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Remove Searchinspired.com (Removal Guide) - Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge

removal by Jake Doevan - -   Also known as Search Inspired | Type: Stealing programs
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SearchInspired.com – a fake search engine used to collect people’s personal information

Searchinspired.com

Searchinspired.com virus is a browser hijacker which belongs to Cro-Bit Ltd. This potentially unwanted program (PUP)[1] claims to increase users’ browsing experience by providing them links to most popular websites, for example, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and others. No matter that it may seem like the faster way to reach domains that you need, beware that it can also collect personal and anonymous information which is supposedly used to return advanced search results. Sharing such data with strangers is dangerous, so we do not recommend using Searchinspired.com.

Summary of the cyber threat
Name Searchinspired.com
Type Browser hijacker
Danger level Medium. Takes control over the browser and redirects to possibly dangerous websites
Symptoms Default homepage, search engine and new tab URL replaced with an unknown domain, delivery of the excessive amount of ads, redirects to questionable sites, possible installation of third-party browser extensions or plugins
Affected browsers Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and other popular browsers
Distribution Software bundles
To uninstall Searchinspired.com, install ReimageIntego and run a full system scan

Even if this site seems very promising and legitimate to use, you should note that it can easily infiltrate your computer without your knowledge. Typically, Search Inspired affects careless users because its developers have been actively using a method called bundling. After finding itself on the system, this invader hijacks all popular web browsers (Chrome, Mozilla, IE, Safari, etc.) by changing the homepage, the default search engine, and the new tab URL to the preferred one.

As a result, victims start noticing redirects to Searchinspired.com and other sites that seem unfamiliar. In this case, you should be very careful because this site can return forged search results that are filled with various pop-up ads, in-text links, and similar content. After clicking such link without thinking, you can be redirected to a dangerous site seeking to infect you with malware. Additionally, you can find yourself on a fake survey site and similar domains that are typically used to swindle people’s personal information.

To sum up, this site poses a serious danger to your computer, so there is no need to keep it on the system. Do not get tricked by harmless looks of this browser hijacker! The easiest way to go back to Google Search is to remove Search Inspired from your computer by using ReimageIntego or another reliable anti-spyware program.

Furthermore, we should warn you about program’s ability to record personal and anonymous data about its users. It has become a serious problem which has already involved Facebook and other huge companies. According to the Privacy Policy of Search Inspired, its developers are collecting such kind of information:

Search Inspired may collect two types of information: 1) Personal Information, and 2(Anonymous Information. Personal Information means information that may directly or indirectly identify you, such as your name, address, email address, and telephone number. Anonymous Information means information that does not directly or indirectly identify you, such as the number of page views, link clicks, and login times. We may use both Personal and Anonymous Information to create Aggregate Information. Aggregate Information, is the grouping of Personal and Anonymous Information into groups and/or categories, which does not identify you directly or indirectly. Through you use of the Site we may collect the following Personal Information: you name; email address; information you provided in public forums and/or social networks; information you provided us including your device identifier or IP address when you use the Site.

While the personal data which is mentioned in the privacy policy includes only one’s email address and PC’s IP address, its loss can cause lots of additional problems and inconveniences, including an increased amount of spam, suspicious personalized ads that interrupt you while browsing on the web and similar problems. However, security specialists from NoVirus.uk[2] do not recommend ignoring this activity.

To sum up, you should stay away from this highly questionable search engine. If you ever come across a redirect to this site, please, make sure you initiate Search Inspired removal. To get rid of the browser hijacker, you need to perform steps that we provided below this article. Here, you will find manual removal guide and programs that can be used for automatic virus removal.

Search Inspired browser hijackerSearch-Inspired.com is a browser hijacker that forces people to use a highly suspicious search engine.

Main distribution methods used to spread this browser hijacker

The browser hijacker can be downloaded from its official website. However, before installing programs from unknown sources, you should always read users’ reviews to see how good or bad they work. In addition, you can add this PUP to your web browsers yourself because of poor knowledge and a lack of cautiousness while downloading third-party software from the web. That’s because this hijacker has been actively spread via bundling.[3]

This marketing method is mostly supported by developers of suspicious apps that are trying to increase the popularity of their apps. After hiding them inside legitimate and well-known programs, they simply get a chance to get inside users’ systems without being noticed. “Bundled” programs are often related to unwanted system changes, so make sure you decline all offers suggesting you to add them to your computer.

