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  • Active
  • Severity: High
  • Stealing programs
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Feb 2016

How to remove Search.searchmwio.com virus

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

Hello. I turned on my computer this morning and opened Mozilla Firefox. I was surprised to see another website set instead of the Google.com page – the address bar said it was Search.searchmwio.com. Please answer, what is Search.searchmwio.com and why did it replace my browser’s homepage?

Information about Search.searchmwio.com:

Search.searchmwio.com is a potentially unwanted program (PUP), classified as a browser hijacker. It can be installed with or without PC user’s consent. When this PUP slithers into the computer system, it affects all web browsers by adding a suspicious browser extension to them. Searchmwio extension is supposed to alter your browser’s settings – it replaces a homepage address and a default new tab page with Search.searchmwio.com, which appears to be a web search engine. Unfortunately, it is an extremely untrustworthy search engine, which reportedly delivers sponsored outcomes and causes redirects to predetermined web pages. It does not surprise us – this browser parasite is developed by an infamous company that has created SaferBrowser, a potentially unwanted software that is related to more than 20 browser hijackers, including Search.yourcurrentnewsnow.com, Search.easyemailaccess.com, and Search.easyinterestsaccess.com.

This discussed browser hijacker does not provide a reliable search engine, so you should not use it at all. We can firmly state that the search results brought by this suspicious search engine are not going to be as accurate as Google’s or Bing’s search results. The only aim of this search engine is to deliver corrupted results that would force you to visit particular third-party websites. Search.searchmwio.com virus

In other words, we do not recommend using this suspicious search engine because it delivers sponsored and inaccurate search outcomes. As we have already mentioned, it might also cause Search.searchmwio.com redirects to various third-party websites. To avoid these deceptive redirects, which might lead you to insecure websites, we strongly advise to forget this search engine and use a more reliable one. We cannot say that absolutely all Search.searchmwio.com redirects lead users to harmful websites, but some of them might do, and that is a sufficient reason to stop using this questionable search engine. What is more, you cannot get rid of this search engine just by changing browser’s homepage and default search engine via browser’s settings – you must eliminate the PUP that is related to this dubious website. To remove it entirely, use anti-spyware software, for example, FortectIntego or any other reliable one. Such software can not only find and remove Search.searchmwio.com hijacker but all other dangerous computer parasites as well.

How did Search.searchmwio.com hijack my computer without my knowledge?

The Search.searchmwio.com distribution method is shady and quite unfair. Most of the time, this software reaches victim’s computers without their knowledge, as it tends to travel as an attachment to other free programs. You must be careful whenever you decide to install a new program on your PC – it might be bundled with Search.searchmwio.com or other PUPs, so you have to perform a few security checks before you install it.

  1. Do not rush and read Terms of Use document. Look for any hints that the software promotes third-party apps;
  2. Choose Advanced or Custom installation option instead of Default or Standard one.
  3. Deselect the statements that claim you agree to install optional applications alongside your preferred program.

If you are an unlucky computer user who has already installed Search.searchmwio.com, please proceed to page 2 to find an another option how to remove this rogue app from your PC.

An alternative Search.searchmwio.com removal technique

We have already mentioned that you can remove Search.searchmwio.com virus automatically; however, that is not the only possible method to remove this computer parasite. You can remove it manually too; however, if you are an inexperienced computer user, we do not recommend using this removal technique. The manual removal guide is given below – follow each step attentively to eliminate this PC intruder entirely.

In the future, try to remember that a proper installation of new programs can help to prevent installing shady apps, such as adware or browser hijackers. So make sure you always opt for Advanced or Custom installation mode when installing new apps, and deselect all proposals to install unfamiliar software.

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.

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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