Srchsafe.com virus (Removal Guide) - Easy Removal Guide
Srchsafe.com virus Removal Guide
What is Srchsafe.com virus?
Srchsafe.com – a browser hijacker that redirects your searches and fills them with sponsored links
You might have spotted that your browser has started Srchsafe.com redirects – this is because there is a potentially unwanted program installed on your device. Upon installation, you would quickly see that the homepage of Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, or another web browser does not look the same anymore.
Even after you perform a search using the customized tool, you would also see changes. Instead of your regular provider, such as Google, you are likely to see Yahoo; despite this, the results won't be genuine – you would see ads at the top. This is done deliberately to divert users to predetermined websites. In the background, the app may also monitor user information to receive maximum profits from targeted advertising.
Name | Srchsafe.com |
Type | Browser hijacker |
Distribution | Software bundles, third-party websites, ads |
Symptoms | Altered web browser settings (homepage, new tab, search engine); search results are redirected to Yahoo or another provider |
Uninstall | Follow the detailed instructions at the bottom of this article; a scan with anti-malware is also highly recommended |
Browser fix | If you want to clean your browsers with one press of a button, rely on FortectIntego |
Redirect problems do not end just there. When browsing through the search results, you will come across sponsored links and different ads which may offer some tempting looking deals, encourage you to use free shopping coupons or obtain the software you do not actually need.
Keep away from advertisements and links as they may lead to infectious or fraudulent websites [1], potentially damage your PC or put your privacy at risk. If you do not want to be on a constant lookout for potentially malicious links, you should remove the PUP from your computer using FortectIntego, Malwarebytes, or similar antivirus software.
If you can’t put the automatic virus elimination option to use, you can perform its removal manually – the instructions are presented at the end of this article.
The virus is currently most active in India, Pakistan, and Indonesia.[2] Keep that in mind if you live in any of these countries.
In this image you can see how Srchsafe.com download website and the search engine looks like. Do not trust its legitimate appearance and remove the virus from your PC ASAP.
Getting infected with a browser hijacker
If you don’t regularly check your downloaded software for additionally added components, you risk getting infected with a potentially unwanted program. Software developers use a distribution technique called bundling to conceal their creations under Quick or Recommended software installation settings which are often ignored by the users who rush to set up new software on their computers.
If you are one of these people – it is high time you dropped these bad habits and started taking your computer’s security more seriously. So, instead of the automatic installation, always opt for the manual one by selecting Advanced or Custom installation modes. Carefully go through software installation windows and deselect components you do not want to find a PUP on your PC.
Antivirus utilities make Srchsafe.com removal easier
Before you start the hijacker[3] elimination, we should remind you that the quickest and easiest way to remove unwanted programs is by allowing security software to perform an automatic scan of the entire system. The scan will be more effective if you employ an updated and trustworthy antivirus software.
If you aren’t very experienced with PUP elimination but still wish to uninstall the app manually, you should definitely check out the tutorial put together by our experts just below this article. The guide will show you how to remove the virus safely without having to use any additional software.
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 Srchsafe.com virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Access the Control Panel to see which programs are installed on your PC:
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
Reset your MS Edge browser using the tutorial indicated below.
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
To banish the parasite from your Google Chrome browser, perform the following steps:
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
In order to roll back Safari to its original settings, you should complete the reset operation explained below.
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 Srchsafe.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
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online. One of the basic means to add a layer of security – choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features. However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN – it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable. Family photos, work documents, school projects – these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur: power cuts, Blue Screen of Death errors, hardware failures, crypto-malware attack, or even accidental deletion.
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, Data Recovery Pro can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
- ^ Identify and report scams and frauds. Usa.Gov. An official website of the United States government.
- ^ Tanpavirus. Tanpavirus. Malware news, reviews and removal tutorials.
- ^ Browser hijacker. Techopedia. Where Information Technology and Business Meet.