Omni-search.net virus (Free Instructions) - Virus Removal Instructions
Omni-search.net virus Removal Guide
What is Omni-search.net virus?
Omni-search.net – a browser hijacker that aims at Chrome and Firefox users
Omni-search.net is a domain that leads to BlaSearch. It’s a suspicious search engine that redirects searches to Yahoo Search. However, it might appear on the browser suddenly, redirect to questionable websites, display ads and collect information about the user.
However, the main problem with Omni-search.net virus is complicated removal. Nevertheless, it’s only a potentially unwanted program (PUP); it can alter browser’s settings and make several modifications to the system that prevents users from getting rid of it easily.
The hijacker aims at Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox web browsers and installs BlaSearch browser extension. Since then the virus starts its annoying activities. It might start redirecting to gaming,[1] gambling or other promotional websites, as well as displaying aggressive ads.
The Omni-search.net redirect issue not only prevents from normal browsing but might put you at risk. The hijacker can easily redirect you to a potentially dangerous website where you can be tricked into installing bogus software or revealing personal information. Therefore, it’s important to stop such activities by terminating hijacker from the system.
The diminished browsing experience is not the only problem. The hijacker might also spy on you. According to the Privacy Policy, Omni-search.net does not collect personal information. However, if you register for their services and provide your full name, phone number and other personally identifiable information about yourself, they will store it in their database.
However, Omni-search.net users should be aware that the hijacker automatically collects information[2] on how you use this extension, what websites you visit, and other browsing-related data. It is declared that company uses for improving their services, but they might also share it with third-parties or promote affiliate’s products.
Therefore, security experts suggest Omni-search.net removal for these reasons:
- ability to hijack the browser;
- stealthy infiltration method;
- data tracking and sharing features;
- suspicious redirect tendencies.
You can remove Omni-search.net manually and automatically. Manual elimination guidelines are presented at the end of the article. However, we understand that your life might be full of problems and difficult situations. Hijacker’s removal should not be one of them. Thus, install FortectIntego or another anti-malware and dedicate this task for it.
Omni-search.net virus is a browser hijacker that spreads in software bundles and hijacks Chrome and Firefox browsers.
The hijacker travels with the help of freeware
The hijacker spreads in the US, the UK[3] and other European countries with the help of bundling. This software marketing technique allows attaching PUP to a software package. Therefore, when a user downloads a new program and installs it under Quick/Recommended settings, it might experience Omni-search.net hijack.
The problem with these settings is that they do not properly inform the user about additional downloads and do not ask whether a user wants to download them or not. As a result, the whole software package is installed on the system.
In order to stop infiltration of unknown programs or browser extensions, you have to choose Advanced/Standard settings and carefully follow each of the steps. Unmark pre-selected optional downloads and then you can be sure that you haven’t installed anything irrelevant.
It’s time to get rid of the Omni-search.net virus from your browser
According to the EULA, you should be able to remove Omni-search.net by following these simple steps:
- Google Chrome: Right-click on the extension icon on the menu bar and choose “Remove from Chrome” option.
- Mozilla Firefox: Go to Menu -> Add-ons -> Extensions -> In the list of extensions you should find unwanted entry and click “Remove” next to it.
However, some users claim that the extension tends to comes back. It might happen due to the installed browser helper objects, applications or modified settings. Therefore, you should remove these entries as well. If you want to do it manually, you should follow the instructions below.
We recommend speeding up Omni-search.net removal. You can get rid of the hijacker quickly using updated anti-malware/anti-spyware by running a full system scan.
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 Omni-search.net virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
If your browser was hijacked, you should go to Add/Remove programs and look up for the suspicious entries. If you find some unknown entries, you have to uninstall them.
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
Follow the steps below to check if any suspicious applications were not installed to your Mac:
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 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)
In order to remove Omni-search.net from the Mozilla Firefox, you should check the list of extensions and get rid of Blasearch. However, if you find some other entries that you do not remember installing, you should get rid of them too.
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.
Remove from Google Chrome
To remove Omni-search.net from the Google Chrome, you have to uninstall BlaSearch and other suspicious extensions that may have been installed to the browser without your knowledge.
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.
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 Omni-search.net 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
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online. One of the basic means to add a layer of security – choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features. However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN – it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable. Family photos, work documents, school projects – these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur: power cuts, Blue Screen of Death errors, hardware failures, crypto-malware attack, or even accidental deletion.
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, Data Recovery Pro can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
- ^ Joel Lee. The Worst Security & Malware Threats for Online Gamers. MakeUseOf. The website about technology and modern gadgets.
- ^ Dan Tynan. Just how bad is online tracking?. IT World. IT news, careers, business technology, reviews.
- ^ NoVirus. NoVirus. British site about spyware, adware and other malware.