CelestialQuasaror is a browser hijacker extension that is mainly encountered by Microsoft Edge users, but the hijacker can also be installed in Google Chrome, Brave, and other Chormium-based browsers.
The main change it makes in the browser is to replace the default search engine with a fake one, usually maxask.com. This results in your searches getting redirected to search pages that are specifically designed to promote and advertise certain sites and not to show you the most relevant results. Furthermore, the promoted sites could sometimes be unsafe or even harmful.
For this reason, it’s important to get rid of CelestialQuasaror ASAP, as this is the only way to remove Maxask from your browser. The hijacker blocks your ability to make changes to some of the browser settings, including the default search engine, so until it’s uninstalled, your searches will continue to get redirected to questionable sites.
CelestialQuasaror Removal Tutorial
If you’ve noticed CelestialQuasaror in your browser but have not yet tried to remove it the traditional way, do that first. It will probably not work, but in case it does, it will save you a ton of time:
- Just open the browser, go to this menu, and click Extensions > Manage Extensions.
- Look for CelestialQuasaror and click the Remove button under it (if such a button is available).
- Once (if) the hijacker extension is removed, open the browser menu again, and go to Settings.
- Access the Search Engine tab and change the default search engine of the browser to something trusted.
If you were able to complete these short steps, restart the browser and see if the hijacker is truly gone. If the hijacker has returned or if you were simply not able to perform any of these steps, proceed to the more advanced and detailed guide below.
SUMMARY:
| Name | CelestialQuasaror |
| Type | Browser Hijacker |
| Detection Tool | We tested that SpyHunter successfully removes parasite* and we recommend downloading it. Manual removal may take hours, it can harm your system if you re not careful, and parasite may reinstall itself at the end if you don't delete its core files. |
Before Proceeding: A Crucial Warning
This guide will assist you in removing the browser hijacker. If the hijacker was installed via rogue software, it might reappear. However, we can’t provide specific steps to remove that other app since we have no way of knowing what it is.
Therefore, we highly recommend utilizing a strong malware removal tool like SpyHunter (available on this page). This tool excels at detecting and eliminating rogue programs linked to the hijacker.
How to Get Rid of CelestialQuasaror
The message “Managed by your organization” in your browser is a sign that CelestialQuasaror has introduced a rogue policy into your browser. This policy is what allows the hijacker to seize control and lock some of the browser’s settings.
For this reason, the first step to regaining your control over the browser is to pinpoint and disable the rogue policy.
The first step to do that is to collect some information that will then let you hunt down and disable the hijacker policy.
Checking the Browser’s Policy Page
If you are a Chrome user, type chrome://policy in the URL bar of the browser, and go to that address.
Similarly, for Edge users, just change the browser name in the URL like so – edge://policy – and go there. It’s the same principle with all other Chromium browsers.
Watch for policy values that are made of random strings of letters and numbers. Copy any such values you find and place them in a text document because you’ll need them in a bit.
Checking Extensions
You must now go back to the Extensions Manager and do a similar thing there. Go to ut through the browser’s main menu.
One thing you may find some hijackers do is they redirect you to Google or some other site when you try to open the Extensions page. That’s one way they stop you from deleting them. But there’s an easy solution:
Just delete everything in the browser’s extensions folder. For Chrome, the folder address is: C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions.
Here are the directories for three other popular browsers:
- MS Edge: C:\Users\Boris\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\Default\Extensions
- Opera and Opera GX: C:\Users\Boris\AppData\Roaming\Opera Software\Opera Stable\Default\Extensions
- Brave: C:\Users\Boris\App Data\Local\Brave Software\Brave-Browser\User data\Default\Extensions
Now you should be able to go back to the Extensions Manager page. Onc there, enable Developer Mode. This reveals more detailed information about each extension. Pay attention to the ID numbers of the hijacker’s extension and of any other unwanted extensions. Save those IDs next to the rogue policy values from earlier.
