How To Remove Search.productivechannel.com

Tips To Delete Search.productivechannel.com

Search.productivechannel.com is a potentially unwanted program (PUP) that supposedly improves users’ online experience by providing enhanced search results and other useful features. It is regarded as a PUP since it generally intrudes the Windows computers by stealth without being noticed by the users. Soon after the penetration, it makes several unexpected alterations to default browser’s settings and forces its victims to use a customized search engine. By replacing your search provider, homepage and new tab addresses with itself, this perilous browser hijacker acquires complete control over the entire browser.

More About Search.productivechannel.com:

Similar to other unwanted applications, Search.productivechannel.com is also capable of monitoring users’ online activities such as pages viewed, links opened, search queries typed and so on. It collects important information regarding users’ interests, needs and other preferences. These details are very helpful for the advertisers to generate and display attractive advertisements in order to get as many clicks on them as possible and earn maximum revenues via pay-per-click scheme. And therefore, due to the presence of this nasty hijacker, you are flooded with thousands of intrusive ads and pop-ups all over the day which interrupts your web sessions severely.

Ads by Search.productivechannel.com include malicious links and when clicked, trigger redirects to scamming, phishing or even malware-laden sites that may host trojan, ransomware or other cyber threats. While using this bogus search tool, you are redirected to either akamaihd.net or go.next-search.net which quickly reroutes you to bing.com. However, the outcomes are still not what you were expecting. You only get inorganic results that include sponsored links at the top. With each redirection, this perilous hijacker makes revenues for the developers.

As we have stated earlier, Search.productivechannel.com is able to monitor your web actions. And thus, it can also steal your personal and confidential data such as user IDs, passwords, credit card, bank account and other financial details and expose them to cyber hackers for bad purposes. It eats up huge amount of memory resources and slows down the overall computer performance drastically. This nasty PUP might take you to sites where several fake security alerts are displayed and you are forced to install rogue software. And therefore, a quick Search.productivechannel.com removal is highly required.

Threat Summary

Name: Search.productivechannel.com

Type: Browser hijacker, Redirect virus, Potentially unwanted program

Short Description: Redirects people to third-party sites, promotes sponsored products, services and programs and make online revenues for the creators, Also steals users’ personal and confidential information and share them with hackers for evil purposes.

Symptoms: Modifications to default browser’s settings, default Internet search engine, Endless intrusive adverts, Fake pop-up messages, identity theft, new tab settings. Users are enforced to visit hijacker’s website and search the Internet using their search engines, slowness of infected system’s performance.

Distribution methods: Free software installers (bundling), Deceptive emails, malicious pop-ups ads, fake flash player installers.

Damage: Web browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), exhibition of unwanted ads, redirects to shady websites.

Removal: To get rid of this infection and other malware threats, our security researchers recommend scanning your device with an effective anti-malware tool.

Infiltration of Search.productivechannel.com:

These browser hijacker applications are usually propagated through “bundling” technique. In this method, PUPs are included in a software package along with many other components. When you download a freeware or shareware from third-party sites or unreliable sources and then perform the installation process using the pre-selected configuration settings, you often end up getting unwanted programs in the machine as well along with the main software.

Tips To Prevent Hijacker Intrusion:

You should always opt for Custom or Advanced options to install a program instead of the ‘Quick’ or ‘Recommended’ ones to avoid these unwanted entries. The later earlier options provide you complete control over the incoming downloads and allow you to de-select the contents that look suspicious. Moreover, you should avoid using untrustworthy channels and third-party downloaders to download software and always choose official sites, reliable sources and direct links for the process. But at the moment, you must remove Search.productivechannel.com from the PC as early as possible.

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 Search.productivechannel.com:

Remove the related items of Search.productivechannel.com 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 Search.productivechannel.com 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 (Search.productivechannel.com) 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 Search.productivechannel.com 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 Search.productivechannel.com 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 Search.productivechannel.com 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 Search.productivechannel.com 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 Search.productivechannel.com (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.