Why using Search.searchpcst.com is a bad idea?
Search.searchpcst.com virus does not bring anything new to the table since it is a typical browser hijacker which operates like thousands of others before it [1]. If you are familiar with this particular family of viruses, you probably know all too well about the deceptive strategies they use to infiltrate computers and the all the mess they may cause on the hijacked systems. In such a case — we do not force you to go through all of the information you already known again in this article. You can skip straight to the Search.searchpcst.com removal instructions and get to work. However, for those of you who would like to learn more about browser hijackers, we kindly invite you to continue reading on.

The initial problems which seem to bother Search.searchpcst.com hijack victims the most are the search engine and homepage changes as well as system performance issues. The victims complain that their Web browsing has become nearly unmanageable: the shady new search engine does not provide the search results they anticipate and the ones provided by Search.searchpcst.com redirect them to even shadier parts of the Internet [2]. Besides, the homepage of this bogus search provider also promotes an obscure software for testing the internet speed. Upon entering Open Speed Test website, the page drops pop-ups [3] asking you to turn off your ad blocking program. Such urgency can only be explained by the site owners’ desire to earn revenue from advertising [4]. And this is exactly what Search.searchpcst.com does as well. It promotes affiliate sites and floods the infected computers with sponsored links just to gather valuable clicks. To assist the virus in creating more relatable content, various helper-objects [5] might be installed on the browser without the user’s permission. These potentially unwanted programs will also keep rolling back any browser changes that might be attempted on the browser, making it difficult to remove Search.searchpcst.com from the corrupted device. In such a case, you should definitely give FortectIntego a try. The program will automatically detect and exterminate malicious files leaving your computer spanking clean.
I’m infected! How did that happen?
Let us be honest with you. If you have been infected with Search.searchpcst.com, it is probably your own fault. Don’t be too hard on yourself, though, because potentially unwanted programs are excellent at tricking users into allowing them on their computers themselves. For instance, the malware authors may add Search.searchpcst.com to the software package along with completely inconspicuous programs, and you may install it without even realizing it. This usually happens if the users skip the “Advanced” installation mode and allow the installation wizard to do all the work automatically. We do not advise doing that and suggest you always investigate the content you are installing on your device manually.
Are there any guarantees for a successful Search.searchpcst.com removal?
We should remind you that Search.searchpcst.com virus is a browser hijacker, or, in other words, a lightweight infection that does not stand a chance against powerful antivirus tools. The chances that the Search.searchpcst.com removal will fail are slim, so you can trust your antivirus to do all the work for you. If for some reason, you wish to remove the virus manually, you can always use the instructions at the end of the article. Do not wait any longer and remove Search.searchpcst.com from your PC!
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.

Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.

Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).

Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.

- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.

Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.

Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.

Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.

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 Remove.

Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- 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.

Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
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.

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.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
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 the unwanted extension and click Remove.

Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
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 and Temporary cached files and pages, then click 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 suspicious extensions 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 dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.

Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.

Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.

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