FreeSearchConverters ads: what it is and how to remove it
FreeSearchConverters browser hijacker can infect any device running iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows operating systems. It infects most devices when their users install new software downloaded from untrustworthy vendors.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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FreeSearchConverters ads: summary
| Distribution | Software bundles, deceptive ads, fake Flash Player updates |
|---|---|
| name | FreeSearchConverters |
| Type | Redirect virus, potentially unwanted program, browser hijacker |
| changed browser settings | Default search engine, homepage, new tab |
| Symptoms of infection | Browser preferences are changed without your direct consent; search results are shown from a different provider and contain tons of advertisements; new tabs with questionable content open out of nowhere |
| appointed fake search engine | feed.freesearchcoverters.com |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 10 more facts
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Name | FreeSearchConverters |
| Symptoms | Redirects to an unknown domain |
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Domains | feed.freesearchcoverters.com |
| Ads shown as | Redirects through ad pages |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 1 July 2021 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Is FreeSearchConverters ads dangerous?
From our report of Jul 2021 · not reviewed since
FreeSearchConverters browser hijacker – a PUP that forces its victims to use a fake search engine
FreeSearchConverters browser hijacker can infect any device running iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows operating systems.
It infects most devices when their users install new software downloaded from untrustworthy vendors. The technique is called software bundling, and it's widely used to spread various potentially unwanted programs, including the article's culprit.
Once it's installed, your default browser settings are modified. The most notable changes are made to the default search engine, new tab, and homepage. All these changes are made to redirect all search inquiries through a chain of shady domains that let the browser hijacker record your browsing habits.
Once you open your browser, the feed.freesearchcoverters.com website will load up. If you enter a search inquiry into the search field (or type it into the URL bar), a new tab will be launched with search results from Searchlee. However, results from other search providers might be presented to users living in different parts of the world.
The main purpose of this kind of PUP is to show deceptive ads of affiliated sites and redirect traffic to them to gain revenue. Don't be forced to use a search engine you don't like.
From our report of Jul 2021 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on FreeSearchConverters
- A scan with reputable security software would remove the browser hijacker and all other possible infections
- Use the system diagnostics tool to run a scan and fix all system-related irregularities that the article's culprit or other PUPs might have caused
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
feed.freesearchcoverters.com
How to remove FreeSearchConverters ads
How to stop the FreeSearchConverters redirects
Work in this order and test a few links after each step, so you know which one was the cause.
Step 1: Check the browser's extensions
A browser that keeps landing on
feed.freesearchcoverters.comby itself usually has an add-on doing it. Open the extension list (chrome://extensions, edge://extensions, or Extensions and themes in the Firefox menu) and remove anything you do not remember installing.Coupon, PDF, new tab, search and video downloader add-ons are the usual suspects. Do this in every browser on the Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC.
Chrome on Windows 11: More > Extensions > Manage extensions. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Step 2: Reset the browser if the redirects continue
When
feed.freesearchcoverters.comkeeps opening after the extensions are cleaned, reset the browser to its defaults. Chrome: Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults; Edge: Settings > Reset settings; Firefox: Help > More troubleshooting information > Refresh Firefox.A reset keeps bookmarks and saved passwords but clears site permissions, the start page and the search engine.
If every browser still redirects afterwards, the cause is a program in Windows 11 or Windows 10: check Settings > Apps > Installed apps for anything you did not install.
Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Reset settings. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 3: Scan the PC if you downloaded anything from the ads
Most people who only saw the notifications can skip this step. If a notification or the page it opened made you download or run a file, delete the file and run a full scan, then a Microsoft Defender Offline scan.
In Windows 11 and Windows 10 open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now. The PC restarts and the scan takes about 15 minutes, so save your work first.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices.
Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings.
Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact - you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use for the data restoration process.
From our report of Jul 2021 · not reviewed since
Easy instructions to remove FreeSearchConverters browser hijacker
Potentially unwanted programs aren't considered very dangerous as they don't contain malicious scripts embedded into them.