Video walkthrough for this step:
Remove CelestialQuasaror Virus Policies
Now you’ve got the information needed to hunt down and eliminate the policies that CelestialQuasaror has added to your browser:
Open the Registry Editor with administrator privileges (search for it in the Start Menu > right-click > Open as Administrator).
Press Ctrl + F and paste the first value or ID you saved in the search box. Then click Find to locate and delete registry keys associated with the rogue policy values or extension IDs noted earlier.
Thoroughness is essential here, so always perform an extra search after each deletion. That way you can be sure there are no more rogue entries left.
Some registry keys might have restricted access, so you won’t be able to delete them. Here’s how you deal with this:
Right-click the parent key of the key you are trying to remove. Open Permissions > Advanced > Change (a small button at the top).
Type “everyone” in the text field, then Check Names, and OK.
Put ticks in the two “Replace…” options, save the changes, and exit.
You’ll now be able to delete the key in question.
Video walkthrough for this step:
Make sure to search for all saved policy values and rogue extension IDs and to delete all registry items linked to them.
Next, search for “Edit Group Policy” in the Start Menu and open the first item. Right-click on Administrative Templates, select Add/Remove, and delete everything in the list.
Finally, Chrome users can try the free Chrome Policy Remover tool. Just download it and run it as an Admin. It will automatically delete all Chrome policies.
In case you get a security warning from Windows when trying to open the Chrome Policy Remover, click the More Info button and you’ll get the option to run it. Don’t worry, the tool is perfectly safe.
Video walkthrough for this step:
Manual Group Policy Removal
Automatic Group Policy Removal
How to Uninstall the CelestialQuasaror Extension From Chrome
After the rogue policies are gone, your browser will once again be in your control and you’ll be able to reverse any unwanted changes made to it by the hijacker.
Star by removing CelestialQuasaror and any other unwanted extensions: Open the Extensions page in the affected browser and click Remove on the hijacker extension and any others you think may be linked to it.
Now go to Settings from the browser menu, and open Privacy and Security. Delete the browsing data for a period that dates back to before you got CelestialQuasaror. We recommend that you keep your saved passwords, but it’s best to delete all other data types.
Still in the Privacy and Security tab, open Site Settings. Check each permission by opening it, and remove unfamiliar URLs listed under “Allow“.
You must also check the Search Engine settings and choose a trustworthy search engine as your browser’s default one. Then go to Manage Search Engines and remove questionable entries, such as maxask.com, that you’ll likely see listed there.
Finally, remember to take a look at the On Startup and Appearance tabs. Maxask.com or another rogue URL might be present there too. Delete any such addresses from both of these settings sections.
Video walkthrough for this step:
Chrome
Microsoft Edge
Mozilla Firefox
These steps should be enough to rid you of the hijacker, but we still recommend scanning your system with a reliable anti-malware program. SpyHunter is the tool we’d use for such situations, but another reliable removal program can also do the job. Just make sure your system is clean and malware-free to avoid future encounters with hijackers like CelestialQuasaror.
What is CelestialQuasaror?
CelestialQuasaror is definitely an unwanted and rogue browser extension, but during our research, we didn’t find any information about it being harmful.
Like most hijackers out there, CelestialQuasaror won’t actually damage any part of your system or browser. Instead, the main issue linked to it is the redirects to maxask.com. Fake search engines like it are well-known for aggressively promoting sites with questionable reputations that may get you scammed or infected with malware.
This is not to say that the people behind CelestialQuasaror or Maxask are intentionally trying to put your virtual security at risk. It’s just that they are prepared to promote pretty much any site and content as long as they are getting paid for their promotional services.
That’s how most such browser hijackers and fake search engines work – they advertise various sites by spamming the user with redirects to them or by flooding the top spots in their SERPs with promoted links. The problem is that the hijacker creators care little about whether the advertised pages may potentially get you scammed or get your system attacked by a Trojan or Ransomware.
And then there’s also the obvious frustration factor of having all your searches be redirected to some obscure page that hardly provides the best search results for your query. All in all, there’s no reason whatsoever to keep this rogue app attached to your browser even if it’s not a direct threat to your safety.
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