The purpose of Search.searchfaa.com redirects

Search.searchfaa.com is an annoying browser hijacker[1] that silently makes configurations in user’s web browsers to switch the search engine that the user usually uses. Search.searchfaa aims to convince the user search via a search engine provided by Polarity Technologies, Ltd. Unfortunately, the hijacker can provide dangerous search results and trick the user into visiting possibly hazardous Internet sites.
The described search site appears in the web browser after installation of a program that promotes Faster Account Access virus via installer. This potentially unwanted program (PUP) then silently installs itself on the system as well as in Chrome, Internet Explorer and other web browsers.
This undesirable piece of software can pose a significant risk to your security because it tends to provide sponsored links in the search results. Clicking on these can unexpectedly throw you onto websites that you never planned on visiting.
Planned redirects to external websites are caused in order to generate pay-per-click revenue[2] by promoting certain websites. Unfortunately, in most cases the content of these sites is never endorsed by search engine developers, therefore they cannot be counted as trustworthy.
For your safety, we recommend you to remove Search.searchfaa.com and start using a different search engine. You can delete the described browser parasite manually – there is a comprehensive Search.searchfaa.com removal tutorial provided below the article for you.
However, if you are thinking about alternative removal options, consider installing anti-spyware software like FortectIntego and cleaning your system automatically.
In addition, we would like to recommend you to keep distance from extensions advertised via site that hides behind “Local Weather” button. It will suggest installing Weatherly, which is not considered to be a reputable program as it changes search settings to search.myweathertab.com.

Distribution of undesirable programs
Programs that are ad-supported or causing redirects are usually categorized as potentially unwanted ones and also fall into spyware group. However, the problem is that these programs are typically promoted via methods that are generally considered to be legitimate, no matter how annoying they are.
The main method used to promote Search.searchfaa.com virus is software bundling. Although it is possible that you might access its official website after clicking on a suspicious link or ad online, LesVirus.fr experts[3] say that the most probable scenario is the one where you install the program alongside other freeware.
For this reason, you should always carefully look through programs suggested to you during installation of any kind of software downloaded from the Internet. You should only rely on Custom or Advanced software installation options as they will let you look through extra apps/toolbars bundled with your download and allow deselecting them.
Remove Search.searchfaa.com virus from the system
If you wish to remove Search.searchfaa.com virus from your computer, you must uninstall all of its components. It is important not to rush during this procedure as you need to eliminate all associated programs and browser add-ons. To ease this task for you, we have prepared a guide on how to find programs related to Faster Account Access.
If you are not interested in manual Search.searchfaa.com removal options, you can use anti-spyware or anti-malware software of your choice. You might be interested in our recommendations:
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.

Was this guide helpful?
Be the first to comment