Search.searchfefc3.com (Free Instructions)
Search.searchfefc3.com Removal Guide
What is Search.searchfefc3.com?
Search.searchfefc3.com – a fake search engine that shows search results riddled with ads
Search.searchfefc3.com by Polarity Technologies is a questionable application that deems to help users to convert files directly from their Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or another browser. However, it falls into the browser hijacker[1] category due to its questionable distribution methods, browser setting modification, and excessive advertisement techniques.
Just as many other hijackers (search.searchmpctpop.com, search.searchfefc.com, etc.) created by the same company, users are promised an improved functionality, mainly by adding quick access buttons to the main page. The links range from multiple file converters to leading retailer stores and local weather.
However, you should not get tricked by this functionality. It is merely an attempt by developers to disguise the real objective, which is monetizing on users who are continuously exposed to sponsored content. Thus, do not waste your time and remove the hijacker from your computer.
| SUMMARY | |
| Name | Search.searchfefc3.com |
|---|---|
| Type | Browser hijacker, PUP |
| Created by | Polarity Technologies |
| Symptoms | Modified browser settings, ads delivered via pop-ups and redirects, slow browser, etc. |
| Distribution | Deceptive ads, software bundling |
| Removal recommendation | Eliminate all suspicious and malicious entries from your device by using a reliable anti-malware tool |
| System health | Download, install and perform a full system scan with the ReimageIntego app to repair virus damage |
East File Converter is a browser extension that attaches itself to each of the browsers as soon as the article's culprit's hijack occurs. To further establish its presence, the unwanted application modifies the homepage and search engine address, setting it to search.searchfefc3.com.
This action denies users of any further modifications to be done to their browser settings unless the PUP is uninstalled. Thus, victims are forced to browse through a hijacked engine. The negative effects of a hijacked search engine are:
- Excessive advertising via ads, pop-ups, and redirects;
- Altered results;
- Collection of non-personally identifiable information;[2]
- Installation of additional browser extensions;
- A slowdown of the browser, etc.
The advertisement delivered via ads and redirects typically lead to sponsor sites. This allows less-popular affiliates to boost traffic to their domains. For each click on the link, Polarity acquires revenue. Users, however, are left with compromised browsers and gain nothing in return. Instead, their browsing sessions are ruined by a layer of ads each time they open their browsers.
Even if the ads can be annoying to deal with, it is not the primary danger of the East File Converter virus. Users should be cautious if they get redirected to infected, phishing, or fake software/updates websites. Thus, obtaining malware or revealing personal data after clicking on random links is just a question of time.
Therefore, do not click on any links, ads, or content on the redirected domains. Instead, close down your browser and carry out Search.searchfefc3.com removal. To achieve that, you can download and install powerful security software such as Malwarebytes or SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner.
Of course, you can pick another program of your choice, too. If you're an experienced PC user, you could try removing the intruder with our guides posted at the bottom of the article. When the threat is eliminated, perform system diagnostics with the ReimageIntego to repair virus-caused alterations to system files and settings.
How PUPs enter a PC?
It has been a while since advertising bloomed on the internet, so users typically know that excessive ads cannot bring anything positive to them. Hence, users usually only install trusted add-ons that they find necessary to have. No wonder that PUP authors need a way to boost the popularity of their products. So they rely on software bundling – a deceptive marketing technique used by PUP creators and freeware developers.
Therefore, you need to familiarize yourself with this campaign, so you know how to avoid unnecessary programs next time you install free software. Please follow these simple tips:
- When installing free software, read through EULA and Privacy Policy attentively. Quite often, a lot of useful information can be provided there. Sometimes, you might even change your mind and decline the installation altogether;
- Once prompted, pick Advanced/Optional installation mode. Despite developers’ advice, never pick Recommended/Quick settings;
- Remove any tick marks you see by add-ons, toolbars, system optimizers, media players, and other unwanted programs. If you find them useful, find a legitimate counterpart somewhere else (the promoted content is typically useless);
- Invest in robust security software and keep it up to date. This allows you to protect yourself from not only PUPs but also dangerous malware.
Simple guidelines to remove Search.searchfefc3.com browser hijacker
Security experts[3] concluded that keeping a browser hijacker on your system cannot bring any benefits, but just the opposite. Therefore, if you want quick access buttons, you can simply add them to your favorites/bookmarks bar. Before that, however, remove East File Converter browser extension from your computer.
You can remove Search.searchfefc3.com virus by employing a reputable security tool. We suggest picking one of the programs mentioned below. Simply perform a full system scan and reset the settings of each of the browsers. Another removal method is also effective, although not that convenient and might even be too complicated. If you are familiar with computers and their processes, you can check our illustrated guide beneath.
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.searchfefc3.com. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
To eliminate the PUP from Windows, follow these steps:
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 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)
Do not forget to reset your Firefox settings:
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
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.searchfefc3.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 browser hijacker
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.
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- ^ Browser Hijacker. Technopedia. Site that helps to understand technology.
- ^ Non-Personally Identifiable Information. MMA. Mobile Marketing Association.
- ^ LesVirus. LesVirus. French IT experts.