Edit: Folks, I keep telling you it’s VERY unlikely to be malware.

I’ll update you and apologize to each if my credit card gets wiped or something but I’m quite sure I’m safe, don’t worry.

Also sorry for blaming Microsoft for what is apparently my fault.


I accidentally clicked Microsoft Edge on my work computer with Windows 10 and couldn’t close it — it just keeps reopening. It takes File Shredder to stop it from opening again, at least until the computer restarts.

Notice the ads, most are extremely sketchy (my frequent reload in previous takes caused the ad server + my work VPN to rate limit me):

  • China warns: %user.currency% is dead! (Yeah, sure. Obvious propaganda. Generic pictures or faked images of a worthless banknote giveaway.)
  • 63-year-old figured out! (Does not say what but a pic of obviously young-looking feet.)
  • Make boatloads of money with AI! (aka auto-trade very uncompetitive options, no guarantees on withdrawals of any wins)
  • Save money using solar! (The company is legitimate but the deal on panels is probably not great)
  • Buy yourself a great new FPCEILPTBSP! (You can’t tell what it is and neither can we! (Apparently TV wall mount))
  • Losing hair?
  • Millionaire has genius method you can try (but give us money first, making his pic transparent so we can put him in front of %user.country.flag% was difficult)
  • Game! Yay! (Microtransactions galore!)
  • Get EVERYTHING in your car fixed (by a stock photo mechanic!)
  • @[email protected]OP
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    1 year ago

    Well, my default browser is Firefox and EdgeRemover (oops, misremembered the name) MSEdgeRedirect (which is FOSS of course, would not install such thing otherwise) does work, in a way – all Help pages, Start Menu searches etc. get redirected to Firefox and DuckDuckGo. I thought it would prevent Edge from opening at all. I don’t think it’s a browser hijacker.

    Okay, the company is using ESET’s highest tier and the computers are remotely managed so I’m not sure I would see detection notifications.

    textbook browser hijacker

    Is your textbook from the 1990s? Pretty sure modern malware is way more stealthy and not at all obvious.

    Screenshot of famous DOS virus Walker