Search.dsearchm3f2.com (Virus Removal Instructions) - Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge
Search.dsearchm3f2.com Removal Guide
What is Search.dsearchm3f2.com?
Search.dsearchm3f2.com – a fake search engine that is promoted in software bundles
Search.dsearchm3f2.com is a Yahoo-based search engine created by Polarity Technologies. This company is known for creating hundreds of similar search tools that operate as browser hijackers.[1] There’s no way to download them directly; they usually sneak into the system in the software package.
So-called Search.dsearchm3f2.com virus cannot infect computers themselves. It’s a browser hijacker that needs assistance from free programs and user’s permission to enter the system. However, we will talk more about this shady installation method in the second part of the virus description.
Search.dsearchm3f2.com hijack occurs as soon as users unintentionally install Find Forms Fast extension which allows accessing tax forms, such as 1040, W-9, W-4 or 1099. Additionally, the main page of the search engine includes shortcuts to Amazon, Gmail, Yahoo, and YouTube.
However, these features should not trick you that this tool is safe to use. After Find Forms Fast hijack, your browsing experience diminishes dramatically, and you basically lose control over Chrome, Firefox or another browser you use. This browser hijacker might:
- set Search.dsearchm3f2.com as default homepage and search engine;
- display ads on the visited websites;
- redirect to commercial sites when you click ads, links or trigger this activity out of nowhere;
- install unknown add-ons which clutter the browser or might make it freeze;
- alter system’s and browser’s settings to prevent users from Search.dsearchm3f2.com removal;
- track information about users and share aggregated details with third-party advertising networks.
Search.dsearchm3f2.com redirect tendencies are one of the most dangerous features of the browser hijacker. This PUP might trick or force you into visiting questionable third-party sites that might be malicious or created for phishing[2] attempts.
However, it’s not the only reason why you should remove Find Forms Fast extension from your browser. This PUP might collect various information about users. Typically, it’s browsing-related information which is used for targeted advertising. However, it might also get access to personal information, for instance, if you contact developers to report removal problems or look up what search results you can get by entering your name and surname.
We have also mentioned, that the hijacker might also share information with third-parties. Thus, if you do not want to see an increased amount of ads or you want to avoid privacy-related issues, you have to remove Search.dsearchm3f2.com with all its related components. You can use FortectIntego or follow manual elimination guidelines below.
Search.dsearchm3f2.com is a fake search engine that might hijack your browser after freeware installation.
The way how browsers get hijacked
As we have mentioned in the beginning, developers of the browser hijacker use bundling as the main distribution and infiltration method. This strategy allows adding this potentially unwanted program (PUP) as an optional program in the software bundle.
A bundle can be any program you download from the Internet. Thus, you have to be always careful to avoid accidental installation of undesired applications. It means that you have to switch from Quick/Recommended to Standard/Advanced settings.
However, you have to monitor installation process too. Unmark all pre-selected entries and make sure that you do not agree to change your default search engine with an unknown tool.
Uninstall Search.dsearchm3f2.com from your browser
You can remove Find Forms Fast – an application that keeps your browser hijacked – as an ordinary browser extension. However, you have to locate other hijacker-related components that may have been installed on the system too.
Search.dsearchm3f2.com removal instructions are provided below. However, security specialists from senzavirus.it[3] report that users often leave some files, apps or programs that are related to the hijacker. For this reason, they find shady search engine once they launch the browser after a system reboot.
However, you can avoid failure if you choose to remove Search.dsearchm3f2.com automatically. This method requires scanning the machine with reputable anti-malware and resetting affected browsers.
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 Search.dsearchm3f2.com. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Follow these steps to terminate hijacker-related components from Windows computer:
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
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)
After the hijack, you have to uninstall suspicious add-ons and reset the browser:
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
These instructions will help you to eliminate Search.dsearchm3f2.com from the startup page and set your preferred search engine:
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.dsearchm3f2.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: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting stealing programs
Stream videos without limitations, no matter where you are
There are multiple parties that could find out almost anything about you by checking your online activity. While this is highly unlikely, advertisers and tech companies are constantly tracking you online. The first step to privacy should be a secure browser that focuses on tracker reduction to a minimum.
Even if you employ a secure browser, you will not be able to access websites that are restricted due to local government laws or other reasons. In other words, you may not be able to stream Disney+ or US-based Netflix in some countries. To bypass these restrictions, you can employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN, which provides dedicated servers for torrenting and streaming, not slowing you down in the process.
Data backups are important – recover your lost files
Ransomware is one of the biggest threats to personal data. Once it is executed on a machine, it launches a sophisticated encryption algorithm that locks all your files, although it does not destroy them. The most common misconception is that anti-malware software can return files to their previous states. This is not true, however, and data remains locked after the malicious payload is deleted.
While regular data backups are the only secure method to recover your files after a ransomware attack, tools such as Data Recovery Pro can also be effective and restore at least some of your lost data.
- ^ Margaret Rouse. Browser hijacker (browser hijacking). TechTarget. The network of technology-specific websites.
- ^ David Bisson. 6 Common Phishing Attacks and How to Protect Against Them. Tripwire. Security news, trends and insights.
- ^ SenzaVirus. Senzavirus. Italian security news.