Wow Search (Updated Guide) - updated Jun 2020
Wow Search Removal Guide
What is Wow Search?
WowSearch is the PUP that takes the place of your primary search provider and aims to make you visit specific insecure sites
Wow Search is the misleading website that hijacks the web browser to change wanted settings and control your online traffic with its altered search results. The page takes over your homepage, default search engine, new tab settings, and interferes with task scheduler, registry to ensure that the PUP gets launched continuously. This fake search engine claims to improve your time online, but it significantly diminishes browsing experience when it starts showing content filled with pop-ups and banners, in-text ads, and hyperlinks.
This browser hijacker sets wow.com as the default homepage, new tab, and search engine. This way, it keeps users from accessing other sites, especially security pages that can claim about Wow Search virus functionalities. Although promotional ads may claim that this is a useful program and it offers improvement for your machine, you shouldn't believe those false statements. You can indicate that browser hijacker is a questionable program immediately after the first redirect or in-browser search attempt when results get injected with advertising sites instead of useful pages.
| Name | Wow Search |
|---|---|
| Type | Browser hijacker |
| Related | Yahoo Search |
| Developer | Oath, a Verizon company |
| Versions |
|
| Distribution | Insecure freeware installations, other PUPs, deceptive websites |
| Elimination | Run a scan with the anti-malware tool like FortectIntego for Wow Search removal |
| Main danger | Is associated with ad-supported sites that can track and collect information about users' behavior online |
Since Wow Search is a common potentially unwanted program and can be installed via software bundles, its versions us.wow.com, start.wow.com and many other can appear on your screen in the form of additional redirects, toolbars, extensions or plug-ins. The more hijacking tools the PUP installs, the more guarantee there is that the victim cannot remove this intruder completely.
Wow Search or wow.com, is a browser hijacker, so if you have ever heard about programs of such type, you should know what this search engine can cause. Its name may suggest that you will be pleasantly surprised while using it, but there is no 'wow' factor in that.
Beware that all that you can get is sponsored content in your search results that can redirect you to unknown and even malicious websites. This search site has been showing in-text links, banners, and pop-up ads and similar content in its search results. Some people are annoyed by it; others think that it is useful. Unfortunately, but you should never click on Wow ads displayed in its search results because they are shown only for redirecting you to required websites.[1]
If redirects to wow.com have already started bothering you on your Internet Explorer, Google Chrome or other web browsers, you should also know that this search engine can try to track your browsing activity. According to PC security experts,[2] it is capable of collecting people's search terms, added information on each of their favorite sites, and similar data.
This Wow Search data tracking issue is somewhat disclosed in the Privacy Policy of the website, but it is not properly disclosed, so users still use the fake search engine believing its secureness.[3] The company has all the access to information about you:
Oath shares information within its affiliated brands and companies and with Verizon.
This data should be called as personally non-identifiable, but we believe that you should never reveal it to unknown parties that can try to use it for their needs. Finally, Wow search virus may cause the appearance of unfamiliar toolbars, browser add-ons, and similar programs on your computer. If you do not want to deal with that, you should run a full system scan with FortectIntego or other reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of all PUPs, like browser hijackers and adware.
You need to react to these redirects and all the shady installations as soon as possible, so Wow Search removal can give the best results. If you allow the browser hijacker to run on the system for a longer period of time, it alters more settings and can damage the machine this way.
Internet is not the safest place to get your programs and tools
Potentially unwanted programs and other unreliable search engines, adware programs, tools are spread in bundles with freeware and shareware as free additions. People fail to pay enough attention to such programs' installation, so they unnoticeably agree to change their homepage or default search engine and make other system changes.
Besides, they agree with the installation of various toolbars, plugins, extensions, and similar extras without even noticing the danger. To avoid that, you should always choose Custom or Advanced installation methods instead of the quick installation option.
In addition, try to find all checkboxes that agree to download toolbars or another search site on the system. If you noticed that some PUP hijacked your computer and started causing continuous redirects to unfamiliar websites and annoying pop-up notifications, it's a sign that your machine was affected. Don't waste time and follow with a PUP termination.
Get a proper tool and remove WowSearch browser hijacker
We don't recommend leaving Wow Search virus instead of your default search engine because it's a questionable site that is spread with a help of unfair distribution methods, such as bundling and other PUPs. In addition to that, it may try to alter your system settings, return altered search results, display misleading pop-up advertisements and initiate other unwanted activities.
To solve your problems, you should either scan your computer with a reliable anti-spyware program or follow the manual Wow Search removal guide. Please, be very careful when following these manual elimination steps to guarantee the successful elimination of this questionable search engine.
In addition to these tips and anti-malware program suggestions, we should note that you need to remove Wow Search completely from the system, to end all the processes that might run in the background and affect the speed of your machine significantly.
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 Wow Search. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Remove Wow Search from the system and clean the machine by following:
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)
Search for Wow Search hijacker and associated files on your Firefox browser
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
You should check the browser for additionally installed extensions or content that got on the device without your permission
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 Wow Search 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
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices. Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using Private Internet Access VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact – you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process.
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- ^ Neil Kokemuller. What does advertising-supported revenue model mean?. Smallbusiness. Advertising & marketing.
- ^ Lesvirus. Lesvirus. Spyware related news.
- ^ Ad-tracking. Wikipedia. The free encyclopedia.