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Secure-Finder.org virus (Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge) - Free Instructions

by Alice Woods - - | Type: Stealing programs

Secure-Finder.org virus Removal Guide

What is Secure-Finder.org virus?

Should you trust Secure-Finder.org search engine?

Secure-Finder.org virus, also known as Secure-Finder.com virus, is represented as a search engine and browser extension[1] that offers to protect your privacy while browsing the Internet. Developers claim they created a tool that differs from popular and well-known search engines because it cannot see user’s search logs[2] and do not create user’s profile. In other words, they give a chance to surf the Web anonymously for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari users. Secure Finder uses a “patent-pending process” allows detecting when you use “disrespectful” search engine and re-routs your search queries to its secure search results page. However, these so-called privacy-enhanced search results are delivered by Plusnetwork.com, which is known as a browser hijacker. The relationship between these two websites is suspicious and do not promise anything good. Indeed, this browser extension is also known as a potentially unwanted program and a browser hijacker. One of the main reasons why it is classified as a hijacker is its distribution method. Secure-Finder.org browser hijacker spreads bundled free applications that users can download from the Internet. Hence, they do not intentionally install this extension and find difficulties with its elimination.

After Secure-Finder.org hijack[3], users find out that this website replaced their current browser’s homepage and search engine. The problem is, hijacker prevents users from setting their preferred domains and rejects all their customizations. It happens because hijacker can install helper objects that protect it from simple elimination. However, Secure-Finder.org removal is still possible with strong anti-malware programs, such as ReimageIntego. While this potentially unwanted application resides on your PC, you won’t be able to use any popular and reliable search engine. Even though this one claims to protect your searches and keeping away from your non-personally identifiable and personally identifiable[4] information, you should still do not trust them. It might deliver altered search results and include sponsored links instead of real and organic links. Usually, browser hijackers are created for boosting traffic to various websites or promoting them, and the easiest way to do it is to trick users into clicking links included in the search results. The problem is that these links might lead to the malicious websites[5] where your computer might be infected with ransomware, or you might be scammed. You should not let any application stay on your PC if it got inside the system without your knowledge. Therefore, remove Secure-Finder.org and choose more reliable search provider.

The picture of Secure-Finder.org virus

When did hijack occurred?

So-called Secure-Finder.org virus needs assistance to travel and get inside computers. Various free programs downloaded from the Internet helps it infiltrate careless users’ computers. Potentially unwanted applications are attached as optional programs in the software package. If users install new software using Recommended/Quick setup, they agree to install all extra apps. Indeed, it happens without their knowledge because installation wizard does not disclose about additional applications. However, if you choose Advanced/Custom setup, you can opt out all other unknown and suspicious programs that are suggested for you. All you have to do is not to rush through the setup because you might skip this important and have to deal with modifications in the browser and possible Secure-Finder.org redirect issues.

How to remove Secure-Finder.org from the PC?

The easiest way to remove Secure-Finder.org is to opt for automatic option and run a full system scan with professional malware removal program. Make sure that you update your chosen software before system scan. If you need advice what tool to choose, you can find our recommendations below. However, if you do not want to use additional software for Secure-Finder.org removal, you can opt for manual elimination option and delete browser hijacker from the program’s list. Don’t forget that it might have installed additional applications or browser extensions, so you should look up for unknown entries as well.

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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Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Intego, try running Combo Cleaner.
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Getting rid of Secure-Finder.org virus. Follow these steps

Uninstall from Windows

Go to Control Panel and look for the Secure-Finder.org virus and other suspicious applications that might be related to the hijacker. Then, check all web browsers installed on your PC, uninstall all unknown extensions and reset their settings.

Instructions for Windows 10/8  machines:

  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 the entry of the 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.

Delete from macOS

Mac OS X users catch browser hijacker; however, if you are one of the unlucky ones who managed to do it, follow the instructions to remove Secure-Finder.org virus.

Remove items from Applications folder:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for all 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 an unwanted app, 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 and then delete them.
  4. Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files. Uninstall from Mac 2

Remove 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 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

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Disable if you found any suspicious domain.

Reset MS Edge if the 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 Delete Advanced 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” -Verbose Advanced 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, search 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

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

From the list of extensions remove The Secure Finder extension and other suspicious entries that might have been installed on Mozilla Firefox. Then, reset browser’s settings and set your preferred homepage and default search engine.

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 unwanted plugin and click Remove. Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Options.
  3. Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  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

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, 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. Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Follow these steps to remove Secure Finder browser extension from Google Chrome and reset browser’s settings. However, don’t forget to uninstall all unknowns and suspicious plugins, add-ons or toolbars because they might be responsible for another hijack.

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 the unwanted program 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

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. 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:

  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. Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

This step-by-step guide will help you to fix Safari after the hijack. Remove Secure Finder from the Safari and look for other suspicious entries that might be related to the hijacker. Once you uninstall all questionable entries, reset browser’s settings.

Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:

  1. Click Safari > Preferences…
  2. In the new window, pick Extensions.
  3. Select the unwanted extension 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 Secure-Finder.org 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.

How to prevent from getting stealing programs

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.

About the author
Alice Woods
Alice Woods - Likes to teach users about virus prevention

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References
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