How to remove Relola

Relola is a browser hijacker that invades the device through freeware bundling and changes default browser settings

Relola – a potentially unwanted program that reroutes online search inquiries through a questionable engine to control the traffic and advertising content. It appears as a helpful browsing results enhancing tool, but this is not a reliable program since browser preferences get altered without your permission or knowledge.

It gets installed out of nowhere, and the homepage, new tab, default search engine get set to search.relola.com. Each time you attempt to find anything online, results get injected with commercial content not originating from this or any familiar sites. In-text links, banners, pop-ups, and other forms of advertisements promote and directly push software, browser-based applications, and even severe cyber threats. 

Even though the search seems legitimate and harmless, this is a browser hijacker, and the application gets called a potentially unwanted program or potential threat for a reason. The category this intruder falls into relies on programs that display intrusive symptoms, annoying content and has a feature of gathering information directly from the computer.

Also, such PUPs^[1] can be associated with many ad-supported sites that additionally gather information regarding users' time online and browsing habits.^[2] The hijacker has a browser extension of the same name that can change various settings, inject bookmarks, toolbars on the web browser, and change the content you see on visited pages.

Relola Search invades your browser, and once it gets on the machine, the PUP hijacks the traffic to reroute you to malicious or annoying sites. Such redirects and interference with online search results can lead to severe consequences because pages you get redirected to can be malicious and trigger automatic downloads of malware. 

When the program is set to redirect your online searches to search.relola.com engine, every time you try to look for something on the internet, you experience the list of results filled with additional advertisements and suspicious hyperlinks, in-text links, and other material triggering redirects to advertising services, promotional pages.

Even though this PUP can possibly show features of a legitimate search engine like Yahoo or Bing, you can find promotional material for this engine on those same deceptive sites. This fact should raise concerns. So stay away from the intruder and avoid interaction with all those ad-supported sites to stay away from malicious and possibly harmful content.

Since it's a silent intruder, you may encounter the first symptoms way after the initial infiltration. But this also means that the program runs other processes in the background. To enhance the persistence of the threat, various startup preferences get changed, and Windows registry entries may get either altered or deleted and replaced with questionable ones.

Due to the fact that this PUP is not requiring authorization to load on the machine, it can install other content to affect the performance even more and keep the browser hijacker more persistent. You need to remove Relola itself and other associated programs entirely to get back to a regular working machine.

If you think that you can uninstall the search engine and extensions from the browser, and that is the only step needed for the removal, you need to think again. It is possible to end the redirects and use the device, but the question is how soon the PUP renews itself again. 

Note that the Windows registry gets altered, so the article's culprit is launched every time your machine gets rebooted. Without reversing those changes in system folders and other places, you cannot entirely terminate the intruder. Also, many redirects and pop-ups can be caused by additional adware. Get anti-malware tools such as MalwarebytesMalwarebytes or SpyHunterCombo Cleaner for complete system cleaning and PUP termination. Then you should employ a PC repair tool that can indicate or fix virus damage. FortectIntego is the cleaner that may repair registry irregularities for you.

Experts^[3] also note that such programs like hijackers are being called viruses, for intrusive, annoying content, and for the data tracking issues that can lead to privacy issues and identity theft. There is no guarantee that pages you get redirected to are safe and cannot be considered dangerous. Even developers of this browser hijacker cannot do that. 

Nevertheless, Relola Search developers admit to tracking information about users by using cookies and other services. The privacy policy section states:

We use cookies and other anonymous identifiers to analyze use of and improve the Site and Services, to recognize returning visitors to the Site, and as described in the Advertising and Online Tracking Section of this Privacy Policy.  Most web browsers are initially set up to accept cookies.  

It is not fully disclosed if the information gathered ends up in the hands of third-party companies or not, so you should think about the worst outcome and avoid using this browsing service entirely to be safe. Personal information can be later used to form scamming campaigns and promote other questionable programs on more personalized and targeted ads, so remove Relola Search now.  

Deceptive sites promote and trigger automatic downloads of questionable software

When websites deliver advertisements with nefarious purposes and trigger redirects to more suspicious pages, you should immediately be concerned because the page can include unwanted material or even launch installations of PUPs and more severe malware. Misleading pages often promote programs and can automatically load intruders on your device.

It would be best to stay away from pages that provide free software and distribute applications that generally require licenses. This means that you either get a cracked version or a fake copy of the legitimate program. Also, when the installation options are quick or recommended, you agree to install everything included in the setup. This is not advisable. 

Advanced or Custom installation options allow the user to see all included additions and choose which ones to download and install. By expanding the complete list, you can de-select suspicious files, applications and load what you intended to install only. Go for Advanced installations every time you load any software.

Eliminate Relola Search from your machine and avoid system damage 

It would help if you considered the intruder on your browser as a severe threat. Even though the Relola virus is not that harmful, it can affect various machine processes and interfere with your time online significantly because it gets on important system folders to alter the material there.

These changes can affect the persistence of the browser hijacker because when you try to remove it but don't focus on associated programs and files, you experience all the symptoms again. An automatic system scan with anti-malware tools makes the difference because all intruders get deleted during a complete check.

Relola removal requires professional help because manual elimination takes time and cannot give the best results since you need to locate every file and application related to the initial browser hijacker or adware. AV tools can find those shady programs and terminate them all. Then, you need to optimize the performance with a PC repair tool and go through browser settings to reset them, and the system is virus-free again.