Should you trust Search.uselilo.org search engine?
Search.uselilo.org virus is a potentially unwanted program (PUP) and a browser hijacker. This program suggests using a search engine and supporting various environmental and social projects. Indeed, the idea of this search engine is beautiful. Developers claim that more than 50% generated revenue goes to particular projects and users can choose which ones they want to support. However, this tool has few negative aspects that gave enough motives for cyber security specialists to call it a PUP. First of all, Search.uselilo.org browser hijacker might spread in the software bundles and infiltrate computers unnoticed. Once installed it might change Chrome, Firefox, and Safari browsers’ settings. As a result, this search engine becomes as the default homepage. However, this search engine might seem entertaining because for each search users get a “drop of the water” which is like virtual money that might be donated to particular projects. Talking about Search.uselilo.org search engine itself, it’s important to mention that it does not use its own search algorithm and uses the database from Google, Yahoo, and Bing. It might give a sense of credibility. However, developers reveal that each search is supported by the relevant commercial links. Thus, when looking for the information, you might click on the sponsored link that may lead not only to the useful website.
Each click on the links or online ads generates advertising based revenue. [1] It’s a natural practice for the online businesses; however, the problem is that you cannot be sure where these third-party links might redirect you. Talking about Search.uselilo.org redirect tendencies, you should know that there’s a risk that you might be redirected to the suspicious or even malicious website.[2] We do not say that all links are dangerous;[3] however, if you decide to use this tool, you should be aware of this possibility. What is more, it is an ad-supported tool that provides lots of commercial content in order to generate revenue. Nevertheless, developers claim that sponsored links are relevant; you cannot be sure about that. If you do not want to browse through altered search results, you should remove Search.uselilo.org from the computer. Nevertheless, the idea of this tool is noble and generous; we want to remind that you can donate to various projects directly. Don’t forget that a half of revenue gets developers. Thus, supporting your preferred projects or organizations directly is more beneficial. If this search engine hijacked your browser, we highly recommend scanning the system with FortectIntego and performing automatic Search.uselilo.org removal.

How does browser hijackers spread?
The most common way for the browser hijackers to infiltrate the system is “bundling.” This method allows attacking PUP in the software package. Thus, you can find so-called Search.uselilo.org virus added to various freeware and shareware programs. When installing new programs downloaded from the Internet, you should choose reliable sources[4] and right installation options. In order to avoid potentially unwanted programs, you must opt for Custom or Advanced settings. This installation wizard reveals all additional applications that were attached to the primary program. Thus, if you have recently installed a program under Quick, Basic or Recommended settings, you might have experienced Search.uselilo.org hijack. Bear in mind that this installation wizard does not openly disclose about optional apps. Thus, using this setup, you indirectly agree to install all third-party applications or set suspicious search engine as your default one. Thus, next time be more careful. Use advanced setup and opt out all offered programs.
How to remove Search.uselilo.org from the browser?
If this search engine hijacked your browser, we suggest scanning the computer with anti-malware [5] program. It helps to perform automatic Search.uselilo.org removal and also scans the system for other PUPs. Unwanted applications rarely spread alone. Thus, you might be surprised how many suspicious third-party apps were installed on your PC as well. However, if you do not prefer using additional programs, you can remove Search.uselilo.org manually. Below you will instructions how to do it.
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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