How to remove Alpha Search

Browser hijacked by Alpha Search: Is there any solution?

Alpha Search is another malware belongs to browser hijacker family that is designed to promote a fake search engine “alphasearch.co” by modifying the default settings of homepage, new tab URLs and search engine of your browser with this dubious domain. This fake search engine claims that it is safe & fast search engine as compare to some popular search engine like Google, Yahoo and Bing. But it is bogus at all. It shows always bogus results or misleading contents and lots of unwanted ads or popup on your browser.

Alpha Search is rough application also categorized as adware. It affects your online experience lots by spreads huge amount of ads or popup on your browser in the form of banners, coupons, big discount offers ads, commercial ads, fake news, fake software updates or security alert messages, free or paid online game ads, actress or adult related ads and many other types of advertisements. It is not easy task for you to delete these ads one-by-one from machine. In order to click on such suspicious ads or visit infected websites, it spreads series of adware in your computer and starts infecting/corrupting major genuine functions or applications of your computer without your knowledge.

Initially, malware programmers behind Alpha Search malware blocks all the security software including anti-malware program running in your computer to avoid the detection of malicious activities related to this malware. It shows bogus security alert messages and notifications on your computer, and asks you to download/install third parties’ security software in your computer to improve System performance. But it is bogus at all. You should never trust on them at any cases. Its main aim is to collect your some information such as IP address, URLs search, typed words, username & password of your various accounts, banking information and more details as well. So, it is important to remove Alpha Search from machine as soon as possible.

Distribution methods:

The adware or potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) are generally get enters into your machine from bundles of free software packages which you are downloaded from internet. Downloaded freeware from unknown sources might contain some additional programs in the form of adware, PUAs, Trojan, worms and/or other malware that can infect your System deeply. So, we recommended you to choose custom/advance settings for the installation of freeware or shareware in your machine. These settings will allow you to remove unnecessary programs from freeware setup during installation process. If these settings are not given, then you can cancel the process of installation.

Precautionary measures:

• You should keep up-to-date your Operating System like Microsoft Windows OS, MacOS, Linux and other OS which you have
• Remove all the faculty software running in your machine and update rest of the legitimate software including antivirus software from its official sources.
• Scan the PC for malware or viruses with powerful antivirus software regularly
• Be alert while surfing online and avoid installing freeware from unknown or unofficial sources, avoid opening attachments coming from unknown emails and click on ads or popup after double reading.
• Hover your mouse over any hyperlinks before click and double-check if the hyperlinks are belongs to some trustworthy sources or domains.

Threat Summary

Threat Name: Alpha Search, Alpha Search malware, Alpha Search browser hijacker

Threat Type: Adware, PUP, PUA, browser hijacker, redirect virus

Description: Able to hijack your main browser and modifies certain browser’s settings. It is also designed to trace your online habits and steals your personal information

Distribution methods: Fake software updaters or downloaders, malicious ads or popup messages, suspicious hyperlinks

Motives of attackers: Aims to collect your sensitive information and shares it to illegal ones

Malware removal methods: To remove Alpha Search or similar malware, we recommended you to scan your computer with powerful antivirus software.

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 Alpha Search:

Remove the related items of Alpha Search 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 Alpha Search 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 (Alpha Search) 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 Alpha Search 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 Alpha Search 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 Alpha Search 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 Alpha Search 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 Alpha Search (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.