Remove Go-search.me (Removal Instructions)

Go-search.me is a browser recently aimed at Mac users

Go-search.me is a misleading search engine by GoSearch LTD that pretends to represent people with Yahoo-based search results. Although it might look useful search engines, do not fall for using it blindly as it may initiate doubtful marketing campaigns.

Cybersecurity experts agree upon labeling Go-search.me virus as a browser hijacker^[1] and potentially unwanted program (PUP) due to the following reasons:

It is spread by bundling, i.e., disguised under freeware installers;
Once installed, stealthily sets Go-search.me as a start page;
Introduces GoSearch search engine and does not let to change it;
Might install suspicious browser extensions;
Generates corrupted search results, which include links to their partner's websites;
Uses tracking cookies,^[2] web beacons, and pixels to accumulate data.

Although GoSearch LTD made considerable investments to make this search site reliable, it attracted the attention of cybersecurity experts soon after the release because it has been reported for Google Chrome hijack some time in various tech-related forums.

When a person types a search query in GoSearch search tab, he or she gets the Yahoo-based search results, which seem entirely legitimate. However, some of the links included in priority might redirect to a partner's website filled with misleading content. The following is an extract from Go-search.me virus Licence Agreement:

Our service may also be linked to sites or services operated by the GoSearch affiliates or third parties and may carry advertisements or offer content, functionality, games, rewards programs, newsletters, contests or sweepstakes, or applications developed and maintained by third parties including, any online store. GoSearch is not responsible for the privacy practices of any such third parties, and once you leave the Services via a link, enable a third-party service, you should check the applicable privacy policy of the third-party site.

This way, the developer gets rid of responsibility in case some of the partners decide to promote suspicious or even dangerous websites. Anyway, you may not expect to get reliable search results from this domain because it will try to increase traffic to domains that are beneficial to the developer. In the worst-case scenario, Go-search.me malware can redirect to phishing sites that contain JavaScript or initiate drive-by-download malware campaigns.

Usually, users might not notice that most sites promoted by Go-search.me virus are filled with ads. Viruset.no experts recommend people to stay away from pop-ups, hyperlinks, banners, software update prompts, and any other offers that are related to GoSearch as they may be linked to infamous online shops or other suspicious websites.

Go-search.me removal should worry about those who care about the security of browsing-related data. Developers do not hide the fact that they may collect demographic information, including your gender, age, occupation, country, etc. as well as personally identifiable information (telephone number, email address, name, and similar).

However, some people may find it challenging to remove Go-search.me MAC virus as it might reassign the web browser's settings. To eliminate this unwanted tool you need to delete all PUPs and related files from the system. The easiest way to do that is to run a scan with Fortect Intego or another reputable security tool. If nevertheless, you prefer manual Go-search.me malware removal, you can find thorough instructions at the end of this post.

Your browser might be hijacked right after the installation of freeware

The so-called browser hijacker and other PUPs are seldom downloaded directly. Statistically, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Edge, and Safari web browsers get compromised soon or right after people download and install free software packages.

Such a marketing strategy is known as “bundling” and is actively used due to huge success. The success depends on how attentive people are during freeware installation, so it's rather evident that they hasten the installation by selecting Quick installation methods and clicking the Next button without reading the terms.

This way, they inadvertently agree with the installation of all additional components that are marked by default. Luckily, optional downloads can be easily deselected. The only condition for that is to select the Advanced or Custom installation method and remove the ticks marked next to statements, such as “I agree to install XXX” or “By clicking Next I agree to set XXX as web browser's start page.”

By the way, Dieviren.de^[3] team says that doubtful search engines and other PUPs might also spread via misleading pop-up ads. Various pop-ups might cause redirects to malware-filled sites, so it's essential to avoid interaction with content on the websites that you are not familiar with.

Tips to get rid of Go-search.me virus for Mac or Windows users

Upon successful infiltration, the web browser's settings become a target for a browser hijacker. By altering the start page, search engine, and other settings, PUPs get the ability to control people's web browsing activities and increase traffic to affiliate websites. Thus, do not let a suspicious app to trick you and initiate Go-search.me removal without delay.

If you are asking how to remove Go-search.me, you are free to choose between manual and automatic options. Those who want to save time can use a professional security tool and scan the system with it for malicious and potentially unwanted programs. Those who do not prefer using anti-virus for PUP removal can follow these recommendations:

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.

How to remove Go-search.me

Go-search.me is a browser recently aimed at Mac users

Your browser might be hijacked right after the installation of freeware