How To Remove SearchConverterz Browser Hijacker

Tips To Delete SearchConverterz

SearchConverterz is a hazardous browser hijacking application that promotes fake search engine and redirects users to affiliated sites without their approval. It usually infiltrates the Windows PCs secretly without being acknowledged by the users and then makes critical changes in browser’s default settings. This potentially unwanted program assigns feed.searchconverterz.com as the new home page, search engine and new tab addresses replacing the previous one and acquires complete control over the entire browser. To prevent the settings from being restored, it also installs several malicious extensions, plug-ins, toolbars etc. on the browser that often work as spyware and record all the keystrokes.

Know More About SearchConverterz:

SearchConverterz constantly monitors your Online actions and collects vital data regarding your interests, needs and other preferences. These details are then utilized by the advertisers for generating and displaying eye-catching advertisements. And hence, due to its presence, you are flooded with endless annoying ads and pop-ups all over the day that makes your Online browsing very complex and problematic. This nasty PUP displays attractive offers, banners, deals, coupons, discounts etc. and tries to make people click on them in order to earn profits for the developers via pay-per-click scheme. It also manipulates your search results and shows inorganic outcomes that are mixed with commercial contents and other forms of advertisements.

Ads delivered by SearchConverterz include sponsored links and once you tap on them, you are redirected to third-party domains where several products and services are promoted. However, it’s not necessary that all these sites are harmless and safe to visit. You might be also rerouted to web pages that are fully occupied with vicious objects and end up with getting more notorious parasites in the machine. And hence, we highly advise to stay away from these adverts no matter how attractive or useful they look. This precarious hijacker makes spiteful entries in Windows registries and alters its default settings in order to get automatically activated every time the PC is started. SearchConverterz messes with vital system files that are essential for smooth computer functioning and prevents many installed apps as well as drivers from working in a proper manner.

Third-party Installation Setups Hide PUPs:

The most effective way to spread browser hijackers is to involve other applications and freeware distributors. Such intruders get bundled with software and find the way on machine without requiring any permission. The unpacking of these additional tools is not occurring and you don’t get notified about the adware installation. Torrent services or peer-to-peer sharing sites also include such pre-bundled packages and distributes adware infections without completely revealing the fact.

How To Prevent PUP Infiltration?

To prevent the installation of SearchConverterz or other similar parasites, it is important to be very careful while surfing the net. Download any program from reliable sources only and always choose Custom or Advanced installation options where you can take full control over the incoming contents. You just have to deselect the components that give a concerning look and pick only the main software. You should avoid such services and pages where application is downloaded for free or always pay close attention to sources, distributors, authors of programs. Custom wizard allows you to untick any of those additional extras, so experts always recommend staying away from Quick or Recommended configuration settings.

Threat Summary

Name: SearchConverterz 

Type: Browser hijacker, Redirect virus, Potentially unwanted program

Functionality: Aims to redirect people to third-party sites, promote sponsored products, services and programs and make Online revenues for the developers, Also steal users’ personal and confidential information and share them with hackers for evil purposes.

Symptoms: Modified default browser’s settings, Endless intrusive ads, default Internet search engine, 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: Internet browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to shady websites.

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

Other Harmful Properties of SearchConverterz:

SearchConverterz can also steal your personal data relating to banking and other financial details and hence, it can be a big threat for your privacy too. It eats up huge amount of memory resources and drags down the overall computer performance severely. Due to this, machine begins responding slower than ever before and takes more than usual time to complete any task. This perilous hijacker can be also responsible for the penetration of many other Online threats such as rootkits, worms, spyware, Trojans etc. in your computer as well since it is able to deactivate all the running security services and open backdoors for them. And hence, to prevent all these hazards from being occurred, you must remove SearchConverterz from the computer 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 SearchConverterz:

Remove the related items of SearchConverterz 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 SearchConverterz 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 (SearchConverterz) 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 SearchConverterz 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 SearchConverterz 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 SearchConverterz 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 SearchConverterz 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 SearchConverterz (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.