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  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Browser Hijackers
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Oct 2020

How to remove Search.grilime.com

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

Jake Doevan · Computer technology expert

Search.grilime.com – a Bing redirect virus version that alters the way you browse the web

Search.grilime.com

Search.grilime.com is the name of a domain that you might suddenly find as soon as you open Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or MS Edge web browser. While this might come as a surprise, these changes are initiated by a browser hijacker – a potentially unwanted program[1] that has been installed behind your back. Users who found the URL on their browser reported that the changes were related to Adblocker for YouTube extension, although it is not a rule.

Once the installation is complete, the Search.grilime.com hijack will be visible straight away, as the homepage of the web browser will be altered (might sometimes be set to hxxps://find.gotrovi.com) and a customized search engine applied. Each time you use the omnibar or the search bar to browse the web, you will be redirected to Bing, and search results will be filled with sponsored links or ads. Besides, browser hijackers such as Search.grilime.com often track users' online behavior and use that information for marketing purposes.

Name Search.grilime.com 
Type Browser hijacker, redirect virus
IP address 104.18.50.50
Distribution Software bundle packages, deceptive ads, fake update prompts
Symptoms Unknown extension or application is installed on the computer; homepage and new tab address are set to hxxps://find.gotrovi.com; a customized search engine is appended to the homepage and redirects to Bing; search results are filled with sponsored links
Associated apps Adblocker for YouTube
Risks Installation of other potentially unwanted programs, privacy risks due to information gathering practices, financial losses
Removal You can uninstall potentially unwanted programs by following the manual guide below or by scanning the computer with powerful anti-malware
Optional steps Computer infections can cause significant damage to system files or disrupt normal settings. To revert these changes and remediate the OS, perform a full system scan with FortectIntego repair software

First of all, it is important to understand what a browser hijacker is. According to security experts,[2] it is a type of a potentially unwanted program that changes web browser settings, applying its own. Such applications are typically, while not desirable, relatively harmless. Nonetheless, there can be always nuances, as some hijackers might be just as dangerous or hard to get rid of. Unfortunately, users claimed that  they had problems with Search.grilime.com removal.

Browser hijackers are a part of a potentially unwanted program category partly because of their stealthy distribution techniques. Most commonly, users notice the hijack after they install some free software from third-party websites – software bundling is to blame. Once a freeware app is installed, it might include an optional component that would enable Search.grilime.com to perform changes on the web browser.

In other cases, however, sudden changes to the web browser occur seemingly out of nowhere, as users claimed they never downloaded anything. According to users' findings, it turned out that the hijack of Search.grilime.com was initiated by a browser extension called Adblocker for YouTube.

Thus, if you noticed that your homepage and other browser settings changed, it might be that some extension you have installed have went rogue.

Search.grilime.com hijack

Visually, the so-called Search.grilime.com virus does not differ much from similar PUPs, for example:

All these might look differently visually, although their purpose remains the same – to deliver users alternative search results and make a profit from user clicks due to the pay-per-click scheme. Such alternations to the web browser can meddle with your normal activities and result in difficulty in finding relevant info.

Another reason to remove Search.grilime.com is due to data tracking practices. PUP authors deploy browser cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies to harvest IP addresses, visited websites, links clicked, technical device details, and other data for marketing purposes.

To get rid of Search.grilime.com, you need to delete the associated browser extension or an application that could have been installed on your machine. Either follow the manual removal guide below or scan the system with anti-malware, such as SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes. Finally, perform further checks with FortectIntego for the best results.

Sudden browser changes: the first sign of a potentially unwanted program infection

It does not matter whether your Google is redirecting to Yahoo, Bing, or a less trustworthy search provider. All that you should care about is that you are unlikely to be able to perform your searches as previously. Overall, there are many security reasons to avoid PUPs altogether.

Most commonly, browser hijackers infiltrate the machine during the installation of freeware. Therefore, whenever you are  downloading apps from third parties, you should always be careful:

  • Don't download an app before you check its reviews online;
  • During the installation, always pick Advanced/Custom mode instead of Recommended/Quick one;
  • Remove all the ticks from checkboxes that allow installation of unknown programs;
  • Watch out for fine print and misplaced buttons;
  • Decline all the deals and offers;
  • Install a powerful security application that would warn you about PUPs.

Additionally, you should never download anything that is suggested on random websites, where it is claimed that something is out of date or missing. For example, Flash Player is often used in various scams [3] and sometimes might lead to such malware infections as ExecutorV3 ransomware.

Search.grilime.com redirect virus

Remove Adblocker for YouTube to get rid of the Search.grilime.com hijack

Adblocks are great tools to prevent an excessive number of ads and increase the security of web browsing sessions. However, there is plenty of rogue ad-blocking extensions that deliver advertisement campaigns or change web browser settings without permission. Thus, to remove Search.grilime.com, you should first check for suspicious browser extensions such as Adblocker for YouTube.

In case the Search.grilime.com removal is not successful, but the mentioned extension is present, you should go to the following folder and delete its contents:

C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions

If that does not help, you should then scan your machine with SpyHunterCombo Cleaner, MalwarebytesMalwarebytes, or another powerful anti-malware and then fix virus damage with the help of FortectIntego. You can also attempt to look for the installed potentially unwanted applications via the Control Panel (Windows) or Applications (Mac) – we explain how 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

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.

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

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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