Search.volfind.com virus (Tutorial) - Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge
Search.volfind.com virus Removal Guide
What is Search.volfind.com virus?
How dangerous is Search.volfind.com virus?
Search.volfind.com virus is known as a browser hijacker – an annoying cyber infection that travels in the software bundles[1] and aims at web browsers. This potentially unwanted program (PUP) aggressively offers to use a suspicious search engine. However, at first, it may look like the ordinary one which provides web, image, video and news search. Sadly, using this simply-designed engine, you might be exposed to dark and dangerous places of the Internet[2]. Search.volfind.com browser hijacker might alter search results and include sponsored third-party links. Not only these links might be irrelevant but also they may lead to the infected, phishing[3] or tech support scam websites. What is more, hijackers are often capable of delivering an excessive amount of ads. Most of them are unreliable, misleading and expose you to cyber threats[4] as well. We highly recommend scanning the computer with FortectIntego as soon as you see that this website replaced your default homepage and search engine. This anti-malware program will remove Search.volfind.com from the computer and allows using reliable search provider.
Apart from bothersome Search.volfind.com redirect tendencies, this application might also collect information about the users. This fact is noted in the Privacy Policy. The developers, the ExoMode company, is interested in your Internet domain and IP address, screen resolution of the monitor, browsing related information such as when you browse the Web, how much time you spend there or what websites you are visiting. According to the developers, they do not share or sell aggregated information to the third-parties and use it to improve their services only. However, if you do not want to see more annoying commercial content on the browser, you should not delay Search.volfind.com removal.
Search.volfind.com virus belongs to the group of potentially unwanted programs that take over web browsers.
How do hijackers get on the computer unnoticed?
Search.volfind.com virus spreads as an extra application in the software package. Hence, when installing new programs downloaded from the Internet, it’s important to choose the right installation mode. The majority of computer users rely on Quick or Standard setups, and they make a huge mistake[5]. These settings do not reveal about additional programs and install them by default. In this way, Search.volfind.com hijack may occur as well. The only way to stop PUPs from entering the computer is to install new programs under Advanced/Custom setup which allows monitoring the process and rejecting all unwanted applications.
How to remove Search.volfind.com virus from the browser?
In order to get rid of this strange search engine, you have to remove Search.volfind.com from the computer first. You can do it either manually or automatically. If you feel skilled enough, opt for manual elimination method which is explained below. Follow the instructions carefully and don’t leave hijacker-related components. However, if you want fast and easy Search.volfind.com removal solution, opt for automatic elimination method. It only requires installing anti-malware/anti-spyware software and scanning the system.
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.volfind.com virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
The guidelines below will help to find and remove browser hijacker from the Windows OS. After removal, don’t forget to fix and reset all web browsers that are installed on your PC.
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
Follow these steps to remove Search.volfind.com virus:
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
Follow these steps to reset 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)
After Search.volfind.com hijack, you have to reset Mozilla Firefox as shown in the instructions below. Then, you will be able to set your preferred homepage and search engine.
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
If Search.volfind.com browser hijacker attacked Google Chrome, you might find suspicious extensions. Therefore, uninstall the all to prevent from another hijack. Then, reset browser’s settings.
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
Make sure that browser hijacker haven’t installed any suspicious entries without your knowledge, and then follow the steps to reset 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.volfind.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.
- ^ Bundled software. Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia.
- ^ Tara Seals. One in Every 3 Top Websites Is Compromised and Dangerous. Infosecurity Magazine. The online magazine dedicated to the strategy, insight and technology of information security.
- ^ Website Phishing Scams. Phishing. General phishing information and prevention tips.
- ^ Ginny Marvin. Bing rejected 130M ads in 2016, including 17M tech support scam ads. Search Engine Land | Must Read News About SEO, SEM .
- ^ How to Safely Download . Lifewire. Tech untangled.