How To Remove VidSearch Browser Hijacker

Complete Guideline To Delete VidSearch

VidSearch is one more potentially unwanted application which tends to silently intrude the Windows PCs and contribute tons of malicious activities in the background. It’s a browser hijacker program that has been specially created by a team of potent Cyber criminals in order to boost traffic for third-party websites and make quick Online revenues. To accomplish its motive, it conducts a series of malevolent acts inside your system and causes various precarious issues such as modifications in browser’s default settings, intrusive ads and pop-ups, data stealing and so on. After getting infected with this perilous hijacker, you will notice your current home page, search engine and new tab addresses have been replaced with another domain without your consent.

Know More About VidSearch:

VidSearch forces you to use a fake search engine which only delivers inorganic results that include sponsored links. Due to its presence, you are flooded with thousands of annoying ads and pop-ups all over the day that makes it very difficult for you to browse the net efficiently like before. This notorious PUP displays attractive offers, banners, deals, coupons, discounts, promo codes etc. and tries to gain your attention. These ads are based on pay-per-click scheme and earn profits for the authors upon being clicked. Tapping on these adverts however can be very risky for your PC’s security as they might include vicious links and redirect you to potentially dangerous websites that are filled with malevolent objects.

VidSearch alters the default registry settings by making spiteful entries in it which allows the threat to get automatically activated with each Window reboot. It messes with important system files that are essential for smooth computer functioning and prevents many installed apps as well as drivers from working in an appropriate manner. This precarious hijacker can be also responsible for the infiltration of many other Online threats such as Trojans, rootkits, worms, spyware etc. in your PC as well since it is able to deactivate all the running security services and open backdoors for them. And therefore, you must get rid of VidSearch from the work-station as soon as possible.

Ways To Spread VidSearch:

Such types of potentially unwanted programs may show up on your PC out of nowhere. In most of the cases, it manages to sneak into the targeted devices due to carelessness of the users when they install questionable freeware on their work-stations. You need to be very cautious with these third-party programs such as PDF creators, download managers and similar application. In other cases, you might install VidSearch or other similar PUPs when promised with their special functionality. For example, browser hijacking programs often promise to improve users’ Online experience; video players offer somehow better movie-watching experience and system optimizers claim to increase your PC’s speed and performance.

Tips To Prevent PUP Intrusion:

To prevent this, you need to be very careful while surfing the web. Being cautious means selecting Advanced or Custom wizard while installing freeware. Following each installation step and also unchecking all boxes that offer to replace your start page, search engine and new tab URL. Moreover, you should not pay attention to those fake promises and first check reviews to find out whether the program is really helpful and does not have underlying features that are not right away axiomatic.

Summarize Information

Name: VidSearch

Type: Browser hijacker, Redirect virus, Potentially unwanted program

Functionality: Aims to redirect users to affiliated websites, 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: Altered 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 Common Symptoms of VidSearch:

VidSearch slows down the overall computer performance drastically as it eats up huge amount of memory resources and increases the usage of CPU. It tracks your Online activities and gathers important information regarding your preferences which is then utilized by the advertisers for the advertisement campaign. The collected information may also include personal data relating to banking and other financial details. Your crucial data such as user IDs, passwords, credit card details etc. can be stolen and misused for illicit purposes.  And hence, to prevent all these threats from being occurred, you must delete VidSearch from the machine without wasting any time.

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 VidSearch:

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