SafeSear.ch redirect (Removal Instructions) - Aug 2019 update

SafeSear.ch redirect Removal Guide

What is SafeSear.ch redirect?

SafeSear.ch is a browser hijacker that fails to deliver organic search results

SafeSear.chSafeSear.ch is a dubious search engines that directs users to sponsored sites

SafeSear.ch is a fake search engine that is established as soon as a potentially unwanted program[1] is installed on the computer. The intrusion is usually unexpected, as PUPs mostly travel within software bundles, and users fail to notice optional components inserted into the installer of shareware or freeware applications.

SafeSear.ch can affect multiple browsers, including Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, and many others. Soon after installation, the browser hijacker sets the homepage, new tab URL and search engine to hxxp://safesear.ch without permission. Additionally, all the searchers performed on the hijacked browser are redirected to Yahoo, where users can see multiple sponsored links.

While SafeSear.ch developers promise the “streamlined search experience,” end users suffer from extorted browsing experience and intrusive ads. Fake search engines are deliberately presented as useful tools, while in reality, they are at least a nuisance, which can sometimes cause serious privacy and security issues, prompting users to look for SafeSear.ch removal options.

Summary
Name SafeSear.ch
Type Browser hijacker
Category Potentially unwanted program
Installation Third-party sites, software bundling
Symptoms Changed web browser settings, altered search results, sponsored links, increased amount of ads, etc.
Risks Installation of other potentially unwanted software, malware infections, money loss
Termination Use reputable security tool like FortectIntego or delete the hijacker manually based on our guide below

While “SafeSear.ch virus” term is not entirely correct, users whose web browsers are affected do have the right to be concerned. In general, potentially unwanted programs have been receiving more attention from the security community, as the underlying dangers are evident.

Malware infections are something that all users should avoid and, even though it is unlikely that SafeSear.ch will bring you to installing dangerous computer viruses, it is not impossible. Compromised websites might host drive-by downloads[2] or malicious ads that can install malware automatically, without user interaction. To stop these, users should equip their devices with an anti-malware program and ad-blocking software.

No matter that SafeSear.ch promises to help people reach their favorite websites faster, sometimes it seems that all that it seeks is to promote third parties and increase their page rank, web traffic, or sales. Note that the hijacker redirects all the search results to Yahoo – a reputable search engine. However, that does not mean that the search results are organic[3] – they are littered with sponsored links and promotional content.

While the engine of Yahoo is used, SafeSear.ch hijack injects predetermined links at the top that generate money for the developers and then claim that these are allegedly the results you want to see. In reality, these are the results that were paid for, and might not be useful at all. Nevertheless, in order to cater your needs, information about your browsing activities is gathered continuously to serve you targeted ads, as explained in the Privacy Policy of SafeSear.ch site:[4]

<…>However, non-personally identifiable visitor information may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses.

SafeSear.ch PUPSafeSear.ch is a potentially unwanted program that usually sneaks in during the installation of free apps from third-party sites

Be aware that some data, such as user IP address or search queries, might be considered personally identifiable information.

All in all, we recommend you remove SafeSear.ch from your computer and rather use Yahoo directly instead. In such a way, you won't see sponsored links and will be presented with accurate search results. To terminate the unwanted app, you can use anti-malware software (such as FortectIntego) or check out our manual removal guide below.

Browser hijackers are usually not installed deliberately – here's how to avoid them

As we have already mentioned, a browser hijacker may show up on your computer out of nowhere. In most of the cases, it hijacks Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox browsers after downloading questionable freeware on the system.

Please be very careful with such programs as download managers, PDF creators, and similar software. By saying “be careful” mean choosing Custom or Advanced settings when installing freeware, following every installation step and also unchecking all checkboxes that note that agree to change your search engine, new tab URL, and the search engine

In other cases, users might install potentially unwanted programs intentionally when promised with its advanced functionality. For example, browser hijackers often promise enhanced browsing practice; system optimizers claim to increase your computer speed while video players offer somehow better movie-watching experience.

