How to remove Search.skilledconfig.com redirect virus

Complete Search.skilledconfig.com removal guide

Search.skilledconfig.com is a fake web search engine promoted by a special type of potentially unwanted application, categorized as browser hijacker. Such an app intrudes in without users’ consent. Freeware bundling, fake update prompts and deceptive ads are some common channels that lead its installation. Once install, it hijacks the installed browser and controls the browsing session. It causes redirects, delivers intrusive ads and gathers browsing based data like IP addresses and searched items.

More about Search.skilledconfig.com

As a rule, browser hijacker promotes URL addresses of fake search engines simply by changing the installed browsers’ settings and assigning the default browsers’ homepage, new tab page and default search engine options with them. In this case, Search.skilledconfig.com takes places of all those settings. Users are not able to return to the previous browsers’ settings option. All their attempts are automatically reset by the PUA responsible for this redirect. In other word, the people are forced to visit the promoted URL all the time when they open their browsing tab and enter any queries on the URL bar.

As said earlier in the introduction, Search.skilledconfig.com is considered as a fake search engine. Typically, a fake search engine is not able to display its own search results. Therefore, there is a general tendency of such an illegitimate website to redirect the session to some legit web search engines like Google, Bing or Yahoo to display search results. Despite, the redirection caused to some legitimate website, the developers manage to insert sponsored ads and links. Sometimes, they manage to manipulate the search results as well. Another problem is that, the PUAs can allow developers to track users’ browsing session and collect the data like:

• IP addresses,
• Search queries,
• Viewed pages,
• URLs visited and etc

These data could be shared with potent crooks who misuse them to generate illicit revenue. This creates a huge risk to the privacy, browser safety. To prevent any big issues from happening in future, immediately remove Search.skilledconfig.com hijacker from the browser and the system.

How did Search.skilledconfig.com intrude in?

PUAs can infiltrate in when users click on some intrusive ads designed to run certain scripts or tricked by fake software updates. However, most often, such apps are distributed through the download/ install setups of regular software as additional offers. This deceptive method is called bundling. Typically, the installation information of the additional components is hidden behind Custom/Advanced option of the download/install setups. When users download software having the PUAs included in them without checking and changing the aforementioned settings, they lead to the inadvertent installation of unwanted applications.

How to prevent PUAs intrusion?

To prevent this situation, you need to be careful during web session and downloading/installing any software. Bear in mind that intrusive ads always appear legit but often redirect to various unreliable pages such as gambling, adult dating and pornography and similar. Most of such ads are encountered due to adware-type infection. Therefore, when you encounter any such ads/redirects, you must check the system for the suspicious applications and perform its removal soon. It is also important to use Custom/Advanced option when downloading/installing any software so that you can  see what additionally added with the software you are downloading and prevent anything that appear suspicious. A piece of advice for you is to use official websites and direct links so that there will be a minimum risk of any such intrusive components found within the setups.

Manual and automatic removal guide

Below, you will find complete manual as well as automatic way to perform Search.skilledconfig.com removal. We recommend you go with the latter option if you do not want to go with the lengthy manual removal process.

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.skilledconfig.com:

Remove the related items of Search.skilledconfig.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.skilledconfig.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.skilledconfig.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.skilledconfig.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.skilledconfig.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.skilledconfig.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.skilledconfig.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.skilledconfig.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.