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

How to remove Search.searcheasyma.com virus

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

Olivia Morelli · Ransomware analyst

What problems can Search.searcheasyma.com browser hijacker cause?

Search.searcheasyma.com virus is also known as SearchEasyMa.com virus. Both of these URLs can start appearing your web browsers thanks to useless tools created by Polarity Technologies, Ltd., a company that has published over a dozen of annoying browser hijackers so far. Programs this company creates are unlikely to add any additional value to your computer system or enhance your browsing sessions. All of these potentially unwanted programs[1] (PUP) are designed to sneak into the computer system and alter browser settings without explicitly notifying the computer user beforehand. As soon as the PC user experiences what Search.searcheasyma.com hijack is, Easy Maps Access extension strikes root into Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and other popular web browsers. Once the extension settles down, web browsers will forget about the previous homepage address and load Search.searcheasyma.com search engine instead.
Easy Maps Access extension in Chrome

This search tool is highly suspicious and might be dangerous, so that’s why we recommend you to remove Search.searcheasyma.com as soon as you can. Now, let us explain why we consider this search engine untrustworthy. Despite the aggressive break-through into the computer system, Search.searcheasyma.com redirect virus attempts to force you to use a search engine that will deliver sponsored results[2] every time you attempt to use it. It might unexpectedly redirect you to sites that you had no intention of visiting, and only to generate revenue by making you visit websites controlled by its sponsors. We doubt that companies that collaborate with developers of spyware-type[3] programs can be trustworthy; therefore, we suggest you stay away from any ads, sponsored search results, and other forms of ads delivered by Easy Maps Access PUP.

Search.searcheasyma.com virus

Finally, we have no doubts that you must learn how this PUP analyzes data that it collects about you. It sneakily says that every individual who uses the SearchEasyMa search engine “consents to grant Polarity permission to collect [..] URLS and search data, including search queries that may contain personally identifiable information, share them with 3rd parties and use search-related cookies.” Later on, collected data is combined with a unique ID and use it for “improvement of the services” and “presentation of offers for other products, offerings, programs, features and services that may be of interest to you.” To put it shortly, collected data is going to be used to deliver you catchy-looking ads containing mysterious links within them. If you activate them, you can come across highly hazardous third-party sites full of inappropriate or threat-posing content. We highly suggest you get rid of this insincere application ASAP – you can delete it using Search.searcheasyma.com removal tutorial that we provided for you.

How can I avoid installation of unwanted programs?

Be suspicious of free software suggested on file sharing sites[4] on the world wide web. When browsing the Internet, you might also receive aggressive offers to get “indispensable” programs for free, but better think twice before hitting that “Download” button. Many free programs are promoted using most attractive marketing techniques, they can look super useful and requisite, however, do not be fooled by all these tricks used by software developers. Most of such programs carry additional components alongside them, which turn out to be potentially unwanted and ad-supported programs[5] (in most cases). You can easily miss the suggestions to install them if you rush to install new programs quickly – so better be careful and adjust the installation settings with extra care. You must switch the selection from pre-selected one to Custom or Advanced one. These settings will provide you with the opportunity to see additional programs added to your download and will also allow you to drop them off.

It’s time to remove Search.searcheasyma.com browser hijacker: what’s the best way to do it?

Our team advises choosing the automatic Search.searcheasyma.com removal option because it is always easier to let anti-malware program fix your PC instead of trying to delete unnecessary files and adjust modified settings manually. For this reason, we suggest using one of anti-malware or anti-spyware programs listed below the article. However, if you seek to remove Search.searcheasyma.com virus manually, you can use these easy-to-follow guidances given down 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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