SearchStage.com virus (Tutorial) - Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge
SearchStage.com virus Removal Guide
What is SearchStage.com virus?
SearchStage.com is a program that falls into the category
SearchStage.com is the program that can appear on the machine out of nowhere. People often seek to cut down their expenses and look for free programs to install instead of choosing more reliable paid ones. As a result, they can end up installing the virus. This questionable program does not belong to the malware category, yet it can cause many problems for the user and make browsing sessions unbearable. It seeks to change browser settings and input its URL into the homepage and new tab page settings.
On top of that, this application monitors user’s activity online, gathers search queries, clicks, information about downloads, IP addresses, and similar data. It does that via cookies and web beacons. Later on, it uses such information to analyze website traffic, “improve” search services, and geo-targeted advertising services. In other words, it starts to integrate third-party links within its search results, which is kind of annoying.
Name | SearchStage.com |
---|---|
Type | Browser hijacker, potentially unwanted program |
Issues | The machine runs slower because all searches online get filled with advertisements, banners, links. This content additionally triggers redirects to suspicious pages |
Affects | All web browsers on Windows and Mac OS machines |
Distribution | Deceptive pages, torrent platforms, other sources where software bundling is used |
Removal | The machine can get fully cleaned if you manage to run the anti-malware tool and find all pieces of the PUP |
Repair | Your machine can get damaged when the process initiated by the threat running in the background. Run FortectIntego to remediate any issues |
You should pay attention to the following lines it this search engine’s Privacy Policy document –
the Site includes links to 1000s of other websites whose privacy practices may differ from those of SearchStage.com. SearchStage.com does not control the websites of third parties that are linked from the Site or through our services, and is not responsible for information included in those services.
These words are quite meaningful – they say that sites accessed via this search engine might be dangerous and that the author of this search engine is not responsible for anything that can happen on these sites.
Be careful and if you ever end up visiting a suspicious website after opening one of SearchStage search results, avoid providing your personal information or downloading questionable files. Chances are, you might install harmful programs or fake software updates, so always think before clicking on that “download” button while browsing through suspicious third-party web pages.
If you have already experienced redirects that we have mentioned in this article, and if you are looking for the instructions that help get rid of SearchStage.com, you should scroll down this page. At the end of this post, you can find a comprehensive tutorial explaining how to remove this browser hijacker from the system. Alternatively, you can remove the redirect virus automatically with the SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner, Malwarebytes, or a different AV-type program.
The infiltration happens behind the users' back
If you cannot remember when did you installed this program, it means that it has hijacked your system without your knowledge. However, the hijack typically occurs with user’s intervention. The problem is that the majority of PC users tend to rush when they install new programs, and they often miss important statements suggesting to install additional programs.
These offers must be deselected in order to avoid installing PUPs. These proposals can be found in either Custom or Advanced settings. Make sure you do not choose classic Default or Standard ones since they do not provide the opportunity to adjust components of the download. Now that you have learned how to avoid installing potentially unwanted programs, please take a look at the next paragraph to find out how to uninstall this browser hijacker from your system.
SearchStage.com removal methods and tips
Before you start the virus removal procedure, you should know a few things. First of all, this program or its remains can leave your computer vulnerable to malware attacks, and that is why it is crucial to delete all components of it.
Second, it is highly advisable to scan your computer system with an automatic spyware/malware removal tool to see if you have managed to remove SearchStage.com components successfully. Finally, an automatic malware removal tool can help you to eliminate these remains, as well as all other dangerous files from the system.
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 SearchStage.com virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
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)
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
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 SearchStage.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 browser hijacker
Stream videos without limitations, no matter where you are
There are multiple parties that could find out almost anything about you by checking your online activity. While this is highly unlikely, advertisers and tech companies are constantly tracking you online. The first step to privacy should be a secure browser that focuses on tracker reduction to a minimum.
Even if you employ a secure browser, you will not be able to access websites that are restricted due to local government laws or other reasons. In other words, you may not be able to stream Disney+ or US-based Netflix in some countries. To bypass these restrictions, you can employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN, which provides dedicated servers for torrenting and streaming, not slowing you down in the process.
Data backups are important – recover your lost files
Ransomware is one of the biggest threats to personal data. Once it is executed on a machine, it launches a sophisticated encryption algorithm that locks all your files, although it does not destroy them. The most common misconception is that anti-malware software can return files to their previous states. This is not true, however, and data remains locked after the malicious payload is deleted.
While regular data backups are the only secure method to recover your files after a ransomware attack, tools such as Data Recovery Pro can also be effective and restore at least some of your lost data.