Remove Search.watchtvnow.co From PC

Tips To Delete Search.watchtvnow.co

Search.watchtvnow.co is a fake search engine that silently infiltrates the Windows PCs and hijacks the internet browser by making changes in its default settings. It is presented by its developers as a useful tool that enhances users’ online experience by offering accurate search results, faster searches and so on. At the first glance, it may look like a legitimate website however, it is usually advertised through a potentially unwanted program called “Watch TV Now”. This perilous hijacker sets itself as the new home page, search engine and new tab addresses replacing the previous one and then starts displaying intrusive adverts and causing frequent redirects to affiliate sites.

More About Search.watchtvnow.co:

Despite of all the claims and appearance, Search.watchtvnow.co only delivers inorganic outcomes. This deceptive search engine is indeed not capable of providing any results and therefore, it redirects to Yahoo (search.yahoo.com). However, outcomes are still not what you were expecting for as it often includes sponsored links at the top. Moreover, this notorious PUP bombards your system screen with endless annoying ads and pop-ups all over the day that makes your online browsing very complex and problematic.

Ads by Search.watchtvnow.co are in multiple formats such as coupons, deals, banners, offers, discounts etc. that look very attractive and can easily gain your attention. They work on pay-per-click mechanism and earn revenues for the creators upon being clicked. These ads often include vicious links and once people click on them, they are redirected to potentially infectious sites that are filled with malevolent contents. Due to visiting on such perilous domains, you may end up with getting more PUPs, trojan or even dangerous ransomware in your work-station.

Search.watchtvnow.co makes vicious entries in Windows registries and alters its default settings in order to get automatically activated with each system startup. Due to this nasty hijacker, you may have to deal with many other hazardous dilemmas such as application malfunctioning, frequent system crash, hard drive failure, data loss, boot errors and so on. It has ability to monitor your online activities and collect your personal and sensitive data which is later on sold to third-parties for revenue purpose. Your confidential data such as banking and credit card details could be misused for fraudulent transactions that might result in huge financial loss for you. And therefore, you must perform Search.watchtvnow.co removal from the computer.

Threat Summary

Name: Search.watchtvnow.co

Type: Browser hijacker, Redirect virus, Potentially unwanted program

Short Description: Redirects users to affiliated sites, promotes sponsored products, services and programs and make online revenues for the creators, Also steals users’ personal and confidential information and share them with hackers for evil purposes.

Symptoms: Changes in default browser’s settings, default Internet search engine, Tons of annoying adverts, 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: Web browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), exhibition of unwanted ads, redirects to shady websites.

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

How Does This PUP Enter Your System?

Such potentially unwanted programs are often distributed through various illusive techniques. However, the most common method is software bundling where several free components are added to in one single package. When people download a free program from third-party site and then install it using the ‘Quick’ or ‘Recommended’ mode set, they often end up with installing adware or hijacker without even knowing. This is because these configuration settings usually don’t reveal the objects that are added to the software package which also manage to settle down on the PC together with the carrier application.

So, to avoid this, you should always choose Custom or Advanced options instead of the default ones as these modes allow you to refuse all the extensions, plug-ins etc. that you don’t want to have in your computer. In case your system is already infected with this hijacker, you must remove Search.watchtvnow.co from the work-station 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 Search.watchtvnow.co:

Remove the related items of Search.watchtvnow.co 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 Search.watchtvnow.co 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 (Search.watchtvnow.co) 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 Search.watchtvnow.co 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 Search.watchtvnow.co 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 Search.watchtvnow.co 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 Search.watchtvnow.co 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 Search.watchtvnow.co (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.