Search1 (Free Guide) - Removal Instructions
Search1 Removal Guide
What is Search1?
Search1 is the browser hijacker developed to generate money from the online activity
| Name | Search1 |
|---|---|
| Alternative name | Search1.search101sweets.com |
| Type | Browser hijacker |
| Related | Safer Browser virus |
| Category | Potentially unwanted program |
| Symptoms | Delivers intrusive commercial content, changes the appearance of the new tab, homepage, in-browser search engine |
| Possible danger | Exposes to malicious content and collects information about the user |
| Distribution | Deceptive advertising, software bundling |
| Elimination | Clean the system from Search1 and other PUPs with FortectIntego |
Search1 PUP is another browser hijacker that changes victims' search engine and sets it to Search1.search101sweets.com or even another fake online search provider. The website is not giving improved search results as it may promise in promotional ads. It also doesn't improve the experience at all since all it causes are tons of pop-up ads and redirects to other suspicious pages.
The primary purpose of the program like Search1 virus, in most cases, is to generate pay-per-click revenue for the advertiser or sponsor. Most of these potentially unwanted programs are designed for that reason.[1] This is achieved by redirecting search results, clicks on the browser or pop-up window, banner to affiliated pages filled with more commercial content.
Once you get exposed to possibly harmless online content, visiting those pages continuously can lead to more severe cyber infection than this Search1 browser hijacker. Also, the initial distribution technique of potentially unwanted program indicates that the user shouldn't be surprised by additional tools or applications installed on the machine without the permission.
Other Search1 symptoms may include:
- web browser not launching properly;
- extensions, add-ons or plugins installed without permission;
- pop-up ads filling up the screen;
- commercial content banners injected into commonly visited pages;
- useless search results;
- redirect causing new windows to pop-up;
- new tab and homepage, search engine set to Search1.search101sweets.com.
Search1 gets on your system without you knowing because it gets installed as an additional piece during third-party freeware installations. This method is widely used to distribute potentially unwanted programs and is called software bundling.[2]
Search1.search101sweets.com is the domain of a fake search engine otherwise known as a browser hijacker. All searches on your web browser get redirected to this questionable domain, and results show up altered and filled with advertisements or misleading content.
However, since this is a product from SaferBrowser tons of different programs may get added to the browser or device in general. You need to remove Search1 for this reason alone but remember that every PUP is responsible for data tracking and collecting.
You should employ automatic anti-malware tools for Search1 removal and clean the system thoroughly so that all unwanted threats can get deleted at once. We recommend using FortectIntego or a similar tool afterward to clean the machine further and eliminate virus damage.
Third-party installations help deliver hijackers without your knowledge
When you install freeware from the internet, you may get a software bundle with a potentially unwanted program inside. Additional components in this package get install automatically by default when you skip through steps and choose Quick or Default options.
Experts[3] note how important it is to choose Advanced or Custom installations when installing any software. To prevent automatic installation of all packed applications you need to pay more attention than hitting the Next button over and over.
When you opt for Advanced installation, you get the opportunity to see all packed programs and remove them from the download list by un-checking the selection. However, the best tip we can give you is to avoid questionable software providers and sources of a freeware online.
Terminate all processes and programs related to Search1 virus
To get back to the safe browsing online and pleasant time on the computer, you need to remove Search1 from the machine completely. You can do so by relying on the antivirus programs and performing the full system scan on the affected device. This procedure takes little time but gives great results.
During a thorough system check with anti-malware programs, automatic Search1 removal is performed, and all corrupted files, malicious programs get indicated as malicious or possibly dangerous. Then you only need to follow the steps that your tool suggests and clean the PC completely.
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 Search1. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Search1 removal is important for the proper performance of your machine:
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)
Make sure that Search1 is not luring on the browser and follow the guide:
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
You should also get rid of any additional browser content installed without your permission:
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 Search1 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 browser hijacker
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.
If this free guide helped you and you are satisfied with our service, please consider making a donation to keep this service alive. Even a smallest amount will be appreciated.
- ^ Pay-per-click. Wikipedia. The free encyclopedia.
- ^ Bundled software. Webopedia. Online tech dictionary for IT professionals.
- ^ Viruset. Viruset. Spyware related news.