Search.searchatbc.com – another useless search tool created by Polarity Technologies

Search.searchatbc.com belongs to the group of bogus search engines that work as browser hijackers. This potentially unwanted program (PUP) is created by Polarity Technologies – a well-known company that is responsible for developing and distributing tons of questionable tools.
So-called Search.searchatbc.com virus actively spreads via freeware and shareware bundles[1]. This distribution method allows entering the system silently and hijacking each of the browsers installed on the computer. It might:
- modify the Registry and shortcuts;
- alter Chrome, Firefox, Explorer, Safari and other browsers settings;
- set search.searchatbc.com as the default browser, search engine or/and new tab URL address.
Search.searchatbc site is highly suspicious and cannot be trusted because of its close relations to Safer Browser virus. It is a widely known search hijacker that corrupts actual Yahoo search results and fills them up with ads.
Clicking on compromised search results triggers redirects to external websites that are not always secure and trustworthy.[2] However, the developer of this shady browser tool doesn’t seem to care about it too much. That is one of the reasons why Search.searchatbc.com removal is highly recommended by cyber security experts.
The described browser hijacker is a tool developed entirely for money-making purposes. Its authors rely on the pay-per-click revenue[3] model, which requires forcing the victims to visit predetermined partner websites. To achieve this goal, Search.searchatbc.com redirect virus incorporates ads into search results and indirectly provokes people to visit the websites that hide behind them.
You must remember that by exploring fvague search results that look a little off can result in unexpected visits to highly dangerous or even phishing web pages.[4] Besides, the annoying hijacker can slow down your computer and make your browser crash at unexpected times.
We believe that you do not need such problems in your life, so we suggest you remove Search.searchatbc.com without any worries. You can use anti-malware software like FortectIntego for that.

Developers of PUPs use sneaky distribution methods to affect computers
Software developers are so desperate to make computer users install their suspicious tools not only because they can use them to deliver ads. In addition to that, they use their products to spy on user’s browsing activities and find out information valuable for market researching. Therefore, Search.searchatbc.com hijack affects not only your browsing quality but might impact online security as well.
To keep spyware-type programs away from your computer, usually, it is enough to install free programs attentively and avoid clicking on suspicious content online. We recommend following these tips for maximum security:
- Never agree to install your downloads using pre-selected installation options such as Default or Standard. These options will prevent you from controlling components of your download and will force you to install all the additions unnoticeably.
- Never agree to install programs that aggressively promote themselves via pop-up or banner ads.
- Protect your computer with anti-malware software which will help to identify and block attempts to infect your system with unwanted programs.
For more security-related tips, you can visit NoVirus.uk site[5].
Follow these steps to eliminate Search.searchatbc.com entirely
No matter how annoying the hijacker is, its elimination takes less than five minutes. It’s not hard to remove Search.searchatbc.com neither manually or automatically. If you are interested in the latter removal method, you should follow the instructions presented below.
However, we must mention that the automatic Search.searchatbc.com removal option is always more secure and less time-consuming one. Therefore, if your goal is to clean your computer system using a trustworthy spyware/malware removal tool, consider checking the options we provided 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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