Seekforsearch.com virus (Tutorial) - Free Guide
Seekforsearch.com virus Removal Guide
What is Seekforsearch.com virus?
Seekforsearch.com: why you should not ignore its presence on your browser
If you are looking for a reliable search tool, you should bypass the Seekforsearch.com search engine because it belongs to the category of browser hijackers. It is evident that the app is not malicious and cannot be compared to threats such as ransomware, although its unexpected appearance on Google Chrome or another browser you are using should not be ignored.
Many users find it set as their homepage and new tab address unexpectedly right after they open their browsers. This is because this potentially unwanted program is mainly distributed via software bundles, which results in users not noticing it is offered during the installation of freeware.
Name | Seekforsearch.com |
Type | Browser hijacker |
Distribution | Software bundling, third-party websites |
Operation | Changes the homepage and new tab address of the browser; redirects all searches to alternative provider and inserts promotional links into search results |
Uninstall | Eliminate the PUP by following manual guide below and performing a full system scan with anti-malware software |
Browser fix | If you want to make sure that your browser is clean and no tracking technologies remain, use FortectIntego to clean it quickly |
Various malware removal tools identify this hijacker as a PUP – and for a reason. Users who discover this search engine in their browsers without downloading this program often get surprised. If you are one of such people, we recommend you check the removal guide below, as well as the next paragraphs if you want to find out more about the hijacker's operation.
Do you know why spyware researchers advise users to stay away from this search engine? There are several reasons for that. First of all, this tool is a product of ClientConnect, Ltd, a company that is well known among computer security researchers as a developer of numerous potentially unwanted programs, including Trovi.com.
Browser hijackers developed by this company are meant to alter browser settings in the target’s computer and set a different website on the homepage. In common cases, the website that they set on the homepage provides a suspicious search engine.
You should know that these search engines provide sponsored results along with regular ones, and sadly, some of these can be dangerous. Clicking on them can possibly throw you onto high-risk Internet pages that contain dangerous files or programs.
If you notice that your search engine initiates such redirects, make sure you scan your computer with a reliable anti-malware program and remove Seekforsearch.com and redirect virus or similar browser hijackers from the system.
What is more, if you discover that your computer has been affected by a browser hijacker, you should know another thing. While such a program is running on your system, your browsing sessions are under a magnifying glass. It may track the following data:
- search queries,
- clicks,
- visited websites,
- links clicked, and similar.
It uses such information for marketing purposes and later on delivers targeted ads to you in the form of sponsored search results or even pop-up ads. PUP removal can solve these problems immediately. To delete this hijacker, we suggest using SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or a similar anti-malware software. To prevent tracking and reinstallation of the app, employ FortectIntego to clean your browsers or follow the instructions below.
PUP distribution methods
You might be shocked, but potentially unwanted programs legitimately hijack PCs, and they actually cannot be installed without the user’s knowledge. The user has to install such a program; otherwise, it cannot enter the computer system. However, many users are still unaware of the fact that such ad-supported apps spread in software bundles along with other well-known programs.
Just a few simple adjustments during software installation can help you prevent PUPs from entering your system unnoticed. You just need to pick Custom or Advanced settings for your installation and get rid of all optional components suggested for you. Deselect them.
The primary mistake that users are making is that they rely on Default or Standard settings. When installing a program, you should carefully read what kind of program it is, what does it do, what are its beneficial features, and does it distribute optional free programs. Therefore, we recommend you to read Privacy Policy and Terms of Use documents at all times. As we have mentioned, do not rush and change installation settings to avoid browser hijack.
Get rid of the browser hijacker quickly
We advise choosing the automatic Seekforsearch.com removal method. Remember that it is the easiest way to get rid of browser hijackers and more dangerous computer threats. If you used to install free programs without changing pre-selected installation settings, there is a great possibility that your computer is infected with two or more potentially unwanted programs.
To identify and remove them all, use proper anti-spyware software. Users who wish to uninstall this piece of software manually should scroll down a little to see PUP removal guidelines.
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 Seekforsearch.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 Seekforsearch.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
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.