But that doesn't mean that they couldn't act as a bridge to malware infections. In fact, they could redirect you to sponsored websites that could be riddled with malware.
And if the cybercriminals would use the drive-by downloading technique, you could get infected with severe malware only by visiting a hacked website. Therefore, you shouldn't play around with this type of software, no matter how harmless it might seem at first glance.
By causing redirects, FreeSearchConverters virus injects ads directly into your search results. These ads might look alluring as the browser hijacker collects your browsing details (clicked links, visited sites, search inquiries, geolocations, etc.) and customizes the ads accordingly.
Please refrain from clicking them, as you will be redirected to affiliated sites that will have nothing in common with the displayed ad. Moreover, the cyber infection could open any of the sponsored sites on demand by triggering a redirect. So you could be forced to visit a predetermined portal.
It's not safe to keep such software. Therefore you need to remove FreeSearchConverters browser hijacker from your device, and the sooner, the better. Manual removal is not always possible.
Another great security tool that IT experts recommend is the . The internet is full of various anti-malware tools, but we've been in the business of helping people deal with severe malware for over 20 years, so we know a thing or two when it comes to virus removal.
From our report of Jul 2021 · not reviewed since
Remove suspicious extensions if the deceptive ads persist
When you get rid of all infections from your device, you need to check your browser for any extensions that you don't recognize, don't remember installing, and so on.
There's a chance that the browser hijacker has its extension installed on each and every one of your browsers.
Unfortunately, no software can help to remove FreeSearchConverters extension from your browsers. But that's what we're for. Our security team has compiled detailed instructions to help you remove suspicious extensions from all the most popular web browsers.
First of all, you will need to check the browser that is most prone to infections, and the biggest part of them are made specifically for it. Therefore, take these steps to clean up your Google Chrome browser:
Whether you found and removed any questionable browser plug-ins or not, you will want to restore your default search engine, which will consequently change the new tab and homepage preferences. This action can be accomplished pretty easily. All you need to do is:
FreeSearchConverters virus can also affect Mozilla Firefox browsers. If its extension is installed on this application, the removal method is quite similar. But if you require any assistance, please use the Illustrated guidelines below and remove all unrecognized extensions:
Once you get rid of all potentially unwanted programs and questionable extensions that might have been installed on your browsers, it's time to take care of your device's overall system health. PUPs modify not only browsers preferences but also system settings.
These changes might result in various system failures, including BSoDs, freezes, severe lag, etc. Furthermore, the websites that FreeSearchConverters virus might have redirected you to could have left data-tracking cookies on your device. They also need to be deleted.
If you have multiple browsers, cleaning all of them requires a lot of time. That's why we suggest using the all-in-one system diagnostics tool, which takes out all the trash for you and automatically detects all system-related irregularities, and fixing them within a few minutes.
It's free to try out, so you have nothing to lose. Here's how to make your computer run as good as new:
- 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.
- Click the menu and choose Settings.
- Go to the Search Engine section.
- Click on the drop-down menu and choose a search provider of your choice.
- 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 plugin and click Remove.
- Download the application by clicking on the link above
- Click on the ReimageRepair.exe
- If User Account Control (UAC) shows up, select Yes
- Press Install and wait till the program finishes the installation process
- The analysis of your machine will begin immediately
- Once complete, check the results - they will be listed in the Summary
- You can now click on each of the issues and fix them manually
Questions about FreeSearchConverters ads
Why does my browser keep going to feed.freesearchcoverters.com?
Something is sending it there. On one site only, that site's ads are the cause and leaving the site ends it.
On many different sites, the usual causes are an extension you installed with something else, a site you once allowed to send notifications, or an ad-supported program in Windows that changes how the browser behaves. feed.freesearchcoverters.com itself is only a stop on the way: it records the visit and forwards you to whatever advertiser pays most.
