How to remove Dotsearcher.biz pop-up ads

Delete Dotsearcher.biz from the system

Dotsearcher.biz is a rogue website that uses social engineering technique to make users enable its notification feature on Google Chrome, Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox and other browsers. Users might be landed it accidentally or visited as a redirect due to adware infection on their device.

More about Dotsearcher.biz

Adware is ad-supported application that displays pop-ups, banners, offers, coupons and other commercial content and tries to attract users to sponsored websites. Some of the websites might be dangerous that might end up users to additional unwanted app or malware download. In order to remove Dotsearcher.biz and other suspicious sites, you need to eliminate this adware application from your computer.

When accessing to Dotsearcher.biz page, users see a push notification box on the left top corner of the page asks them to provide a proof that they are not a robot. This is however not more than a practice of the site to gain subscription to it so that it can send notification about the site. As evident, on clicking Allow button, users start receiving various ads and notifications directly on the desktop, even when their browsers are not in operation. You should never interact with any of such ads as they typically lead to shady, scam, phishing, adult sites, online unwanted or the software developers promoting pages or even malware.

The PUP has data tracking technologies such as beacons, pixels or cookies that help it to record users’ web browsing data such as search queries, viewed pages, URLs visited, ISP, and Geo-locations etc. These data are used later on in designing customized ads that attract the users and these are related to their recent searches. The big problem is that such data could be shared to potent crooks, seeking to generate profit. Thus, the data tracking app can create the huge risk to the online privacy, browser safety and even identity theft. To prevent the system integrity and user’s safety, it is highly recommended you to remove Dotsearcher.biz adware as soon as possible.

Quick Glance

Name: Dotsearcher.biz

Type: Adware

Symptoms: Seeing advertisements not originating from the sties that you are browsing. Intrusive pop-ups and ads continuously appear during the web browsing session, the Internet speed gets decreased

Distribution methods: Deceptive pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications

Damage: Decreased computer performance, browsing tracking -privacy issues, possible additional malware infections

Malware removal: To eliminate the possible malware infections, scan the device with some reputable antivirus tool or follow manual removal instructions provided below the post

PUPs are distributed in software bundle packages

Potentially unwanted apps are most often distributed via software bundling. This is a notorious marketing technique that presents users with optional apps within a single app. There is nothing wrong in this method. In fact, it is beneficial feature both to the developers and users. While developers get the chance to promote their apps, the users, on the other hand, can preview such apps without their actual download.

Typically, these components are hidden with the help of small print text, pre-ticked boxes, misleading button placements and similar tricks. For this reason, paying close attention during the installation moment is crucial. You should not rush the download and installation process. Always check each of the installation steps carefully, un-unchecked pre-selected items that you will be allowed when you opt for Custom/Advanced installation settings, instead of Recommended/Quick mode.

Remove Dotsearcher.biz

Complete step-by-step manual as well as automatic malware removal guide is provided below. We recommend you use the former method only when you have advanced skill and previous experience of removing malware. The reason is that the manual method is a lengthy and a complicated process that require advanced computer skill- any mistakes during the process can have the direct impact on the system performance. Whereas, when opt for Automatic malware removal option, all such processes are done with a single click as the AV tool that you are using will do all meanwhile processes and offer you to remove Dotsearcher.biz just by clicking Remove all viruses option.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows Click Here For Mac

Important Note: This malware asks you to enable the web browser notifications. So, before you go the manual removal process, execute these steps.

Google Chrome (PC)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the Menu button
• Select “Settings”. Scroll the mouse downward to choose “Advanced” option
• Go to “Privacy and Security” section by scrolling downward and then select “Content settings” and then “Notification” option
• Find each suspicious URLs and click on three dots on the right side and choose “Block” or “Remove” option

Google Chrome (Android)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the menu button and then click on “Settings”
• Scroll down further to click on “site settings” and then press on “notifications” option
• In the newly opened window, choose each suspicious URLs one by one
• In the permission section, select “notification” and “Off” the toggle button

Mozilla Firefox

• On the right corner of the screen, you will notice three dots which is the “Menu” button
• Select “Options” and choose “Privacy and Security” in the toolbar present in the left side of the screen
• Slowly scroll down and go to “Permission” section then choose “Settings” option next to “Notifications”
• In the newly opened window, select all the suspicious URLs. Click on the drop-down menu and select “Block”

Internet Explorer

• In the Internet Explorer window, select the Gear button present on the right corner
• Choose “Internet Options”
• Select “Privacy” tab and then “Settings” under the “Pop-up Blocker” section
• Select all the suspicious URLs one by one and click on the “Remove” option

Microsoft Edge

• Open the Microsoft Edge and click on the three dots on the right corner of the screen to open the menu
• Scroll down and select “Settings”
• Scroll down further to choose “view advanced settings”
• In the “Website Permission” option, click on “Manage” option
• Click on switch under every suspicious URL

