How To Remove Searchmetoday.com Hijacker

Complete Guide To Eliminate Hijacking Software

Searchmetoday.com is presented as a legitimate search engine that provides most relevant and fast results and improves users’ online experience. However, research says that all the claims made by it are false and it does exactly the opposite. This means that if you use it as your default engine, you will only acquire irrelevant results containing promotional ads and links at the top. Its appearance in your browser is an indication that your web platform has been hijacked by an unwanted application, categorized as a browser hijacker. While it’s not a dangerous virus, you should still remove Searchmetoday.com hijacker ASAP.

Threat Details

Name: Searchmetoday.com

Category: Browser Hijacker

Features: Makes changes to default browser’s settings, displays intrusive commercial contents, causes page redirects to unknown sites

Danger level: Medium

Signs: Browser modifications, regular ads stream, automatic page-reroutes, etc.

Intrusion: Usually gets spread via bundled freeware, deceiving ads or links, etc.

Searchmetoday.com: Depth View

When the hijacking app first infiltrates your computer, it will change the default browser’s settings and set the said fake search engine as your default search provider, homepage and new tab page domain. Besides, it may also install various suspicious extensions, toolbars, plug-ins, etc. on the compromised web app which help the program perform its hateful doings. When this unwanted app is installed on your machine, regular ads flow and page redirects will be a common thing. Searchmetoday.com will severely disrupt your online sessions and you will have very difficult time while accessing your favorite sites, or doing other online activities.

Banners, ads, special deals, exclusive offers, flashing boxes, pop-ups, and other forms of advertising contents will keep appearing on every site you visit. If this is not enough, then these adverts could hide dreadful cyber pests waiting for one click to sneak into your computer. Some of them could be leading to unsafe web locations and as soon as you interact with them, you may get forwarded to quite dangerous websites with all forms of malicious contents. Searchmetoday.com could also be very risky for your privacy as it has ability to constantly track your online deeds, collect your sensitive data and then sell it to cyber criminals, who can employ such info for malicious purposes.

Distribution Of Browser Hijacker:

Browser hijackers can enter your work-station if you tend to download programs or files from unofficial or third-party sources. Besides, these apps could be bundled within the installer of regular software and manage to get installed alongside when users choose a Quick or Automatic installation setting. You can evade this occurrence by paying close attention to the entire download and installation process. Instead of relying on the Quick install, we recommend opting for the Custom or Advanced mode set. If you do so, you will be able to view all the apps added to the software package and untick the checkboxes next to any unwanted or questionable programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What harms Searchmetoday.com can do?

You shouldn’t be worried about this hijacking app too much as it’s not going to damage your computer like a real virus or malware. It will, however, interrupt your online sessions with frequent ads display and page redirects, which may take you to unsafe sites.

Is the program risky for my privacy?

Browser hijacker can record your online activities and gather important data. So if the collected information includes your personal details like your credit card and banking details, your privacy is at serious danger as the stolen data can be misused by the cyber criminals.

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 Searchmetoday.com:

Remove the related items of Searchmetoday.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 Searchmetoday.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 (Searchmetoday.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 Searchmetoday.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 Searchmetoday.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 Searchmetoday.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 Searchmetoday.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 Searchmetoday.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.