How to remove Oksearch.org redirect

Easy tips for Oksearch.org removal

 Oksearch.org is a fake search engine, promoted by fake versions of apps called NordVPN, Adguard VPN, TunnelBear VPN, The Great Suspender, Floating Player- Picture-in-Picture Mode, Greasemonkey.  The site does not generate its own search results. Thus, it tends to redirect to some legit web searchers. Microsoft Edge and Chrome users reported they visit this address as a search result generated by Google and Bing after clicking the provided results as a redirect. The site then redirect to some suspicious, affiliated pages. Also, it shows various sponsored links and ads with them.

Such an encounter is caused by PUAs infection. The apps that have functionalities are given a special name – browser hijackers. They operate by modifying browsers’ settings such as homepage, new tab pages and default search engines and assign the promoted URL addresses to them. In this particular case, all those places are set to Oksearch.org site. Users who got infected are forced to visit this domain all the time when they open their browsing tab and enter any queries on the URL bar. They are not able to return to the previous browser settings option till the main intruder present in.

Google and Microsoft have already removed all malicious extensions related to Oksearch.org from the Chrome and Microsoft Edge Add-ons store. Users who have those apps installed on their browsers and their browser are causing redirect to the suspicious domain are advised to turn off all installed extensions/ plug-ins. Also, do not forget to report this problem to Google, Microsoft. It is common for the apps that promote fake web searchers to gather browsing based data. They can collect the data include:

• IP addresses,
• Search queries,
• Viewed pages,
• URLs visited,
• ISP,
• Geo-location,
• Type of OS and browser used and etc

It is very likely that these non-personally identifiable data contain users’ personal data. It means that their users can become a victim of identity theft, have issues r elated to online privacy, browser safety and etc. Also, it is worthwhile to mention that the pages opened by Oksearch.org page can end up you to some malicious pages that end up you downloading/ installing malware like Trojan or Ransomware. To prevent all such risks, the PUA removal is highly recommended. Run a full system scan using some reputable antivirus tool that can find and delete Oksearch.org along with all associated components.

How did Oksearch.org intrude in?

The unwanted apps that offer Oksearch.org are available for download on Chrome Web store and Microsoft Edge Add-ons Store (as said, Microsoft and Google has already removed these apps). However, it is possible that such apps available on some other websites. Also, it is common that users download and/or install such apps when the developers use the deceptive bundling method. Usually, offers to download or install unwanted apps can be declined under Custom/Advanced and other similar settings, or by un-ticking the checkboxes that are available on the setups. Users do not check and change those setups and lead to the inadvertent installation of unwanted applications. In some cases, people end up installing rogue applications when they click on some intrusive ads that are designed to run certain scripts.

How to prevent PUAs intrusion?

Software should be downloaded from official websites and direct download links. P2p networks, free file hosting sites and third party downloaders/ installers are often used to distribute dubious and/or bundled content. Download and installation setups that have Custom/Advanced and other settings or checkboxes in them should be checked for the offers to download any unwanted software. Ads displayed on any questionable pages should not be clicked as quite often these ads are designed to open other untrustworthy pages or run certain scripts designed to download/ install malware without users’ consent.

Complete removal guide

Below, you will find complete manual guide for Oksearch.org removal. Follow it so that you will not find any trouble during removal process. However, you can let the entire removal task to reputable antivirus tool and perform the removal process automatically.

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 Oksearch.org:

Remove the related items of Oksearch.org 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 Oksearch.org 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 (Oksearch.org) 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 Oksearch.org 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 Oksearch.org 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 Oksearch.org 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 Oksearch.org 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 Oksearch.org (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.