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  • Active
  • Severity: High
  • Stealing programs
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · May 2018

How to remove Search.powersearch.online

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

Jake Doevan · Computer technology expert

Search.powersearch.online is a dubious search engine that contains links to third-party websites

Search.powersearch.online virus

Search.powersearch.online is a browser hijacker[1] that comes from eAnswers family. Its primary purpose is to hijack Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla Firefox or another browser by modifying settings and then displaying invasive ads, redirecting users to questionable sites and gathering certain data about them. Although a browser hijacker is not malware, the features mentioned above can certainly compromise the machine and expose users to various virus threats.

SUMMARY
Name Search.powersearch.online
Type Browser hijacker
Browser extension MyPrivateSearch
Created by eAnswers
Distribution Software bundling
Main dangers Malware infiltration, stolen personal data
Elimination Download and install FortectIntego; otherwise, check our step-by-step guide below

Search.powersearch.online looks identical to other browser hijackers created by eAnswers – Search.myappzcenter.com, Search.theappzworld.com, Search.medianetnow.com and multiple others. Developers try to attract people with five beautiful backgrounds and sleek design of the main page. Additionally, they offer the “Private Search” option which allows users to allegedly filter adult and other explicit content from search results. Apparently, this option becomes available once MyPrivateSearch browser extension is added to the browser.

Nevertheless, all these features are presented so that users would get the sense of legitimacy and usefulness. In reality, Search.powersearch.online removal should be executed as soon as possible as its only goal is to monetize on a miserable browsing experience of its users.

As soon as Search.powersearch.online hijack occurs, the address of new tab, startup page and search engine of the browser is set to hxxp://search.powersearch.online. These changes cannot be set back to the preferred ones unless the browser hijacker is uninstalled.

Also, all search results are redirected to hxxps://search.yahoo.com. Although Yahoo is a legitimate search engine, the search results generated through Search.powersearch.online are altered and not genuine. Users will see a layer of sponsored links that lead to affiliated websites. In some cases, links can be legitimate and lead to well-known sites. However, users might also be redirected to suspicious or even malware-laden domains.

It goes without saying that such activity might damage users’ PCs or, if a keylogger[2] is installed, it might steal personal information, and the user will not even know about it. As a result, identity fraud is a plausible outcome.

Search.powersearch.online virus also gathers non-personally identifiable information in order to create a digital ID and then display targeted advertising based on users’ browsing habits. The accumulated data includes:

  • IP address;
  • ISP;
  • Browser type;
  • Cookie information;
  • Sites visited;
  • Search queries, etc.

To conclude, a browser hijacker is not useful and can expose users to severe dangers online. Thus, you should remove Search.powersearch.online either using reputable security software (FortectIntego, or any other) or by checking manual guide below this post.

Search.powersearch.online elimination guide

Never pick Recommended or Quick settings when installing free software

Users are typically quite careless when it comes to internet safety. Thus, they rush installation of freeware by skipping steps and never reading terms and conditions. Initially, it is a huge mistake and typically results in infiltration of unwanted software. Therefore, do not try to save a couple of minutes of time by rushing the process.

Security experts[3] recommend the following:

  • Only download applications from legitimate sources;
  • Avoid third-party sites, especially file-sharing of peer-2-peer domains;
  • Before installing a new app, read reviews online (such as blogs, forums, security articles, etc.);
  • When prompted, always opt for Advanced or Custom installation mode;
  • If you encounter any optional installs, avoid the infiltration by removing tick marks next to add-ons, toolbars, search engines, etc.

Uninstall Search.powersearch.online safely

Search.powersearch.online removal can be performed either manually or automatically – both of these methods are viable. If you decide to go for manual PUP elimination, you should check our guide below this article. Make sure, however, that you understand all the instructions properly before continuing.

We suggest you remove Search.powersearch.online automatically if you want a quick solution. Merely pick on of the security programs we recommend and scan your system. This process should only take few minutes and will detect and eliminate all the unwanted components quickly.

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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