Safari (Mac):

• On the upper right side corner, click on “Safari” and then select “Preferences”
• Go to “website” tab and then choose “Notification” section on the left pane
• Search for the suspicious URLs and choose “Deny” option for each one of them

Manual Steps to Remove Dotsearcher.biz:

Remove the related items of Dotsearcher.biz using Control-Panel

Windows 7 Users

Click “Start” (the windows logo at the bottom left corner of the desktop screen), select “Control Panel”. Locate the “Programs” and then followed by clicking on “Uninstall Program”

Windows XP Users

Click “Start” and then choose “Settings” and then click “Control Panel”. Search and click on “Add or Remove Program’ option

Windows 10 and 8 Users:

Go to the lower left corner of the screen and right-click. In the “Quick Access” menu, choose “Control Panel”. In the newly opened window, choose “Program and Features”

Mac OSX Users

Click on “Finder” option. Choose “Application” in the newly opened screen. In the “Application” folder, drag the app to “Trash”. Right click on the Trash icon and then click on “Empty Trash”.

In the uninstall programs window, search for the PUAs. Choose all the unwanted and suspicious entries and click on “Uninstall” or “Remove”.

After you uninstall all the potentially unwanted program causing Dotsearcher.biz issues, scan your computer with an anti-malware tool for any remaining PUPs and PUAs or possible malware infection. To scan the PC, use the recommended the anti-malware tool.

How to Remove Adware (Dotsearcher.biz) from Internet Browsers

Delete malicious add-ons and extensions from IE

Click on the gear icon at the top right corner of Internet Explorer. Select “Manage Add-ons”. Search for any recently installed plug-ins or add-ons and click on “Remove”.

Additional Option

If you still face issues related to Dotsearcher.biz removal, you can reset the Internet Explorer to its default setting.

Windows XP users: Press on “Start” and click “Run”. In the newly opened window, type “inetcpl.cpl” and click on the “Advanced” tab and then press on “Reset”.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 Users: Press the Windows logo, type inetcpl.cpl in the start search box and press enter.  In the newly opened window, click on the “Advanced Tab” followed by “Reset” button.

For Windows 8 Users: Open IE and click on the “gear” icon. Choose “Internet Options”

Select the “Advanced” tab in the newly opened window

Press on “Reset” option

You have to press on the “Reset” button again to confirm that you really want to reset the IE

Remove Doubtful and Harmful Extension from Google Chrome

Go to menu of Google Chrome by pressing on three vertical dots and select on “More tools” and then “Extensions”. You can search for all the recently installed add-ons and remove all of them.

Optional Method

If the problems related to Dotsearcher.biz still persists or you face any issue in removing, then it is advised that your reset the Google Chrome browse settings. Go to three dotted points at the top right corner and choose “Settings”. Scroll down bottom and click on “Advanced”.

At the bottom, notice the “Reset” option and click on it.

In the next opened window, confirm that you want to reset the Google Chrome settings by click on the “Reset” button.

Remove Dotsearcher.biz plugins (including all other doubtful plug-ins) from Firefox Mozilla

Open the Firefox menu and select “Add-ons”. Click “Extensions”.  Select all the recently installed browser plug-ins.

Optional Method

If you face problems in Dotsearcher.biz removal then you have the option to rese the settings of Mozilla Firefox.

Open the browser (Mozilla Firefox) and click on the “menu” and then click on “Help”.

Choose “Troubleshooting Information”

In the newly opened pop-up window, click “Refresh Firefox” button

The next step is to confirm that really want to reset the Mozilla Firefox settings to its default by clicking on “Refresh Firefox” button.

Remove Malicious Extension from Safari

Open the Safari and go to its “Menu” and select “Preferences”.

Click on the “Extension” and select all the recently installed “Extensions” and then click on “Uninstall”.

Optional Method

Open the “Safari” and go menu. In the drop-down menu, choose “Clear History and Website Data”.

In the newly opened window, select “All History” and then press on “Clear History” option.

Delete Dotsearcher.biz (malicious add-ons) from Microsoft Edge

Open Microsoft Edge and go to three horizontal dot icons at the top right corner of the browser. Select all the recently installed extensions and right click on the mouse to “uninstall”

Optional Method

Open the browser (Microsoft Edge) and select “Settings”

Next steps is to click on “Choose what to clear” button

Click on “show more” and then select everything and then press on “Clear” button.

Conclusion

In most cases, the PUPs and adware gets inside the marked PC through unsafe freeware downloads. It is advised that you should only choose developers website only while downloading any kind of free applications.  Choose custom or advanced installation process so that you can trace the additional PUPs listed for installation along with the main program.