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  • Active
  • Severity: High
  • Stealing programs
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Mar 2017

How to remove Search.eshield.com redirect

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Ugnius Kiguolis · The mastermind

What is Search.eshield.com?

Search.eshield.com virus is a browser hijacker or hijackware[1] which has been actively spread together with eShield application. This program was presented to PC users back in 2015 and then renewed its activity in the beginning of 2017. The search engine, judging on its name only, can seem to be a safe way to search the Internet. However, even if it claims to be capable of improving your security and privacy, it cannot be trusted. We recommend being careful with Search.eshield.com when using this site and, especially, when entering your private information because it belongs to the group of potentially unwanted programs (PUPs)[2] which infiltrate computers without users’ approval and then return sponsored search results. A decision to use this hijacker for your searches can lead you to such problems as unwanted pop-up ads, Search.eshield.com redirect problems, slow downs, tracking, etc.

We should also warn you that bundling has been actively used to spread this redirect virus on the Internet. It seems that the main app which leaves people dealing with Search.eshield.com against their will is eShield and other programs which are offered for free. The most of these applications are legitimate tools which can be used freely. However, beware that they need to be monitored while downloading from the Internet because they can be involved to bundling. If you want to prevent system hijack and similar problems, you need to install reliable anti-spyware on your computer. We highly recommend using FortectIntego for the prevention of such hijackers and Search.eshield.com removal from the system. Make sure you use updated scanners to find unwanted files on your computer with no problem and prevent problems related to the removal of this PUP.[3]

 The image of eShield Search

The developers of eShield program claim that it’s “a browser security tool that offers protection from malicious sites and identity threats while searching and surfing the Web.” While we can’t claim that this program is not capable of doing that, it may trick you into using this search engine against your will. As we have already mentioned, you can install this questionable search engine together with the app without knowing that. Once you do that, you can find it instead of your favorite start page and the default search engine. If you try using this search engine, you may be convinced that it has no difference when compared to Google, Yahoo and other search sites. However, the main difference is the search results provided by these search engines. Beware that Search.eshield.com virus seeks to earn the money with the help of pay-per-click scheme[4]. That’s why it fills its search results with questionable third-party links.

This search engine is compatible with all popular web browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer. To prevent its removal, it may also install several browser helper objects[5] on each of these. In addition, it may block your attempts to change these changes back to normal. If you want to avoid redirects to questionable third-party websites, you should look for other search engine. For preventing malware and other viruses, you can easily use reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego. This program can also help you to remove Search.eshield.com from your computer with each of its components, including browser helper objects that have already been mentioned in this post.

How can I avoid browser hijackers?

To prevent infiltration of this browser hijacker, you have to be careful while installing free software from the Internet. To avoid letting Search.eshield.com hijack each of your web browsers, you need to monitor installation of every freeware. To do that, make sure you carefully read every review of the software before downloading it to your computer. Pay attention to what other people say about the program you are about to install. Then, make sure you read the Privacy Policy, End User’s Agreement and similar information which is provided by the developer. If you can’t find anything suspicious, you can start installation of the program. For that, you should select either Custom or Advanced installation option and then deselect check marks that allow changes in your start page and the default search engine. If you have been infected, keep in mind that none of the websites which Search.eshield.com redirects you to should be trusted. Therefore, it’s recommended to stick to the reliable anti-spyware and remove this PUP from the system.

How to remove Search.eshield.com virus?

Do you want to know how can you remove Search.eshield.com hijacker from your computer? For that you can use one of recommended anti-spyware programs or follow the guide which is given down below. Keep in mind that letting such PUPs stay on the system can cause redirects to malicious websites, interruptions of annoying pop-up ads, and similar problems. Besides, they are capable of tracking PC users against their will for getting more details about their interests and browsing habits. You can never be sure that such information won’t be sold to suspicious parties trying to use it for identity theft and similar crimes. In order to avoid suspicious browser hijacking, you have to be careful when installing freeware on your computer since it tends to be filled with additional components, such as add-ons, plug-ins, toolbars, and extensions. If you need to perform Search.eshield.com removal on your computer, you can use a guide given below.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

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

Remove the unwanted program:

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

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

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

Remove from Microsoft Edge

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 Remove.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 Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. 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.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 Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

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

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.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.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 the unwanted extension 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 Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

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 and Temporary cached files and pages, then click 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 suspicious extensions 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 dangerous extensions:

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

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

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

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