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  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Browser Hijackers
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Aug 2020

How to remove SearchConvertor

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

Gabriel E. Hall · Passionate web researcher

SearchConvertor – a potentially unwanted application that hijacks web browsers without asking

SearchConvertor

SearchConvertor is a browser hijacker that can be downloaded from various sources, although most users find it on their systems unexpectedly. This happens since the app is mostly distributed via software bundles, where several programs are compiled into a single package.

As soon as SearchConvertor gains access to Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, MS Edge, or another web browser, it begins to change their settings instantaneously. For example, the homepage and the new tab address are changed to feed.searchconvertor.com, and a customized search engine is applied. As soon as users attempt to search the web, their browser begins a redirect to search.yahoo.com, and the top results are always ads, otherwise known as sponsored links.

Besides changing the way users browse the web, the so-called SearchConvertor virus also tracks their online behavior to deliver more suited advertisements for more profits.

Name SearchConvertor
Type Browser hijacker
Distribution  While many browser hijackers can be downloaded on official sources such as Google Web Store, most users find these unwanted programs installed without permission. This happens due to deceptive distribution tactics such as software bundling or fake updates
Symptoms 
  • SearchConvertor browser extension or application is installed
  • Homepage and new tab address is altered to feed.searchconvertor.com or portal.searchconvertor.com
  • All searchers are redirected to Yahoo or another provider
  • Sponsored links and ads shown at the top of the search results
  • Overall increased amount of advertisements
Risks  Installation of other potentially unwanted programs or malware, monetary losses, personal data disclosure to unknown parities or cybercriminals 
Removal  You can uninstall browser extension by right-clicking on it; in case you have a PUP installed on your computer, either follow manual guide below or employ powerful anti-malware for automatic elimination 
Optional steps In case you still see ads and redirects, you should also reset your web browsers. In case malware was found on your machine by the security software, you should also restore normal Windows functions with a PC repair software such as FortectIntego 

Just as its visual clones SearchZoneSearchConverterHD, or SearchGamez, SearchConvertor is yet another browser-hijacking application that claims that it is a useful search tool. In fact, many would be attracted to tools such as PDF converter or calculator that is presented as optional components within the main page. However, these useful features are not the only things that the hijacker is capable of.

A browser hijacker is a simple way to monetize – the costs of release are minimal, while the profit it can bring is potentially huge. However, let's keep in mind that the main goal of SearchConvertor developers is to promote advertisements and monetize users' clicks.

To do that effectively, the app collects a variety of information about users who have it installed. It uses browser cookies, web beacons,[1] pixels, scripts, or other tracking technologies to collect anonymous and personal data (mostly IP address and other device identifiers) about SearchConvertor users:

The Non-Personal Information which is being collected may include technical information automatically transmitted by the user's device (for example, type of browser, the type of the user's device and technical information pertaining to the user's device, language preferences, time stamps, clicks and visited pages, search logs, the operating system, utilized internet service provider and other similar information.

However, if you will try to prevent tracking or attempting to search via the address bar, you will be rerouted to Yahoo via the feed.searchconvertor.com portal. This way, the developers ensure that sponsored links are placed all the time, so more users visit affiliated sites. The only way to stop this activity is to remove SearchConvertor from your machine.

SearchConvertor hijacker

SearchConvertor is most commonly distributed as an extension that is compatible with several popular web browsers. However, it can also be installed as a standalone application on a Mac or Windows machine. The deletion of the extension should not be a problem to most, although SearchConvertor removal might be a bit more difficult when dealing with the installed app.

However, if you struggle to uninstall SearchConvertor, you can rely on the instructions we provide below or perform a full system scan with a powerful anti-malware. Also, security researchers from novirus.uk[2] advise using a PC repair tool such as FortectIntego after any type of infection is eliminated from a system.

Prevent infiltration of potentially unwanted programs

Potentially unwanted programs, including browser hijackers, are often distributed via deceptive methods, which result in an unintentional installation by users. One prime example is software bundling – developers of PUPs or freeware distributors often compile several apps into a single installer, and then deliberately hide their presence in order to mislead users.

While it might seem that seemingly reputable websites would not distribute potentially unwanted programs, it is far from the truth. There are plenty of browser hijackers and adware apps that are present on official sources such as Chrome Web Store as well (Google is pulling out apps due to malicious behavior on a regular basis).[3]

Thus, be very careful when you are downloading new applications – always choose official sources if possible, although never let your guard down. Read the installation instructions carefully, decline all the offers (don't be mislead by misplaced buttons), remove all ticks from pre-ticked boxes, and always opt for Advanced or Custom settings when prompted, as it will let you stay in control of the process from start to finish.

SearchConvertor

Uninstall SearchConvertor from your computer in a few different ways

If you are dealing with a browser extension that is attached to your browser, all you have to do is access the add-on section via browser settings, and then select “Remove SearchConvertor.” However, this might not go as well for all users – the app might set the “Managed by your organization” status or might actually be installed on the system instead of the browser. In the case of the former, you should reset the installed web browser – this will also eliminate cookies and other tracking technologies setup by the hijacker.

If you have an app installed on your computer and you are not sure how to perform SearchConvertor removal manually, we provide the instructions for the process below. If you do not want to meddle with this process yourself, you can let an anti-malware program to take care of everything automatically (just ensure that the security app has PUP detection feature enabled).

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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