Search.searchfecc.com (Virus Removal Instructions) - Free Instructions
Search.searchfecc.com Removal Guide
What is Search.searchfecc.com?
Search.searchfecc.com is a shady search engine that secretly arrives on the system as Fast Email Checker extension
Search.searchfecc.com is a browser hijacker[1] that alters targeted browser’s settings. However, its developers Polarity Technologies present this application as a legitimate search tool that enhances browsing experience by giving quick access to email or social network accounts.
However, after the Search.searchfecc.com hijack, you barely notice benefits of this search engine. Once installed, it starts causing unwanted changes to the browser, redirects to questionable websites, display ads, and prevent users from setting their preferred homepage or built-in search engine.
This search engine might become your default one once install Fast Email Checker add-on. Most of the time it happens without your knowledge. The extension typically spreads bundled with freeware or shareware. To protect you from Search.searchfecc.com virus can help only correct and attentive software installation.
The main problems caused by Fast Email Checker virus are:
- replaced Chrome, Firefox, Explorer, Safari or other web browser’s settings;
- inability to set preferred homepage, search engine or new tab URL address;
- delivery of commercial content;
- redirects to affiliate websites;
- installation of unknown browser extensions;
- data tracking.
Search.searchfecc.com removal is complicated because the hijacker is created in a way to protect itself. It might alter Windows Registry, make various changes to the system and modify browser’s settings. Therefore, browser customization requires reverting all these changes.
Users are advised to urge with Fast Email Checker removal. One of the reasons why is that the hijacker might trick you into visiting websites that might be dangerous. Once you click on a link or ad, you might open a new browser’s tab with tech support scam, phishing site or fake software update alert.
Due to these Search.searchfecc.com redirect tendencies, your computer is put at risk. Indeed, the hijacker is not dangerous itself. The problem is with its affiliates that might not be reliable. Additionally, this potentially unwanted program (PUP) collects your browsing-related information which is shared with advertising networks[2] and unknown partners that might be evil-minded people.
Hence, you should remove Fast Email Checker add-on, reset affected web browser and check the system for potentially unwanted programs. You can do it manually by following the steps at the end of the article. However, we suggest speeding up computer’s clearance with FortectIntego.
Search.searchfecc.com is a potentially unwanted program that aims to control user's browsing behavior.
No official download site suggests that developers rely on bundling
Bundling is a questionable (but legit!) software marketing method that is popular among developers of PUP. This method allows spreading useless applications attached to various free programs as optional components.
Every time users install freeware using Recommended/Standard settings they risk to install a software bundle full of PUPs. In this way, Search.searchfecc.com hijack occurs too. This application is not available to download from the official website. Hence, bundling is the main hijacker’s distribution method.
Cyber security experts from virukset.fi[3] remind to rely only on Advanced/Custom installation settings which allow monitoring the process and opting out additional programs, browser extensions, and similar questionable apps.
Get rid of Search.searchfecc.com to get back to normal browsing sessions
To remove Search.searchfecc.com from the browser for good, you have to delete Fast Email Checker and other questionable extensions created by Polarity Technologies or other shady developers. Additionally, you have to look up for programs or files that may have been installed without your knowledge too.
You can perform manual Search.searchfecc.com removal by following our prepared guidelines below the article. Also, you can speed up elimination by scanning the system with anti-malware software and resetting your 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.searchfecc.com. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Follow the steps below to terminate suspicious applications from Windows OS. Then reset each of the affected web browsers.
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)
You can speed up Search.searchfecc.com elimination by resetting Mozilla Firefox:
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
Uninstall Fast Email Checker and other suspicious extensions and reset Chrome's settings to default:
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.searchfecc.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
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online. One of the basic means to add a layer of security – choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features. However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN – it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable. Family photos, work documents, school projects – these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur: power cuts, Blue Screen of Death errors, hardware failures, crypto-malware attack, or even accidental deletion.
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, Data Recovery Pro can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
- ^ Browser hijacker. Techopedia. Defining the latest tech buzzword s.
- ^ Advertising network. Wikipedia. The free encyclopedia.
- ^ Virukset. Virukset. Finnish cyber security news.