Remove Search.aguea.com (Removal Instructions) - Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge
Search.aguea.com Removal Guide
What is Search.aguea.com?
Search.aguea.com – a browser hijacker which claims to be simple, fast and private
Search.aguea.com virus is a browser hijacker[1] that claims to be a great alternative for traditional search engines. In reality, it is just another search engine that should be avoided due to several unpleasant features added to it.
You can be convinced that Aguea is a great search engine as it offers using several modes while searching the web:
- Safe Search feature;
- Highlighted keywords;
- Results in a new tab.
However, after reading “Terms and Conditions” or “Privacy Policy”, you can find that Search.aguea.com can easily track your searches on the Internet by recording information that you add while visiting your favorite websites.
Besides, there is no guarantee that each of its search results is harmless. Redirects to malicious websites are quite common while dealing with browser hijackers. Finally, we should warn you about commercial pop-up ads and in-text links that you can start seeing on your favorite websites. To prevent these problems, you need to take care of Search.aguea.com removal right after finding this hijacker on your computer.
Keep in mind that Internet is full of alternative search engines that are used for the only aim – earning the money. Therefore, even if you restrain from visiting fraudulent and suspicious domains, you might find yourself on gambling websites or other domains with a disturbing content. If you are not careful enough, you can install end up with more malware,[2] not only search.aguea.com virus, on your computer.
Due to Search.aguea.com redirect ability and similar issues, we highly recommend you to remove it from the system. As long as this search engine is considered a “potentially unwanted program”, you can use manual removal guide given in the end of this post. Of course, to make this process easier, you can remove Aguea using ReimageIntego.
The distribution methods of hijacker
Usually, such search engines like this browser hijacker tend to attach themselves to free applications, for example, PDF creators, video streaming software, etc. Since users pay a little attention while installing any tool, the additional tools remain unnoticed. As a result, they reboot their computer and discover that each of their browsers is hijacked.
To prevent such problem, make sure you opt for “Custom” or “Advanced” installation settings when you are about to install a new application. These settings will help you to see all additional applications which are trying to infiltrate your computer.
Researchers from udenvirus.dk[3] warn that not all of such “optional components” is malicious. However, the most of them are useless and even questionable. Besides these steps, there are other crucial precautions, for example, updating your applications regularly, using reliable anti-spyware and avoiding questionable plug-ins.
Remove Aguea virus from the browser entirely
The fastest way to end up with Aguea removal is to install a trustworthy anti-spyware application, update it and run a full system scan. All tools that you can use for eliminating it are given below. They will not only help you with fixing your computer after Aguea infiltration, but will also fix your computer in the future.
In addition, you can also remove Search.Aguea.com virus manually by using guidelines created by our experts. They can be applied to adware removal as well. On the final note, you should also keep away from the domains which are overloaded with ads which suggest scanning your system or containing links to supposedly amusing domains. Abandoned and outdated software should be also taken with care.
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.
Getting rid of Search.aguea.com. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Follow the guide to remove browser hijacker from Windows computer. Look up for programs like DNS Unlocker, MediaVideosPlayers, Desktop Temperature Monitor, Network System Driver and similar. Uninstall them without any hesitation.
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
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
After the hijack, you should reset Microsoft Explorer to get back to normal browsing.
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 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)
Uninstall suspicious Firefox extensions and reset the browser to get rid of the PUP.
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 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.
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
Follow this guide to eliminate all hijacker-related components 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 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 Search.aguea.com 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.
How to prevent from getting stealing programs
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.
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- ^ Vangie Beal. Browser hijacker. Webopedia. Online tech dictionary.
- ^ Fileless malware: Invisible threat or scaremongering hype?. Emsisoft Blog. Latest malware analysis.
- ^ Udenvirus. Udenvirus. Cyber security news.