Remove Moccini Search (Virus Removal Guide)
Why is Moccini Search not safe to use?
Search.moccini.com is a search website that may appear on the browser unexpectedly. Therefore, it is sometimes simply called Moccini Search virus. However, “virus” is a rather rough term to describe this program. The security experts prefer categorizing it as potentially unwanted program (PUP), more particularly a browser hijacker. Browser hijackers are known for infiltrating the users’ computers along with freeware and shareware programs, but apart from a slight impact on the system’s performance, such programs are not considered to pose any harm on the computer if you delete them in time. However, if you keep using your computer with this program installed, you may experience some very unpleasant consequences. So, it is better to scan your computer with some reputable antivirus tool, such as ReimageIntego and take care of the Moccini Search removal.
Questions about Moccini Search
As we have already mentioned, the program itself is not harmful, but it is far from being useful either. Its search results do not display the relevant information and often feature more sponsored advertisements than actually useful links. It is not uncommon to experience Moccini Search redirect issue as well. You may easily end up on some unreliable and even infectious site if you interact with any of the Moccini search suggestions. On top of it all, this virus can also track data about your browsing habits and use the collected information to generate more engaging results. You should not waste your time and computer resources for such a useless app when there are tested and acknowledged search engines such as Google, Yahoo or Bing that you can really count on. You will find Moccini Search removal suggestions in page 2 of this article.
How could this virus infect my computer?
If you found the unfamiliar search engine on your browser do not worry, you are not alone to experience the Moccini Search hijack. A number of users are complaining about this website popping up on their browsers completely out of the blue. How does this happen? The suspicious search engine attaches itself to programs that are freely downloadable from the internet and installs along with them. So, if you are about to install some PDF converter or download manager on your computer, you should investigate the program closely to find out whether it does not contain some additional components attached to it. Only then you can proceed with the installation. To examine the programs, you should always opt for the advanced installation mode which gives you a chance to get acquainted with the Terms and Conditions and other information about the program. This information may disclose the additional installs so you will be able to cancel them manually if you notice anything suspicious.
Suggestions on the Moccini Search removal:
Moccini Search removal does not have to be difficult, even though it is a rather clingy browser hijacker. It may install additional programs just to help this site stay on your browser. However, antivirus software should be able to counter-attack all the tactics this virus may use to remain on your system. Remember, though that only an updated virus-fighting utility will be able to deal with computer threats effectively. So, you should keep an eye on the newest updates and make sure that you have the latest software version. In addition to the automatic virus elimination, you may choose the manual approach as well. Below, you will find a detailed guide which you can follow to remove Moccini Search from the infected device yourself.
You may remove virus damage with a help of ReimageIntego. 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.
To remove Moccini Search, follow these steps:
Remove Moccini Search from Windows systems
To remove Moccini Search from Windows 10/8 machines, please follow these steps:
- 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 entries related to Moccini Search (or any other recently installed 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.
Uninstall Moccini Search from Mac OS X system
If your macOS is displaying some infection symptoms, proceed with the following guide:
Remove Moccini Search from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for Moccini Search-related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove Moccini Search, 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 related to Moccini Search and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the Moccini Search-related entries.
Get rid of Moccini Search 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 Moccini Search-related 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.
Reset MS Edge if that 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 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.
Erase Moccini Search 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 plugins that are related to Moccini Search and click Remove.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Options.
- 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.
In case Moccini Search did not get removed after following the instructions above, 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 – this should complete Moccini Search removal.
Eliminate Moccini Search 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 the suspicious plugins that might be related to Moccini Search 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.
If the above-methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the Moccini Search-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 to complete Moccini Search removal.
Remove Moccini Search from Safari
Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension related to Moccini Search 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 Moccini Search 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: ReimageIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
Protect your privacy – employ a VPN
There are several ways how to make your online time more private – you can access an incognito tab. However, there is no secret that even in this mode, you are tracked for advertising purposes. There is a way to add an extra layer of protection and create a completely anonymous web browsing practice with the help of Private Internet Access VPN. This software reroutes traffic through different servers, thus leaving your IP address and geolocation in disguise. Besides, it is based on a strict no-log policy, meaning that no data will be recorded, leaked, and available for both first and third parties. The combination of a secure web browser and Private Internet Access VPN will let you browse the Internet without a feeling of being spied or targeted by criminals.
No backups? No problem. Use a data recovery tool
If you wonder how data loss can occur, you should not look any further for answers – human errors, malware attacks, hardware failures, power cuts, natural disasters, or even simple negligence. In some cases, lost files are extremely important, and many straight out panic when such an unfortunate course of events happen. Due to this, you should always ensure that you prepare proper data backups on a regular basis.
If you were caught by surprise and did not have any backups to restore your files from, not everything is lost. Data Recovery Pro is one of the leading file recovery solutions you can find on the market – it is likely to restore even lost emails or data located on an external device.
Your opinion regarding Moccini Search
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June 2nd, 2016 at 9:00 am
This is the most annoying virus I EVER had on my computer. Wow, Im so glad I got rid of it!
June 2nd, 2016 at 9:01 am
I tested out SpyHunter with this one, it worked! 🙂 The hijacker was successfully detected and removed 🙂