Check the extensions page, then the list of sites allowed to send notifications, then Installed apps sorted by date. Removing the cause stops the redirects; blocking the domain alone usually does not, because the network moves to a new one.
Is it safe that my browser was redirected to feed.freesearchcoverters.com?
Landing on feed.freesearchcoverters.com does not infect the PC by itself. A browser does not run programs from a page without your action. The danger is in the pages that come next:
- some ask you to allow notifications
- some show fake virus warnings
- some offer downloads
- ask for card details
If you only saw those pages and closed them, nothing more is needed than removing whatever caused the redirect. If you allowed notifications, remove that permission.
If you downloaded a file, delete it unopened, or uninstall it if you ran it. If you typed a password or card number on one of the pages, change the password and call your bank.
What is FreeSearchConverters?
FreeSearchConverters is an ad redirect domain, a kind of adware. It earns money by showing redirects through ad pages, and each view, click or redirect pays whoever runs it. It is not something people usually choose; it arrives through a free download, a fake button or a misleading prompt.
FreeSearchConverters does not encrypt files or take control of Windows, but its ads are sold to anyone, including scam operators, so they can lead to fake virus warnings and unwanted downloads. The steps in this guide remove it from Windows and from each browser.
Why does feed.freesearchcoverters.com keep showing up?
There are two possible reasons. If it appears as desktop notifications, a browser on this PC was given permission to receive them from feed.freesearchcoverters.com, usually through a misleading prompt. That permission stays until you remove it in the browser's site settings.
If it appears as tabs or redirects, an ad on a site you visit is opening it, or an extension or program on the PC is. Test a private window: if feed.freesearchcoverters.com never appears there, an extension is the likely cause. The plan above covers each case.
Which browsers does FreeSearchConverters affect?
In the cases we checked, FreeSearchConverters showed up in Chrome, Edge and Firefox. That does not rule out others on your PC, since adware installers often target every browser they find, and permissions and extensions sync across computers signed in to the same browser account.
Open each browser you have, go to its extensions page and its notification settings, and remove anything you do not recognise. Profiles count separately: Chrome and Edge can each hold several, and each one needs checking on its own.
Are the pop-ups I see really from FreeSearchConverters?
Compare them with the details in the table above. FreeSearchConverters produces redirects through ad pages, and the clearest sign of it is redirects to feed.freesearchcoverters.com. Other adware looks similar, so check the name of the sending site at the bottom of a notification, the address in the tab that opened, or the newest entries on the extensions page.
If those match, this guide fits. If you see a different name, the same kind of steps apply, but remove the item you actually find rather than guessing.
Did FreeSearchConverters collect my data?
Adware typically collects what it needs to choose ads:
- the sites you visit
- search terms
- approximate location
- browser and system details
Extensions with permission to read and change data on all websites can technically see everything on those pages, including forms. That is a privacy problem rather than proof of theft.
If you typed card details or passwords while it was active, changing the most important passwords is a reasonable precaution. Clearing cookies after removal ends the tracking sessions it may have started.
I let a "support technician" from an ad connect to my PC. What should I do?
Act quickly but calmly. Disconnect the PC from the internet first, so the connection ends. Uninstall the remote access tool they asked you to install and check Installed apps for anything else added during the call.
Run a Microsoft Defender full scan and offline scan. From another device, change your e-mail and banking passwords and sign out of all sessions.
If you paid by card, bank transfer or gift card, contact your bank or the card issuer immediately, and report the scam to the police. Do not answer if they call back.
My scan found nothing, but the ads continue. Why?
Because the source may not be a file a scanner looks for. Browser notifications are a permission stored in the browser, and many adware extensions are not flagged because they come from an official store.
Some ad-supported programs are only reported if you enable detection of potentially unwanted apps. So a clean scan does not mean the job is done. Check each browser's notification permissions and extension list by hand, and turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking in Windows Security before scanning again.
Will Fortect remove FreeSearchConverters?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For FreeSearchConverters, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Drive-by download (read October 6, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 6, 2026)