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

How to remove wwwsearchonline.com virus

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

The shady side of wwwsearchonline.com search engine

wwwsearchonline.com virus is a potentially unwanted program[1] that introduces a particular search engine to the victim. Once installed, it corrupts web browsers and controls them to cause redirections[2] to hxxp://wwwsearchonline.com page. This page is highly suspicious as it contains no legal documents such as Terms of Use or Privacy Policy. It only provides a search engine that is identical to ones provided by Urmarel.ro, Gwaye.com or Thesearchweb.net browser hijackers. Security researchers recommend removing such browser hijackers, so if you do not want to jeopardize your virtual security, better remove wwwsearchonline.com immediately. There are certain ways how this potentially unwanted program (PUP) can put you in danger despite being a legitimate program.
Image of wwwsearchonline.com search engine

Browser hijackers like wwwsearchonline redirect virus work as tools that generate pay-per-click revenue[3] for their developers. Usually, they are distributed using software bundling[4] so that they could slither into computer systems legally. Such browser hijacker quickly meddles with browsers’ settings and sets a different homepage address in all of them. It is possible that default search settings get changed, too – it depends on a browser hijacker. The aim of such questionable programs is to convince users to search the Internet via them because this way they can integrate sponsored content into search results and increase chances that user will click on it. Clicking on such content triggers a redirect to a particular third-party website and this way the hijacker creates traffic to these websites. This does not work for user’s benefit because these external websites are often untrustworthy or even dangerous. They can contain all kinds of shady or inappropriate content, for example, questionable download links or adult-oriented visual material. If the user interacts with such content, bad things can happen. Therefore, taking care of wwwsearchonline.com removal is a great idea, especially if you value your privacy.

wwwsearchonline.com redirect virusSpeaking of your privacy[5], we must mention that this browser hijacker collects certain information every time you browse the Internet. It usually tracks what websites you visit, what ads you click on, what do you search, or what you download to your computer. Since this hijacker provides no information regarding collection and usage of user data, we suggest you stay away from this search tool. It might be collecting information that identifies you and sharing such data with third-parties.

Browser hijackers install themselves on computers without informing the computer user beforehand

Browser hijackers such as wwwsearchonline usually arrive at the PC system in a bundle with other free programs. They can be transmitted alongside games, file converters, download managers, and similar free applications that you can easily find and download from a variety of file sharing websites. Developers of free software seek to monetize their products by bundling various potentially unwanted programs with them, and unfortunately, users tend to install the entire software pack without even realizing what they’re doing. The problem is that permissions to install all extra programs typically lie behind “Default” or “Standard” installation options, which are typically considered to be the most trustworthy. Vice versa – we recommend users to opt for “Custom” or “Advanced” software installation settings as these provide information about bundled software in a direct way. The user gets access to configure software components and drop off unwanted additions; therefore it helps to install the desired piece of software only. In some cases, the software installation wizard won’t allow making any changes to components of the software you downloaded. In such case, we suggest reading Privacy Policy or Terms of Use documents as these can provide some relevant information regarding “suggested third-party products.”

Remove wwwsearchonline.com the easiest way possible

There is no need to delay wwwsearchonline.com removal because this PUP makes it to the list of undesirable computer software. Clearly, it was developed to function as a tool that pushes third-party content and generates pay-per-click revenue for its developers. Therefore, it provides no useful features to the user, so there’s no point in keeping it on your computer system. To remove wwwsearchonline.com virus, we suggest using guidelines presented down below. Additionally, you can scan the computer with anti-malware programs to ascertain that all files related to the hijacker were removed.

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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