Convertpdfsearch.com hijacks web browsers to change default search settings

Convertpdfsearch.com is a shady search tool provided by HopeBest Inc. Media. The browser hijacker[1] promotes it by adding Convert PDF Search extensions and injecting hxxp://Convertpdfsearch.com/ into browsers' settings on every compromised computer. The questionable company that created it has been producing vague search sites one after another, including Zipfilesearch.com or Videoconvertsearch.com.
Once installed, Convert PDF Search compromises web browsers and changes their homepage addresses to hxxp://Convertpdfsearch.com/. The aim of this potentially unwanted program (PUP) is to control victim’s web browser and prevent the victim from changing the newly set configurations. This way, the user gets forced to visit the suspicious search site every day, which increases chances of forcing one to use the shady search engine.
If this plan works out, the developers of the browser hijacker get a chance to serve sponsored results instead of organic ones, pushing sponsored content to victims. This way, instead of finding relevant information, the victim receives a bunch of ads.
It goes without saying that it is something that no one wants to experience, so we suggest you to remove Convertpdfsearch.com redirect virus as soon as possible.
Although we see ads in various websites every day, ads provided by this search tool are extremely untrustworthy. If you click on them, you increase the chance of visiting dangerous external sites because sites advertised by this search tool are not endorsed by its developer.
If you decide to surf the Internet via this search engine, prepare yourself to come across potentially dangerous or even phishing websites[2] without even realizing it.
Although Convertpdfsearch isn’t considered to be malicious itself, it doesn’t mean that it is safe to use it or keep programs related to it on your PC. We suggest you to complete Convertpdfsearch.com removal as soon as it is possible and consider using a different search tool. The 2-spyware team suggests using FortectIntego or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes software for its elimination. If you came here for the free instructions, scroll down the page to find them.

Distribution of programs that meddle with browser settings
Browser hijackers are suspicious programs that computer users rarely install by their choice. In most cases, users get forced to install them on their computers. This often happens during installation of other free software, and that is why we advise users to pay close attention to “Custom” or “Advanced” installation settings. If the installer suggests choosing different ones, do not listen and switch the selection to “Custom/Advanced.”
Once the right installation mode is selected, you will see a list of extra programs bundled with your chosen software. Your task is to deselect every statement that confirms your decision to install them. If you can’t deselect these statements, quit the installation setup and do not install the associated software at all.
Stop Convertpdfsearch.com redirects by removing the culprit
To remove Convertpdfsearch.com virus which is the cause of those annoying URL redirects, we strongly suggest using instructions provided by our team. If you’d like to check the entire system, you might want to opt for automatic Convertpdfsearch.com removal option.
The automatic removal method requires anti-spyware or anti-malware software, so if you do not have it yet, consider installing one now. You can find a list of recommended programs below, although you can also check out software reviews we provide in the “Software” section on our site.
If you have any questions regarding the browser hijacker or suggested programs, contact our support team for help. We also noticed that this hijacker mostly affects French computer users, therefore if you are one of them, we suggest visiting LesVirus.fr website[3].
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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