Remove Searchsecretly.net virus (Removal Instructions)

Search Secretly – a browser hijacker that supposedly provides you online “privacy”

Searchsecretly.net is perceived not to be an actual malware^[1] but rather a potentially unwanted program. It uses a search engine for advertising various companies, websites, services, and products. The users do not particularly favor such programs because they typically replace the default search engine, changing the new tab and homepage preferences. Thus, they are often referred to simply as viruses.

This may not be the most appropriate name for the browser hijacker, but there is no denying that this program deserves such a title due to some of its functionalities. The stealthy system infiltration alone is a doubtful software distribution choice. Nevertheless, there are more reasons why this supposedly handy Visicom Media Inc. creation is not worth keeping on your computer. Keep reading and find out what bothers the users and experts considering this program.

name	Searchsecretly.net
type	Browser hijacker, redirect virus
Symptoms	Modified browser preferences; redirects to suspicious domains; diminished device performance; slower browsing speed
Altered browser settings	Homepage, new tab, default search engine
Risks	Monetary losses, privacy issues, installation of additional PUPs
Distribution	Software bundling, deceptive ads
Elimination	You can remove this cyber infection by scanning your device with a reliable security tool
System health	To ensure that your device runs stable, perform system diagnostics with the Fortect Intego app

If you decide to remove Searchsecretly.net from an infected device, you will find helpful tips and tricks at the on of the article. Keep in mind that if this program has entered your computer without your knowledge, it might be that your system or your own browsing habits have vulnerabilities that might allow other much more severe malware to get through.

When talking about the functionalities of this browser hijacker, we should point out that the most noticeable aspects of it are not always the most harmful. In fact, the most questionable program’s behavior lies underneath the surface. The sponsored links, ads, and redirect issue may not seem that big of a deal as long as you are unaware of what content does this Canada-based search engine actually promotes.

Nevertheless, investigating them more closely reveals that they often lead to potentially dangerous sites^[2] where the users may be tricked into obtaining unreputable programs or disclosing sensitive information. Searchsecretly.net removal can prevent this from happening and is highly recommended in order to maintain the general computer’s stability.

Thus, we recommend taking action now. To remove the browser hijacker and prevent the dangers that it could possibly cause, you have to download a reliable anti-malware tool, like SpyHunter Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes Malwarebytes, and run a full system scan with it. That should eliminate all threats from your device in question.

When that's done, you have to take care of the overall health of your device's system because various infections might leave traces that could diminish its performance or even cause crashes. Run system diagnostics scan with the time-tested Fortect Intego software or similar powerful tools to resolve all system irregularities.

Image of the Searchsecretly.net virus

PUP detection and prevention

Searchsecretly.net is undoubtedly an unpleasant cyber infection to have to snoop around on your computer. So the question is: can you do anything to stop such programs from entering your PC? Undoubtedly yes! You may start with obtaining antivirus software that will protect you from drive-by downloads or fake software updates that often hide viruses and help them find their way into the system.

Nevertheless, it would help if you did not rely on automatic tools alone and must take precautions yourself. For instance, avoid visiting unfamiliar websites and carefully choose the source of your downloads. When you already download a software package, do not forget to inspect it for additional components and cancel the installation of the suspicious ones.

Remove Searchsecretly.net and regain control of the browser

To roll back the changes made to your browser settings, the first thing you need to do is to remove Searchsecretly.net virus from the computer. First, you may try scanning your device with an antivirus utility, but if that does not help to locate and isolate the threat, you may also try manual removal.

The key to that is simple — you have to follow professional instructions. For your convenience, we have provided a comprehensive hijacker elimination tutorial just below this article. Note that users who are non-native English speakers, for example, Estonian users^[3], may notice the ads promoting this PUP as well.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.

Remove the unwanted program:

In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).

Delete leftover files and folders:

Select Go > Go to Folder.
Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.
Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

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 Remove.

Clear cookies and other browser data:

Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (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 Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

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.

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.
This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

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 the unwanted extension and click Remove.

Reset the homepage:

Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
Choose Settings.
Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

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 and Temporary cached files and pages, then click 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

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 suspicious extensions 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 dangerous extensions:

Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.

Clear history and website data:

Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.

Reset Safari:

Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.

How to remove Searchsecretly.net virus

Search Secretly – a browser hijacker that supposedly provides you online “privacy”

PUP detection and prevention