Search.searchquco.com (Removal Instructions) - Free Instructions
Search.searchquco.com Removal Guide
What is Search.searchquco.com?
Search.searchquco.com is browser hijacker that forces to use a questionable search engine
Search.searchquco.com is a potentially unwanted program (PUP)[1] that spreads bundled with free programs and can hijack targeted web browsers. Due to its ability to change default search engine and homepage, it is known as a browser hijacker.
Summary | |
Name | Search.searchquco.com |
Developer | Polarity Technologies Ltd. |
Type | Browser hijacker |
Danger level | Medium. Takes control of the affected browser and makes modifications to the system |
Symptoms | Default homepage, search engine and new tab URL address with its domain, reverts user's attempts to set preferred search tool, displays commercial content |
Distribution methods | Software bundling |
To remove Search.searchquco.com, install FortectIntego and run a full system scan |
Search.searchquco.com virus spreads in the form of a browser extension called Quick Coupons which seems to help people to find discounts and best online shopping offers. After the installation of this add-on and system restart, users can find unknown search engine instead of their default one.
The Search.searchquco.com might look like an ordinary search tool that offers quick access to social networks and mailing services. However, it’s just another Yahoo-based search engine created by Polarity Technologies. This company is known for creating numerous similar tools to participate in Yahoo affiliate program and generate per-per-click revenue.
To achieve this goal, authors of the browser hijacker created a tool that after infiltration might:
- take control over the affected browser by altering system settings and browser’s shortcuts;
- set either http://search.searchquco.com or http://query.searchquco.com as built-in search tool;
- replace startup page to one of the previously mentioned domains;
- prevent users from setting their preferred homepage and search engine;
- display ads and other commercial content;
- redirect to affiliate websites;
- track and share information about users;
- allow third-party tracking technologies.
Browser hijacker cannot cause direct damage to the computer or files stored on the affected device. However, Search.searchquco.com redirect tendencies might lead to infiltration of one of these cyber threats. According to the analysis, this tool can redirect to infected or at least potentially dangerous sites that are used for spreading malware.[2]
Security specialists highly recommend staying away from ads, pop-ups, and banners because they might be misleading and created to get your click. This PUP is capable of tracking information about user’s browsing history and preferences and using it for targeted advertising. For this reason, ads might seem interesting and useful, but in reality, they might lead to malware-laden sites.
To avoid privacy and security issues, you should remove Search.searchquco.com with all its related components from the system. Probably, you have tried to get rid of it by replacing this domain with your preferred domain, but it was not enough.
Indeed, elimination requires putting more effort. You have to either follow manual Search.searchquco.com removal guide given at the end of the article or run a full system scan with FortectIntego.
Search.searchquco.com is a questionable Yahoo-based search engine that tracks your steps online.
The sneaky way how hijacker enters the system unnoticed
Browser hijackers just like thousands of other PUPs usually arrive in the system with the help of freeware and shareware. The program can get into the system when users download any free software using Quick/Recommended settings. Security experts from bedynet.ru[3] warn that this setup does not reveal what PUPs might be included in the software package.
Keep in mind that any free program can be a “package,” not a single program. Thus, you have to always check it by using Advanced/Custom settings. Follow the installation guide attentively, and remove the ticks from pre-selected optional downloads. Simple as that, your computer is protected from unwanted ads.
Eliminate Search.searchquco.com and fix affected web browser
To remove Search.searchquco.com entirely, you have to:
- Uninstall suspicious programs that might have brought in the same software package;
- Uninstall browser extensions that were installed without your knowledge;
- Reset each of the affected browsers.
You can find detailed uninstall guide below. However, if this task seems too difficult to you, you should opt for the automatic Search.searchquco.com removal. All you need to do is to scan the system with an updated anti-malware tool.
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.searchquco.com. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
To eliminate Search.searchquco.com browser hijacker from Windows OS, 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, 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)
Some of the Firefox extensions might be keeping Search.searchquco.com set as default one. Get rid of them and reset the browser:
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
To delete suspicious search tool and get back access to Chrome, follow these steps:
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.searchquco.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
Protect your privacy – employ a VPN
There are several ways how to make your online time more private – you can access an incognito tab. However, there is no secret that even in this mode, you are tracked for advertising purposes. There is a way to add an extra layer of protection and create a completely anonymous web browsing practice with the help of Private Internet Access VPN. This software reroutes traffic through different servers, thus leaving your IP address and geolocation in disguise. Besides, it is based on a strict no-log policy, meaning that no data will be recorded, leaked, and available for both first and third parties. The combination of a secure web browser and Private Internet Access VPN will let you browse the Internet without a feeling of being spied or targeted by criminals.
No backups? No problem. Use a data recovery tool
If you wonder how data loss can occur, you should not look any further for answers – human errors, malware attacks, hardware failures, power cuts, natural disasters, or even simple negligence. In some cases, lost files are extremely important, and many straight out panic when such an unfortunate course of events happen. Due to this, you should always ensure that you prepare proper data backups on a regular basis.
If you were caught by surprise and did not have any backups to restore your files from, not everything is lost. Data Recovery Pro is one of the leading file recovery solutions you can find on the market – it is likely to restore even lost emails or data located on an external device.
- ^ Kevin Townsend. Potentially Unwanted Programs Put Enterprise Data at Risk. How do You Tell Good Apps from Bad Apps?. SecurityWeek. IT security news and Information security news.
- ^ Tim Fisher. What Is Malware?. Lifewire. Tech how-to guides and tutorials.
- ^ Bedynet. Bedynet. Russian cyber security news.