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  • Active
  • Severity: High
  • Stealing programs
  • Windows
  • Verified · Nov 2016

How to remove Search.clearch.org virus

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

Olivia Morelli · Ransomware analyst

How does Search.clearch.org virus affect the infected computer?

Search.clearch.org virus is a browser hijacker, so as the virus category already suggests, its interest on the infected computer is focused towards the Internet browser. In fact, it is capable of infecting all the popular browsers which can be found on Microsoft Windows operating system, namely the Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and Edge. Clearch.org installs as a browser extension which later on changes your homepage and the default search engine to Search.clearch.org. This search engine may first seem even useful. It offers safe and clean Internet search — who would not be interested in that? Nevertheless, this is simply a way the shady creators try to draw you in and create an impression of a legitimate service when, in reality, it is quite the opposite. We urge you to remove Search.clearch.org from the infected device to protect yourself from the impending consequences. FortectIntego is one of the reliable tools that can be used for this purpose.

image of the Search.clearch.org virus

There are a lot of things that can go wrong if the Search.clearch.org hijack is ignored and the virus is allowed to run its processes on the computer. For instance, you will first notice the changes in the computer performance. Applications, browsers, and system operations may begin to crash or slow down beyond the regular levels. This usually has a major impact on the system’s stability and increase its vulnerability. Then, follows the Search.clearch.org redirect issue. The search results of this search engine will most likely be altered to put the sponsored search results forward. Some of them may also be deceiving and redirect you to sites unrelated to the link’s content. This may easily end up in malware infection. Aren’t these the substantial reasons to get started with the Search.clearch.org removal? If so, we suggest taking a look at our expert-prepared removal guide below the article or carry out the elimination automatically.

How does this virus travel throughout the web?

If you have some knowledge about potentially unwanted programs and especially the workings of browser hijackers, it is probably not difficult to predict how Search.clearch.org travels around the web and hijacks computers. Its developers most likely use the deceptive marketing technique known as “bundling” and distribute the malware in software packages together with popular freeware and shareware applications. The hackers make use of the fact that users who download this software are inattentive and always rushing, so they place Search.clearch.org malware under the “Advanced” or “Custom” installation modes. These settings are rarely chosen by the users simply because they are more time-consuming as they nearly double the time needed for the installation. However, you can never spend too much time when making sure of your computer’s security. We recommend you always to go for the advanced installation option and take control over what enters the system and what deserves to be better kept at bay.

What are your Search.clearch.org removal options?

There are two main approaches to the Search.clearch.org removal. In fact, both of these methods can be used in any malware infection situation. The more precise one of the two is the automatic Search.clearch.org virus elimination. This technique takes away the need to hunt down the malicious virus components yourself and makes this process automatic with the help of antivirus software. However, for the tool to work smoothly, it first needs to be legal and updated regularly. The second option allows you to remove Search.clearch.org without using any extra software. This means that the virus can be banished from the computer manually. This process is described in more detail below.

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

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.Reset Internet Explorer

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

 

Did this guide help?

2 comments

  1. amerise

    Cant believe how easy the virus removal actually was! Piece of cake! Would recommend these removal instructions to my friends :)

  2. Bandre335

    I did not think i would ever get infected by such a nasty parasites... But here i am.. shame on me haha.

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