Search.searchgtp.com (Removal Guide) - Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge
Search.searchgtp.com Removal Guide
What is Search.searchgtp.com?
Search.searchgtp.com – a potentially unwanted program that can take control over browsers
Search.searchgtp.com by Polarity Technologies might look like legitimate search tool. However, quick access to Facebook, Gmail, and other popular sites, as well as possibility to track packages from browser’s homepage should not trick you. It’s a browser hijacker[1] that spreads in software bundles as Get Tracker Package extension.
Hence, distribution method of the Search.searchgtp.com virus allows entering the system without user’s realization. However, once inside, it immediately makes changes to the system and web browsers installed on the affected computer. These modifications include:
- replaced homepage, default and built-in search engine to search.searchgtp.com;
- inability to set preferred search provider;
- installation of suspicious add-ons or browser’s extensions;
- alterations to Windows registry or browser’s settings in order to prevent users from Search.searchgtp.com removal.
However, the main dangers are related to Search.searchgtp.com redirect issues. Despite the fact that hijacker redirects search queries to Yahoo; it still can force users to visit questionable third-party domains once they click on the needed search link.
This hijacker’s feature might lead to further cyber threats and infections. Searchgtp virus might redirect to phishing, technical support scam or websites that are created for spreading malware,[2] such as ransomware or spyware.
In order to avoid possibility catch a dangerous cyber threat or reveal sensitive information to criminals, you should remove Search.searchgtp.com immediately. However, talking about possible issues to your privacy, you should be aware that hijacker might collect a bunch of different information itself, such as:
- personal information (email, phone, number, address or similar if you contact the developers);
- technical details about the browser;
- technical information about operating system and installed programs;
- browsing history;
- geographic location and ISP information;
- clicked ads;
- search queries;
- etc.
All these aggregated details are needed for online advertising. However, they might also be shared or sold to third-parties. They might be affiliates, advertising networks or even cyber criminals. Thus, this activity should not be tolerated. Hence, Search.searchgtp.com removal is a must.
Free programs help to spread and install browser hijacker
Search.searchgtp.com hijack usually occurs when a user downloads free programs incorrectly. It means when you use Quick/Recommended settings. The problem with them is that they are not designed to reveal third-party components that might be attached to the primary program.
The security team from LesVirus.fr[3] say that the majority of users still rely on these settings and let PUPs enter the system without even realizing it. However, you can protect your PC from PUPs by opting for Advanced/Custom installation settings.
When in Advanced mode, follow the guide attentively and remove the ticks from pre-selected programs or statements agreeing to change your default search engine.
Delete Search.searchgtp.com virus from the Windows and Mac computers
The hijacker might affect web browsers installed on both Windows and Mac systems. However, Search.searchgtp.com removal is the same. You have to remove all programs, browser extensions and other components related to the hijacker.
The guidelines below will explain to you how to remove Search.searchgtp.com manually. However, if you are not experienced computer user or cannot find hijacker-related components, you should opt for the automatic elimination method that suggests scanning the device with reputable anti-malware software.
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.searchgtp.com. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
To remove browser hijacker from Windows OS:
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
To delete all components related to the hijacker, you have to follow these steps carefully:
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)
Uninstall Get Tracker Package extension and other questionable Firefox add-ons:
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 guidelines will help you to remove the Search.searchgtp.com hijacker 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
Delete suspicious extensions and reset Safari to revert changes made by the PUP:
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.searchgtp.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.
If this free guide helped you and you are satisfied with our service, please consider making a donation to keep this service alive. Even a smallest amount will be appreciated.
- ^ Gabriel E. Hall. How to eliminate browser hijackers. No Virus. British cyber security news.
- ^ Know these types of malware to stay protected. TechAdvisory. Technology advice for small business.
- ^ Les virus. Les virus. French cyber security news.