Help Needed – Chrome Hijacker / Omnidol Default Search Removal

[Karan-Vij]

Hello HP Support Team,

I am reaching out for assistance with a persistent Chrome hijacker / Omnidol default search on my HP laptop (Device Name: Karan-Vij).

Issue Summary:

• My Chrome browser’s default search has been hijacked to omnidol.com.

• Registry keys under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome cannot be deleted, even in Safe Mode.

• Chrome folders under C:\Program Files\Google\ cannot be deleted, showing “Access Denied” errors.

• BitLocker / Device Encryption is enabled on the OS drive.

• I have multiple Chrome profiles, including one managed by a now-inactive Google Workspace account.

• I have backed up bookmarks and profiles, but need a clean removal of the hijacker.

Attempts Made:

1. Booted into Safe Mode — still cannot delete registry or Program Files entries.

2. Tried regedit in SYSTEM mode — access denied.

3. Disabled Chrome extensions and uninstalled Chrome — registry and Program Files still present.

4. Tried creating Windows 11 bootable USB to clean offline — USB creation failed multiple times.

Request:

I need guidance / support to safely remove:

1. The Omnidol / Chrome hijacker completely

2. The locked registry entries

3. The locked Chrome folders in Program Files

My goal is to safely reinstall Chrome without losing bookmarks or profiles, while keeping the system secure with BitLocker enabled.

Device Details:

• HP Laptop (BitLocker enabled, Windows 11)

Please advise the steps or remote assistance to resolve this issue.

Thank you,
Karan Vij

[Jerry_57]

Hi @Karan-Vij,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

Thank you for posting your query. I will be glad to help you.

I'm sorry to hear you're experiencing issues with a hijacker on your HP laptop. Kindly follow the steps below:

1. Run a Full Malware Scan
 

Use reputable anti‑malware software (e.g., Malwarebytes, HitmanPro, or Microsoft Defender Offline Scan).

These tools can bypass locked registry entries and system folders that manual deletion cannot.

This is the most reliable way to remove Omnidol’s hidden components.

2. Reset Chrome Policies

Omnidol often injects policies under 
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome.

To reset:

Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc (if available).

Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Google > Google Chrome.

Reset or disable any enforced settings.

If Group Policy is unavailable, use Command Prompt (Admin):

cmd

RD /S /Q "HKCU\Software\Policies\Google" RD /S /Q "HKLM\Software\Policies\Google"

(Run with elevated privileges; if blocked, malware removal tools are required first.)

3. Remove Locked Chrome Folders

After malware cleanup, uninstall Chrome completely.

Delete residual folders:

C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome

C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome

If “Access Denied” persists, boot into Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) and use Command Prompt to delete them.

4. Reinstall Chrome Safely

Download Chrome only from the official Google site.

Restore your bookmarks and profiles from your backup.

Avoid re‑importing extensions until you confirm they are safe.


I hope this helps.

 Take care and have an amazing day!
 

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Jerry_57

HP Support