If you want to stay safe from browser hijackers, you should:

  • Be very cautious while downloading/installing software;
  • Avoid using programs which come from third parties;
  • Download/install all programs just from official and trusted sites;
  • Always opt for Custom or Advanced installation mode and then deselect all check marks that allow system changes and installation of third-party apps.

To get rid of Searchinspired.com from your PC, you need to reset your web browser

To remove Searchinspired.com virus from the system, you have to eliminate dubious browser extensions and other PUPs. Additionally, we highly recommend resetting web browser to change it back to its previous state. If you are not tech savvy, you should use the guide given below. However, make sure you follow every step in exact order just to ensure a full virus removal and also a proper functionality of your PC in the future.

If you need a quick solution to fix your computer from redirects, you can choose automatic Search Inspired removal option. In this case, you will have to decide on what anti-malware program do you want to use, update it and let it do all the work for you. In this case, you should delete all components that belong to this threat. Programs that are recommended below have been selected due to their simple usage, an ability to clean every harmful program from the system and recover it from damage.

You may remove virus damage with a help of ReimageIntego. 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.

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Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Reimage, try running SpyHunter 5.
Download SpyHunter 5 Review »
Privacy policy | Terms of Use | Product Refund Policy | Uninstall Instructions
Malwarebytes
Download | Review | Privacy policy | Terms of Use | Product Refund Policy | Uninstall Instructions
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Intego, try running Combo Cleaner.
Download Combo Cleaner Review »
Privacy policy | Terms of Use | Product Refund Policy | Uninstall Instructions

To remove Searchinspired.com, follow these steps:

Remove Searchinspired.com from Windows systems

Browser hijacker may have arrived on the system bundled with some suspicious programs or installed unknown third-party tools itself. Follow these steps to find and eliminate these entries:

To remove Searchinspired.com from Windows 10/8  machines, please follow these steps:

  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 entries related to Searchinspired.com (or any other recently installed 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.

Uninstall Searchinspired.com from Mac OS X system

If your macOS is displaying some infection symptoms, proceed with the following guide:

Remove Searchinspired.com from Applications folder:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for Searchinspired.com-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 Searchinspired.com, 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 related to Searchinspired.com and then delete them.
  4. Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the Searchinspired.com-related entries.Uninstall from Mac 2

Delete Searchinspired.com from Internet Explorer (IE)

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for Searchinspired.com and other suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete…
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset again to complete Searchinspired.com removal.Reset Internet Explorer

Eliminate Searchinspired.com from Microsoft Edge

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 Searchinspired.com-related 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

Reset MS Edge if that 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 DeleteAdvanced 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” -VerboseAdvanced 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 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

Get rid of Searchinspired.com from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

In order to remove SearchInspired.com from Mozilla Firefox, follow this guide:

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 plugins that are related to Searchinspired.com and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Options.
  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

In case Searchinspired.com did not get removed after following the instructions above, 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 – this should complete Searchinspired.com removal.Reset Firefox 2

Erase Searchinspired.com from Google Chrome

Uninstall questionable Chrome extensions and reset the browser to delete Searchinspired.com for good:

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 Searchinspired.com 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

If the above-methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the Searchinspired.com-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 to complete Searchinspired.com removal.Reset Chrome 2

Remove Searchinspired.com from Safari

Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:

  1. Click Safari > Preferences…
  2. In the new window, pick Extensions.
  3. Select the unwanted extension related to Searchinspired.com 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 Searchinspired.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: ReimageIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.

Do not let government spy on you

The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices. Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet. 

You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using Private Internet Access VPN.

Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.

Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack

Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact – you can set this process to be performed automatically.

When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process.

About the author
Jake Doevan
Jake Doevan - Computer technology expert

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This entry was posted on 2018-06-23 at 09:05 and is filed under Stealing programs, Viruses.

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