TopSearchConverter (Easy Removal Guide) - Free Instructions

TopSearchConverter Removal Guide

What is TopSearchConverter?

TopSearchConverter – a PUP that causes redirects, ads, and records browsing habits

TopSearchConverter browser hijackerTopSearchConverter browser hijacker redirects all searches through a fake search site

TopSearchConverter is a browser hijacker that modifies particular browser settings in order to redirect all search inquiries through a fake search site. It also displays ads, causes sudden redirects to questionable sites, and collects various browsing-related data. Due to its peculiarities and distribution specifics, this intruder is categorized as a potentially unwanted program (PUP).

Altered browser preferences include the default search engine, new tab, and homepage. TopSearchConverter.com ads might be shown as pop-ups, banners, altered search results, recommended searches, etc. Most of them are misleading because the contents and the portals you will be redirected to if you click on any of them are totally different and have nothing in common.

These websites might pose dangers to your privacy and security. You could even be redirected to them without clicking any ads, as redirects might happen. If you've spotted any of the symptoms, then we're delighted you came to us to resolve these issues, and we'll try not to let you down. This article contains PUP's summary, distribution methods, and removal options.

name TopSearchConverter
Type Browser hijacker, PUP, push notification virus
IP address 172.67.153.23
Altered browser settings Homepage, default search engine, and new tab
Promote search site feed.topsearchconverter.com
Symptoms An extensive amount of ads, redirects, slower device performance, changed browser settings
Risks Deceptive ads might cause other PUP installations, privacy loss
Distribution Freeware bundles, deceptive ads, fake Flash installers, fake updaters
Removal Users should scan their devices with trustworthy anti-malware software to eliminate any PUPs, malware, and suspicious files
System fix Wipe tracking cookies, fix corrupted system files, restore altered settings by using the powerful FortectIntego system tune-up tool

Apart from redirects, altered search results, and changed browser settings, TopSearchConverter browser hijacker is also trying to push its users to subscribe to push notifications. If the Allow button is pushed, it will allow the PUP to send spam messages directly to your phone screen or desktop, even when the browser is closed.

TopSearchConverter ads might be harmful in more than one way. Shown ads have nothing in common with the portals you'll be redirected to. For example, an ad stating some breaking news might redirect you to:

  • porn sites,
  • gambling portals,
  • gaming pages,
  • PUP websites,
  • tech scams, etc.

All these mischievous websites will try to either push you to install unnecessary apps, draw out private details, lure you into gambling, and so on. None of these ads displayed as notifications, pop-ups, or altered search results should ever be clicked on.

Furthermore, the TopSearchConverter virus can collect your non-personal details, including device and browser info, search inquiries, IP addresses, geolocations, used apps, visited sites, etc. Advertisers mainly use this information to show you ads, but it might be misused if it got into the wrong hands.

TopSearchConverter virusTopSearchConverter virus changes certain browser settings

Therefore, you should remove TopSearchConverter from all your devices immediately. The best way to do it is by running a full system scan with reliable anti-malware software, such as SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes. Either of these security apps will take care of the intruder and protect your systems from threats in the future.

System files and settings might get altered, causing crashes, BSoD,[1] and other abnormal system behavior. Hence, after TopSearchConverter removal, IT experts[2] highly recommend performing system diagnostics with a powerful system repair tool like the FortectIntego or similar.

Deceptive ads and freeware bundles – two of the most popular PUP distribution methods

We've all encountered misleading ads in our lives. They might promise an unreal software/hardware deal, an amazing gossip story on a beloved celebrity, and so on and so forth. PUP operators use these ads to push their worthless creations. They might advertise them as a must-have tool that will boost your device or download speed by a few hundred percent.

Of course, all of these claims are plain lies made to convince gullible people into downloading PUPs. Please don't trust any ad that offers you a deal too good to be true. In addition, websites stating that your device is infected with a virus or that its software needs an update must never be trusted, closed, and never visited again.

TopSearchConverterTopSearchConverter was available at the Chrome web store but is still distributed in more sneaky ways

Another popular technique for PUP distribution is software bundles.[3] These are usually downloaded from third-party vendors and include installers for at least 2 or more apps. The key to evading PUPs traveling this way is to choose the Advanced/Custom installation mode and deselect untrustworthy apps from being installed on your device.

Remove TopSearchConverter virus with reliable anti-malware tools

If one PUP is installed on your device, others might be knocking on your door real quick. That's why you should remove TopSearchConverter immediately before more intruders alike infected your machines. First, you'll need to perform a full system scan with trusty anti-malware software.

Once it eliminates the browser hijacker, run a system tune-up with powerful system repair tools. That will delete tracking cookies and restore corrupted system files and altered settings. In some cases, the redirects and notifications don't stop even after TopSearchConverter removal because it's installed as a browser extension.

Since we're here to guide you from the start to the finish line, below you will find free detailed instructions on how to restore your browser settings (Safari, Chrome, Firefox, etc.) on any affected device (Mac, Windows, Android).

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.

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Compatible with Microsoft Windows Compatible with macOS
What to do if failed?
If you failed to fix virus damage using Fortect Intego, submit a question to our support team and provide as much details as possible.
Fortect Intego has a free limited scanner. Fortect Intego offers more through scan when you purchase its full version. When free scanner detects issues, you can fix them using free manual repairs or you can decide to purchase the full version in order to fix them automatically.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Fortect, try running SpyHunter 5.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Intego, try running Combo Cleaner.

Getting rid of TopSearchConverter. Follow these steps

Uninstall from Windows

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

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)

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

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

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

Uninstall from Android

Uninstall unwanted programs from Android device:

  1. Go to Settings -> Apps/Applications.
  2. Expand the full list of the installed apps.
  3. Scroll through the list and tap on a suspicious application once.
  4. Tap on it and select Uninstall. Uninstall from Android
  5. Reboot the device.

Clear Storage and data files on Android from Google Chrome or other apps:

  1. Go to Settings > Apps/Applications.
  2. Expand the full list of the installed apps.
  3. Tap on Chrome and select Storage & cache.
  4. Clear storage and clear cache of the app. Clear Chrome cache and and data Android

If you are seeing ads on top of other apps but are not sure what is causing it, perform the following steps:

  1. Go to Apps/Applications.
  2. Tap Advanced.
  3. Select Special App access.
  4. Tap on Display over other apps. Check if can display over other Apps Android
  5. Eliminate apps with these access rights enabled.

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 TopSearchConverter 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.

About the author
Lucia Danes
Lucia Danes - Virus researcher

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