Epicsearches.com (Removal Guide) - Jul 2018 update
Epicsearches.com Removal Guide
What is Epicsearches.com?
Epicsearches.com is a browser hijacker which promotes Epic Chrome extension
Epicsearches.com is a PUP that causes unwanted redirects. It travels together with the Epic Custom Chrome search extension. Epicsearches.com (or Epic Searches) — a browser hijacker that is promoted as a Custom Chrome Search extension. However, while it seems like a great way to search the web, it cannot be compared to Google, Bing, or Yahoo which are famous for their reliable search results and safe searches. EpicSearches.com is rather a PUP[1] than a useful website. As with any other browser hijacking app, it claims to be capable of improving people's online experience by providing the best search results. However, this program comes together with the related browser extension called Epic, alters your system settings and then starts redirecting to sponsored websites. At the moment, EpicSearches.com is compatible only with Google Chrome.
Name | Epicsearches.com |
---|---|
related to | Epic Chrome extension |
Type | Browser hijacker, PUP |
Behavior | Redirects to suspicious sites and displays intrusive ads |
Distribution | Software bundling |
Affects | IE, Chrome, Firefox |
Termination | Install and use FortectIntego for Epicsearches.com removal |
Typically, this intrusive program comes to your system without your permission. After it finishes making changes to your browser, you can notice the unwanted activity. Be aware that you have a cyber infection called browser hijacker, so the main issue you may run into is continuous redirects to unknown websites. While Epicsearches.com virus does not have features of a malicious program, this fake search engine is working on generating income to its developers by redirecting people to predetermined sites.
While having this virus on board, you can additionally notice an increased amount of commercial content on your favorite websites. This is the typical browser hijacker activity that makes people eager to remove Epicsearches.com. According to the Privacy policy of this app, its developers admit having relations with third-party providers. However, this relationship means that your data might be collected and used by the advertisers or third parties as well. As the Privacy Policy of this program notifies, the company can even sell the collected data:
We may rent, sell, or share aggregated information and other non-personally identifiable information with third parties for multiple reasons, including to develop and deliver search results and advertising and to conduct general business analysis.
Beware that browser hijackers, including Epicsearches.com, can access various information, including PC's IP address, location, mostly used search phrases, clicked results, and other user's preferences. This is often collected to create personalized ads and trick users into clicking them. However, repetitive clicks on ads that belong to this PUP might attract malware, so make sure you stay away from them.
To eliminate this danger, Epicsearches.com removal is needed. It will also prevent tracking of your searches and the appearance of similar hijackers in the future. To make sure that the virus is fully eliminated, you need to scan your system with anti-malware tools like FortectIntego if you want to get rid of all of them.
Epicsearches.com is a site that claims to be legitimate. However, you should take into account that it can be used for tracking NPII and selling it to third parties.
Software providers bundling products with intrusive programs
When downloading software from a known provider, you can be sure that you are not getting any unwanted program or tool in a bundle. It is also wise to use only premium software providers to avoid questionable apps on your device.
However, even if it is known for everybody, users are still using P2P networks[2], third-party providers and similar sources to download software. Unfortunately, this increases the risk of getting numerous infections on your system.
According to computer researchers,[3] you should always follow precautionary measures to prevent PUPs. Always choose Custom or Advanced installation settings when downloading freeware and do not skip through steps. Custom options will let you de-select any unwanted part of the download and will keep only the needed programs.
Terminate Epicsearches.com to get back to safe searching
To remove EpicSearches.com from Chrome, you need to employ anti-malware software to check your system for components related to your browser hijacker. The full system scan will ensure that you are eliminating all programs that are responsible for unwanted activities and computer-related issues.
Even if you selected manual Epicsearches.com removal, note that it is not as difficult as it seems from the first sight. However, you should always be careful while browsing the web to avoid such threats in the future.
To prevent Epic Searches and similar hijackers in the future, develop a clear routine while downloading apps from the Internet to avoid unwanted software on your computer. Mostly, you have to opt for Custom/Advanced installation mode to see what is hiding inside the software you are about to download.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of Epicsearches.com. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Remove browser hijacker from Windows OS by following these steps:
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
Delete from macOS
Remove items from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
Remove from Google Chrome
Terminate Epicsearches.com on your Chrome by resetting web browser:
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 the suspicious plugins that might be 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.
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (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 Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
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.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
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.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
At the moment, the virus is affecting Google Chrome only. If it happens to show up on Firefox, clean your browser by using this guide:
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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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.
Delete from Safari
Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of Epicsearches.com registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting stealing programs
Stream videos without limitations, no matter where you are
There are multiple parties that could find out almost anything about you by checking your online activity. While this is highly unlikely, advertisers and tech companies are constantly tracking you online. The first step to privacy should be a secure browser that focuses on tracker reduction to a minimum.
Even if you employ a secure browser, you will not be able to access websites that are restricted due to local government laws or other reasons. In other words, you may not be able to stream Disney+ or US-based Netflix in some countries. To bypass these restrictions, you can employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN, which provides dedicated servers for torrenting and streaming, not slowing you down in the process.
Data backups are important – recover your lost files
Ransomware is one of the biggest threats to personal data. Once it is executed on a machine, it launches a sophisticated encryption algorithm that locks all your files, although it does not destroy them. The most common misconception is that anti-malware software can return files to their previous states. This is not true, however, and data remains locked after the malicious payload is deleted.
While regular data backups are the only secure method to recover your files after a ransomware attack, tools such as Data Recovery Pro can also be effective and restore at least some of your lost data.
- ^ Chris Hoffman. PUP's explained. How to geek. IT education.
- ^ James Cope. Peer-to-peer network. Computerworld. The voice of business technology.
- ^ Udenvirus. Udenvirus. Security news.