you know what to look for. You’ve seen how they operate, and more importantly, you have the tools to shut them down.

Start with the quick fixes. If those don’t work, go deeper. And if things get really bad, don’t hesitate to use the heavy-duty removal tools.

Most importantly, stay alert. Keep your defenses up, and you’ll never have to deal with Trktacular—or anything like it—again. Your browser, and your sanity, will thank you.