Search2000.com virus (Tutorial) - Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge
Search2000.com virus Removal Guide
What is Search2000.com virus?
Search2000.com will not provide you the best searching experience
Search2000.com is a useless search engine that does not perform its primary function properly. Indeed, using this search engine, you won’t be able to find necessary information. At the moment of writing, this tool does not deliver any links in the results page. However, it still can hijack your web browser.[1]
So-called Search2000.com virus is a potentially unwanted program (PUP)[2] which acts as a browser hijacker. It spreads in software bundles and might hijack inattentive computer users' web browsers. The hijacker is compatible with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer or other popular web browsers.
Once this PUP is installed, it might alter browser’s settings and set its domain as default search engine or/and homepage. Additionally, you might notice an increased amount of online ads that offer to download suspicious software. However, after Search2000.com hijack, you should be extremely careful with online ads and avoid clicking them because they might be malicious or lead to phishing sites.
The problem is that developers of Search2000 present itself as a “global leaders in search engine marketing and web traffic generation,” meaning that they might help companies to drive traffic to their websites. The company specializes in online advertising, so their created search engines or browser extensions are used for commercial purposes.
The privacy policy of Search 2000 reveals that website uses cookies to collect some information about users. Fortunately, it does not track personally identifiable information. However, other browsing-related details might be aggregated and used for targeted marketing strategies.
Thus, if you do not want to get tricked by some personalized and suffer from scammers, you should remove Search2000.com from your computer. As we have mentioned, this search engine does not function properly. So, there’s no need to keep it.
We highly recommend for Search2000.com removal choosing FortectIntego or another anti-malware tool. It’s the quickest method to get rid of PUPs and all their components. However, if you want to wipe out this cyber infection manually, you can find elimination guide at the end of the article.
Be careful with freeware installation: PUPs are waiting for inattentive users
If you download freeware or shareware, you always have to make sure that it’s a single program, not a bundle. Free programs often include “optional downloads” that are usually browser hijackers, adware and other PUPs. Thus, it’s better to stop their installation.
The only way to prevent installation of third-party apps is to choose Advanced/Custom installation settings instead of Quick/Recommended. If you find a pre-selected statement saying “I agree to make Search2000.com my default search engine” or third-party apps, remove the ticks to stop their installation.
Security experts from Estonia[3] do not recommend replacing your current search provider in this way because often you are tricked into using questionable search tool that might pose a danger to your privacy.
Uninstall Search2000.com
In order to remove Search2000.com manually, you should follow the guidelines below. Keep in mind that you have to uninstall suspicious programs from the system as well as unknown browser extensions from each of the browser. Additionally, you have to reset affected browsers too.
However, you can speed up Search2000.com removal with reputable anti-malware/anti-spyware. If manual removal guide seems hard to follow, you should obtain reputable tool and run a full system scan.
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 Search2000.com virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
To eliminate Search2000 entirely, you have to check if any suspicious programs were not installed to your Windows computer:
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)
Follow the instructions to clean Mozilla Firefox. Uninstall suspicious add-ons that might be related to Search2000.com and reset the browser:
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
Access Chrome's extensions and remove all questionable extensions. They might be protecting the hijacker. Browser reset is recommended too.
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 Search2000.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.
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- ^ Marie Cartwright. How to Know if Someone Hijacked Your Browser. Chron. Houston news, sports and entertainment.
- ^ Chris Hoffman. PUPs Explained: What is a “Potentially Unwanted Program”?. How-to Geek. Provides explanation about technology.
- ^ Virused. Virused. Estonian cyber security news and malware database.