Search.zanzibog.com (Virus Removal Guide) - Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge

Search.zanzibog.com Removal Guide

What is Search.zanzibog.com?

Search.zanzibog.com is an untrustworthy search engine oriented to Mac OS users

Search.zanzibog.com  browser hijacker targets Mac users

Search.zanzibog.com is on URL address that refers to a potentially unwanted program (PUP)[1] exhibiting the traits of a browser hijacker. It spreads along with freeware as a hidden component and compromises Chrome, Firefox, IE, Safari, and other browsers once installed. A startup page, search engine, and new tab URL replaced by http://search.zanzibog.com/ is the main symptom indicating the Search.zanzibog.com hijack.

Name Search.zanzibog.com
Classification Browser hijacker, PUP
Symptoms Default startup page and search provider altered. Increment of ads. Browser's redirects to doubtful websites
Distribution Bundling
Danger level Low. Corrupts web browser and generates doubtful content, though cannot harm the system directly
A scan with FortectIntego is the easiest way to get rid of Search.zanzibog.com

It's developer, Zanzibog Software, claims that this platform will improve people's web browsing experience, speed up download speed, and optimize the overall web browsing process. Despite such promises, most of the users refer to this search as Search.zanzibog.com virus, and there's a serious ground for that:

  • Zanzibog app gets installed without requiring user's permission properly;
  • It injects unwanted browser's extension to the default one and forcefully replaces its start page, search engine, and new tab URL address;
  • It delivers altered Yahoo-based search results;
  • Installs Browser Helper Objects to evade Search.zanzibog.com removal;
  • Generates sponsored links prior to relevant search results;
  • Displays intrusive ads linked to third-party websites;
  • Uses tracking cookies to collect Search Data;

The real purpose of Search.zanzibog.com virus is to generate advertising-based revenue and drive traffic to predetermined websites. It is actively involved in affiliate marketing with questionable third parties. Thus, any session of search using Zanzibog service pose a risk of redirects to suspicious or even dangerous websites.

Apart from being potentially dangerous, this search site may be extremely annoying. It may generate loads of third-party ads, including but not limited to commercial offers. However, products advertised in such a way are often too expensive or useless. You may also notice non-commercial ads, such as Tech-Support-Scam[2] pop-ups, experience redirects to quick online surveys or get urgency alerts claiming that your software is out-of-date.

Do not fall for such and similar catches as you may inadvertently expose personal information to hackers or download malicious programs without being aware of that.

Search.zanzibog.com virus is an untrustworthy search siteSearch.zanzibog.com is an URL address that targets Mac users. Although it's non-malicious, it may display suspicious content and initiate redirects to partner's websites.

Most of the websites use cookies. These small pieces of tracking software are employed by most sites to collect non-personal information related to people's web browsing habits. However, the usage of cookies has to be approved by PC's user, which is not done by Search.zanzibog.com virus. By the way, the company may:

share non-personally identifiable information with third parties, when this is required to provide, maintain or improve the Zanzibog operation and services. [They] may NOT share personally identifiable information with any third party, except in an aggregated and statistical form.

To protect your PC from redirects to phishing sites and disable intrusive ads from your browser, perform Search.zanzibog.com removal without delay. For this purpose, you can use FortectIntego or another reliable anti-malware program.
People who prefer manual Search.zanzibog.com removal can find a Search.zanzibog.com removal guide at the end of this post. The elimination process consists of two main parts – immunization of PUPs and restoration of web browser's settings.

Freeware bundling remains the main strategy used for PUP distribution

Freeware bundling is a suspicious strategy, though legitimate, allowing freeware developed to disguise additional components under Quick or Recommended setup. Cybersecurity experts, including our partners from Dieviren.de,[3] are still debating whether setting PUPs as pre-default components of freeware and not disclosing them explicitely is a legitimate move.

Nevertheless, as long as bundling is allowed, you must be careful when downloading and installing applications that are free of charge, especially those offered on third-party download sources.

To unpack the bundle, opt for Advanced or Custom installation all the time and unmark ticks saying that you agree with the installation of browser add-ons, toolbars, and extensions.

Search.zanzibog.com removal tutorial

Typically, PUPs can be eliminated in two ways, i.e., manual and automatic. This particular browser hijacker is not an exception. To remove Search.zanzibog.com virus properly, it's vital to check the system for various PUPs and eliminate all related components. You can do that easily with the help of a professional anti-malware.

If, however, you prefer more challenging Search.zanzibog.com removal method, you can rely on step-by-step instructions provided down below. As we have pointed out, this hijacker targets Mac users in particular, so make sure to clean up Mac's libraries once you drag the unwanted program to Trash.

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.

Offer
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Compatible with Microsoft Windows Compatible with macOS
What to do if failed?
If you failed to fix virus damage using Fortect Intego, submit a question to our support team and provide as much details as possible.
Fortect Intego has a free limited scanner. Fortect Intego offers more through scan when you purchase its full version. When free scanner detects issues, you can fix them using free manual repairs or you can decide to purchase the full version in order to fix them automatically.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Fortect, try running SpyHunter 5.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Intego, try running Combo Cleaner.

Getting rid of Search.zanzibog.com. Follow these steps

Uninstall from Windows

Instructions for Windows 10/8  machines:

  1. Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program. Uninstall from Windows 1
  3. From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
  4. Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
  5. If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
  6. Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK. Uninstall from Windows 2

If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program. Uninstall from Windows 7/XP
  3. Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
  4. At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
  5. In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
  6. Click OK once the removal process is finished.

Delete from macOS

Although it can affect Windows OS, it mainly targets Mac users. If you fell for downloading it accidentally, follow these steps to get rid of Zanzibog software for good.

Remove items from Applications folder:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
  3. Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash) Uninstall from Mac 1

To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
  3. In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
  4. Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files. Uninstall from Mac 2

Remove from Microsoft Edge

After elimination of PUPs, reset your web browser's settings to default. Otherwise, you won't be able to reset previous start page and search.

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 on Uninstall at the bottom. 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 Privacy & security.
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. Select everything (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 Disable if you found any suspicious domain.

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

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.

  1. Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
  2. Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
  3. Right-click on them and pick Delete Advanced MS Edge reset 1
  4. Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
  5. 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 Advanced MS Edge reset 2

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. 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 unwanted plugin 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 Options.
  3. Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.

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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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

If you don't know how to recover Google Chrome settings, here's a tutorial that might help you:

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 the suspicious plugins that might be 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 unwanted extensions from Safari:

  1. Click Safari > Preferences…
  2. In the new window, pick Extensions.
  3. Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall. Remove extensions from Safari

Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:

  1. Click Safari > Clear History…
  2. From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
  3. Confirm with Clear History. Clear cookies and website data from Safari

Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:

  1. Click Safari > Preferences…
  2. Go to Advanced tab.
  3. Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  4. From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches. Reset Safari

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.zanzibog.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

Access your website securely from any location

When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.

If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.

 

Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks

While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.

Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection. 

 

About the author
Ugnius Kiguolis
Ugnius Kiguolis - The mastermind

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