Nevertheless, you should not pay attention to these empty promises and first check reviews to find out whether the app is actually useful and does not have underlying features that are not instantly apparent.

SafeSear.ch sponsored resultsSafeSear.ch redirects all search results to Yahoo. Despite that, they are not genuine and are instead littered with sponsored links

Delete SafeSear.ch from all your browsers and use reputable search engine instead

In most of the cases, you should be able to remove SafeSear.ch manually with the help of our detailed instructions that you can find below. If you have a standalone program installed that relates to the hijack, you will have to enter the installed program list and terminate the potentially unwanted application from there. After that, you should also reset all the installed browsers, as browser hijackers are known to alter their settings without permission.

The more comfortable way to perform SafeSear.ch removal is employing security software that specializes in PUPs, however. All you have to do is download the app, bring its database to the latest patch, and do a full system scan. In such a way, you will not only get rid of the PUP but also of its traces in Windows registry or LaunchAgents on Macs.

You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.

Offer
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Compatible with Microsoft Windows Compatible with macOS
What to do if failed?
If you failed to fix virus damage using Fortect Intego, submit a question to our support team and provide as much details as possible.
Fortect Intego has a free limited scanner. Fortect Intego offers more through scan when you purchase its full version. When free scanner detects issues, you can fix them using free manual repairs or you can decide to purchase the full version in order to fix them automatically.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Fortect, try running SpyHunter 5.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Intego, try running Combo Cleaner.

Getting rid of SafeSear.ch redirect. Follow these steps

Uninstall from Windows

Windows operating system holds all the installed programs on the hard drive or other assigned place. To remove SafeSear.ch browser hijacker, you will have to terminate the program it is related to via the Control Panel:

Instructions for Windows 10/8  machines:

  1. Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program. Uninstall from Windows 1
  3. From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
  4. Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
  5. If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
  6. Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK. Uninstall from Windows 2

If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program. Uninstall from Windows 7/XP
  3. Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
  4. At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
  5. In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
  6. Click OK once the removal process is finished.

Delete from macOS

If your mac is suffering from a potentially unwanted program, please proceed with the following steps:

Remove items from Applications folder:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
  3. Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash) Uninstall from Mac 1

To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
  3. In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
  4. Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files. Uninstall from Mac 2

Remove from Microsoft Edge

MS Edge should be reset as soon as you delete the PUP from your device, or the unwanted activity might continue:

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click on Uninstall at the bottom. Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. Select everything (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear. Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Disable if you found any suspicious domain.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running. Reset MS Edge

If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.

  1. Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
  2. Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
  3. Right-click on them and pick Delete Advanced MS Edge reset 1
  4. Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
  5. When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:

    Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose Advanced MS Edge reset 2

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove. Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now. Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset. Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select unwanted plugin and click Remove. Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Options.
  3. Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data…
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content and press Clear. Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information. Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox…
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox. Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove. Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data. Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.

Reset Google Chrome:

If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings. Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:

  1. Click Safari > Preferences…
  2. In the new window, pick Extensions.
  3. Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall. Remove extensions from Safari

Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:

  1. Click Safari > Clear History…
  2. From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
  3. Confirm with Clear History. Clear cookies and website data from Safari

Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:

  1. Click Safari > Preferences…
  2. Go to Advanced tab.
  3. Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  4. From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches. Reset Safari

After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of SafeSear.ch registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.

How to prevent from getting browser hijacker

Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool

Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online. One of the basic means to add a layer of security – choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features. However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN – it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.

 

Lost your files? Use data recovery software

While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable. Family photos, work documents, school projects – these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur: power cuts, Blue Screen of Death errors, hardware failures, crypto-malware attack, or even accidental deletion.

To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, Data Recovery Pro can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.

About the author
Gabriel E. Hall
Gabriel E. Hall - Passionate web researcher

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