ZwankySearch.com virus is not a reliable search engine

ZwankySearch.com is a browser hijacker which seems to be capable of infiltrating computers without asking an approval from their owners. Such browser-hijacking[1] technique can be identified by noticing specific changes in browsers' settings. Typically, that's the start page and the default search engine which is altered by Zwanky Search virus. If this site automatically opens as soon as you open Chrome, Firefox or another web browser, it means that your PC is also infected.
Unexpected homepage, new tab and default search changes in your browser indicate a browser hijack, so do not ignore them. The described browser hijacker will initiate automatic redirects to hxxp://ZwankySearch.com/ site frequently because its main aim is to make you use its search services. Beware that some of its search results are fake and can be used to redirect users to infected domains.
Unfortunately, but there are more reasons why you should remove ZwankySearch.com from your computer. Of course, we believe that we should not even mention the fact that it won’t disappear from your browser in any other way. Besides, it's more than clear that if you continue using this suspicious search engine, you will take the risk of visiting suspicious web pages it advertises.
Tracking is the main issue caused by this PUP
On top of that, users of this search engine can put themselves under the risk of being tracked by the developer. After analyzing ZwankySearch.com, we discovered its Privacy Policy document that informs users how the service collects user data. It turns out that this hijacker can silently gather the following pieces of data:
- User’s IP address;
- Type of OS and web browser used;
- Keyword and search queries;
- List of visited websites.
Such information falls into personally non-identifiable data category. However, we must point out that your search queries may contain some personal details. As always, the vague tool claims to be using collected data to “provide more relevant services,” which basically means that you are going to receive more ads in search results.

Besides, the way this company stores collected data is unclear. In the case of a data breach[2], collected data can fall into bad hands. Therefore, we invite you to decide what method you want to use for ZwankySearch.com removal. You can use anti-malware software like FortectIntego or try to delete the hijacker manually.
Avoiding potentially unwanted programs, such as Zwanky Search
Potentially unwanted software tends to infiltrate computer systems alongside programs that the computer user willingly installs. Although such software distribution method seems to be highly intrusive, it is actually legitimate.
The only thing that allows potentially unwanted software to hijack your PC is user’s inattentiveness. If you tend to rush through the installation by pushing “Next > Next > Install > Finish,” you simply overlook statements written behind suggested installation options that say you agree to place a couple of third-party programs on your system.
To avoid installing those additions, you must select Custom or Advanced settings and then deselect every suggested addition. It is very easy to do so – even inexperienced PC users can perform such simple configuration of installation settings.
Removing ZwankySearch.com. The easy way
The sooner you remove ZwankySearch.com virus from your computer, the better. Keeping this program on PC makes the system vulnerable to cyber attacks[3]. Therefore, do not delay the task and complete it today. There are two ways to uninstall the unwanted and spyware-type software:
- The manual removal method;
- The automatic removal method.
If you’re willing to take the challenge and perform manual ZwankySearch.com removal, use instructions provided below. Otherwise, rely on anti-spyware programs listed down below.
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.

Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.

Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).

Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.

- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.

Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.

Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.

Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.

Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.

Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.

Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- 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.

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.

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

Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.

Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.

- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.

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

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

Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- 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:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.

Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.

Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.

Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.

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