How to remove Searchwarden.com redirect virus

Easy tips for Searchwarden.com removal

Searchwarden.com is a rogue website that users might see on their Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and other web browser after they install a browser extension SearchGuard – smart search on their device. Once installed, the potentially unwanted application alters the web browsers settings to analyze and intercept the online traffic.

Searchwarden.com takes the help of various legit web searchers to display search results to users, for example Google.com or bing.com. However, such result pages are usually not organic and also flooded with various sponsored links at the top. If you notice such redirect, you should immediately take an adequate action to gain control over the web browser so as to ensure the personal safety and computer security.

Threat Summary

Name: Searchwarden.com

Threat Type: Browser hijacker, Redirect, Search hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab

Affected browser settings: homepage, new tab URL and default search engine

Symptoms: Manipulated Internet browser settings (homepage, new tab page and default search engine). Users are forced to visit the hijackers’ website and search the Internet using their search engines

Distribution methods: Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers

Damage: Internet browser tracking (potentially privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites

Removal: To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your device with legitimate antivirus software or follow step-by-step manual malware removal instructions provided below the post

People install applications like such after freeware or shareware installation that offer these products as additional components within their download/ install setups. Some PUAs are relatively harmless, but others might load various background processes and perform suspicious tasks on the background – and so operate similar to malware.

Unfortunately, Searchwarden.com belongs to the latter category. When this application gets installed, it conducts several browser based modifications to ensure interrupt with the browsing session intercept he search queries that are typed into Bing.com or Google.com and present users with the alternative search results based on what they are typed on the keyboards.

This activity from Searchwarden.com is not considered as safe. The rogue application might divert people to various dangerous pages like phishing, tech support scam or even malware. Additionally, Searchwarden.com brings various intrusive ads that disturb the browsing session. It has the dangerous data tracking capability that allows it to track users’ browsing session and collect the data related to their web browsing activities. This data includes:

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

This way, the PUA’s developers ensure targeting people with personalized ads. What is worst, the collected data could be shared and/or sold to potent crooks who misuse them to generate illicit revenue that cost on privacy and cause identity theft. To prevent all such issues, Searchwarden.com removal is strongly recommended to you.

Freeware applications often cause stealthy PUAs installation

Freeware or shareware applications promoted on third party pages often include PUAs with their download/ installation setups as additional components. The PUAs developers deliberately hide their download/ installation information behind the Custom/Advanced or similar option of the setups. When people rush the download and skip most of the installation steps, they leave the aforementioned setups unchecked and unchanged and lead to the inadvertent installation of unwanted applications.

To prevent this secret installation, you need to stay careful when downloading any software through the right installation mode, i.e., Custom/Advanced settings and manually opt out all additional components. Another piece of advice we want to give you is that you should prefer official websites and direct links for any software download and avoid any third party sites that usually offer such dubious and bundled content. Since you already have the PUA inside your PC, run a full system scan using some reputable antivirus tool to automatically remove Searchwarden.com from the system.

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 Searchwarden.com:

Remove the related items of Searchwarden.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 Searchwarden.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 (Searchwarden.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 Searchwarden.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 Searchwarden.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 Searchwarden.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 Searchwarden.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 Searchwarden.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.