Is TheSmartSearch.net safe to use?
TheSmartSearch.net virus is a program which acts like a regular Internet search engine but is primarily designed for affiliate marketing purposes. According to the statistics, the site receives somewhere around 25,000 unique visitors and normally earns up to $300 of advertising revenue a day. As you can see, that is quite an easy and profitable business. And The Smart Search developers seem to be working to make an even greater fortune. Currently, they are gathering a database of new potential users by spreading this program via online marketing technique called “bundling.” Unfortunately, this means that TheSmartSearch.net hijack default search engines and home pages if the users aren’t attentive enough when installing free software, such as various download managers, audio or video players and PDF creators. Due to this fact, this application has been categorized as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) and a browser hijacker. It is highly recommended to remove TheSmartSearch.net as soon as you notice it on your computer. The most reliable way to do that is by running a full system scan with FortectIntego antivirus scanner.
TheSmartSearch.net may not only disrupt your web browsing activities but may also pose harm to your cyber security. First of all, you have to know that it is mainly employed by various third parties who seek to promote their websites and increase their page ranking or sales. TheSmartSearch.net malware may even deliver altered search results solely for this purpose. What is especially concerning is that you can never be sure if those third parties seek to promote reliable content. Always keep in mind the fact that developers of this add-on do not monitor the content they advertise, so there is a high probability that some TheSmartSearch.net redirect may send you to a site filled with questionable content. In addition to that, this misleading search site is capable of slowing down your web browsers, including such well-known applications like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Internet Explorer. It does that by filling your search results with sponsored advertisements, which naturally increases the system’s vulnerability. On top of it all, we should also mention that site creators may also be interested in tracking your online activity and sharing the gathered information with other third parties. If you want to stay safe and maintain your cyber security, you should avoid using such search engines. However, if it invades your browser without permission, do not hesitate and proceed to the TheSmartSearch.net removal immediately.
How do browser hijackers infiltrate computers?
This misleading browser add-on commonly travels as an additional component along with free software and gets inside unnoticed when people unconsciously accept to install it. If you are installing free software from time to time, then it's not surprising that you may have inadvertently allowed TheSmartSearch.net to change your default homepage and search engine. For example, if you tend to install free software by selecting “Quick” or “Basic” installation option and constantly accelerate the process by clicking the “Next,” you may not even be informed about additional components and may end up installing them automatically. To avoid this, you should start looking at the software installation more responsibly. Otherwise, you may start experiencing various inconveniences, such as system slowdowns, modification of DNS setting, redirects and so on. That's why you should always select “Advanced” or “Custom” installation option when installing freeware, carefully inspect every check box and deselect all additional components, if you find any. If you have already been tricked into installing TheSmartSearch.net or any other PUP, do not waste your time and eliminate it as soon as possible.
How to remove TheSmartSearch.net virus?
If you want to maintain your cyber security and avoid being tracked by some questionable third parties, you should stay away from programs, such as TheSmartSearch.net virus. If it has already hijacked your web browsers, we highly recommend you to select the removal method that you prefer and get to work! There are two options to choose from: manual and automatic. Previously in the article, we have already introduced an antivirus utility which should remove TheSmartSearch.net without difficulty. But if you need additional options, check out the recommendations below. Manual TheSmartSearch.net removal (if you decide to go for this method) will be a longer process, but if you are good at following instructions, you should be able to eliminate it just as successfully. You will find the whole tutorial below.
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.
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.
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