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  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Browser Hijackers
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Jun 2021

How to remove Safesearch1.ru virus

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Julie Splinters · Anti-malware specialist

Safesearch1.ru search engine – should you use it?

Safesearch1.ru virus is an annoying computer infection, which infects web browsers and makes them launch its predetermined page on the startup. At first, the user might not notice anything suspicious as this search engine does not look untrustworthy – in fact, it looks like a typical search engine.

However, it provides Google Custom Search results, which means that it takes real Google search results and fills them up with sponsored ones. Sadly, paid third-party links that show up next to organic search results often are untrustworthy and lead users to dangerous places on the Internet.

Please think about general Internet hazards before carelessly clicking on search results powered by Safesearch1.ru redirect virus, or you might end up visiting high-risk sites filled with jeopardous content such as malicious downloads or links that can point you to even more hazardous sites.

We do not say that every website that can be reached via this search engine is dangerous, but some of them might be, so it is better to stay informed and understand that Internet scams use various ways to deceive curious people. Therefore, even if you think that the discussed search engine is a great alternative to Google, we have to shatter your expectations by saying that it does not endorse content these websites present, so it does not protect its users from such Internet hazards.

We strongly recommend you to use a more trustworthy search engine instead of this one, however, you will find out quite shortly that it is not that easy to remove Safesearch1.ru hijacker from the browser. To uninstall it, you can use anti-malware software such as SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes.

Alternatively, you can use our removal instructions prepared for you. We have inserted these guidelines at the end of this post. When you remove the cyber threat from your device, don't forget to clean up junk files and repair system errors. The FortectIntego PC repair tool might come in handy.

How did you get infected with this browser hijacker?

Safesearch1.ru can affect Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and other popular web browsers. It adds its components to them as soon as it hijacks the user’s computer. The hijack happens when the user installs a software bundle unknowingly – these can be downloaded from file-sharing websites.

A software bundle is basically an individual program that offers to install additional programs alongside it. Typically, these downloads are concealed behind “recommended” installation options, so users frequently install these additions without even knowing it. If you wish to find out whether your download includes some suspicious additions, make sure you select Custom or Advanced settings for the installation.

Then you will see suggested downloads, which can be rejected by deselecting check boxes next to them. If this browser hijacker has already found a way into your computer, show it the way out now. You can find the browser hijacker's removal instructions below.

Instructions on how to uninstall Safesearch1.ru browser hijacker

Safesearch1.ru virus is just another browser hijacker that is surprisingly similar to Mystartpage4.com, ChromeStart3.ru, or Blankpage3.ru. Such programs are regarded as computer parasites that add no value to the system and are simply useless.

To remove it, we strongly recommend you to read the instructions provided below and see if you can understand them. It is not that hard to uninstall browser hijackers – but it takes a while to do that. If you wish to finish the removal process sooner, install anti-malware software and let it fix the problem for you.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. 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.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. 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.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. 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:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

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