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

How to remove Search.searchraccess.com virus

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Olivia Morelli · Ransomware analyst

Everything you need to know about Search.searchraccess.com virus

Search.searchraccess.com virus belongs to the group of the browser hijackers[1] – annoying computer infections that take control over targeted web browsers. The purpose of the browser hijacker is to deliver sponsored content that might be hidden under the safe looking search results. The virus pretends to be a legitimate and safe to use search engine that provides search results from Yahoo. However, some of the provided search results are not as safe as it might look at first. Search.searchraccess.com hijacker might modify search results and include sponsored third-party content to boost traffic to the particular websites. Irrelevance of these sites is not the main concern. The problem is that some of these links might lead to the potentially dangerous Internet sites[2]. After spending several minutes on one of these websites, you might catch a serious computer infection, reveal personal details to the shady third-parties or face another serious issue. Browser hijacker itself is not a hazardous threat; however, it can help you to meet the most dangerous cyber infections[3]. For this reason, we suggest dealing with the hijacker as soon as this suspicious website appeared on your browser. The easiest way to remove Search.searchraccess.com is to scan the system with FortectIntego or other reputable anti-malware/anti-spyware program.

Computer users learn about the infection when they launch the web browser and see changed homepage. However, after Search.searchraccess.com hijack, users might also notice that their default search engine and new tab’s URL address has been set to this domain as well. Browser hijacker might modify Registry, install “helper objects”[4] and alter browsers’ settings in a way that users are not able to reset their browsers. Users can set their preferred search engine and homepage only after Search.searchraccess.com removal, and we recommend to do it ASAP. However, the main page of this search engine might not look potentially dangerous. Oppositely, some computer users might find shortcuts to YouTube, SoundClound, Spotify and radio stations useful. Even though you love listening to the music while browsing the Internet, you should stay away from this search engine. We already discussed Search.searchraccess.com redirect problems and possible threats, but that’s not the only issue. Browser hijacker might collect non-personally identifiable[5], and in some cases personally identifiable information, about the users. Moreover, aggregated information might be shared with third-parties. All these statements are noted in their Privacy Policy. If you value your privacy, do not use this search engine and get rid of it immediately.

The example of Search.searchraccess.com virus

How does browser hijacker spread?

Search.searchraccess.com virus, just like any other browser hijacker, does not spread itself. It needs some help from the computer user and other programs. The hijacker spreads bundled with other free programs that users download from file-sharing websites, unreliable domains, and other shady places. However, sometimes PUPs might be added to the legitimate programs as well. For this reason, you should learn how to install new applications safely and avoid infiltration of the potentially unwanted programs. For program installation always choose Advanced/Custom setup and carefully monitor each installation step. During the installation, you might discover the list of additional applications or statements saying that you agree to make Search.searchraccess.com as your homepage or default search engine. You must deselect all pre-selected entries. If you rush with the installation, you might look through this important step. Keep in mind that Basic/Quick/Recommended setups does not have this function and install additional programs by default.

Steps for Search.searchraccess.com elimination

There are two ways how you can remove Search.searchraccess.com from the computer. The quick one requires scanning computer’s system with a reputable malware removal program. The longer one requires detecting and deleting browser hijacker with all its related components manually. The latter method might be difficult and complicated for those who deal with computer infections for the first time, so it’s better to choose automatic Search.searchraccess.com removal option. However, if you decide to go the hard way, follow our step-by-step guide presented below and don’t forget to fix all browsers installed on your PC!

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.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

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

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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