Uninstall Chromesearch.win virus (Uninstall Guide) - Dec 2017 updated
Chromesearch.win virus Removal Guide
Description of ChromeSearch
ChromeSearch malware is on the rise
ChromeSearch is a browser hijacker which has been noticed in various world’s countries, including Russia, Portugal, Spain and UK. The main problem caused by ChromeSearch.win is that it can infiltrate your computer without permission and initiate various changes on the system. As a result of hijack, you can find ChromeSearch instead of your start page, the default search engine or a new tab page.
ChromeSearch seems like a highly trustworthy search engine because it mimics Google Chrome. Besides, it claims that it was designed to take care of people’s privacy on the Internet. Unfortunately, these words cannot be taken for granted because this PUP states that it collects non-personal information about its users right after it gets into the system. Besides, the developer of this search engine is a highly suspicious company called Chrome Search.
When infected with ChromeSearch.win, you can also notice different pop-up ads that show up on your computer when visiting your favorite websites. In reality, these ads are displayed only on virtual layer which does not require modifying websites without getting the approval of their owners. However, we do NOT recommend clicking these ads as their main aim is to redirect you to sponsored websites.
The worst thing you can run into is being redirected to a malware-infested website which can lead you to additional viruses. Besides, you can become a victim of scam trying to steal people’s personal information. To prevent these risks, make sure you remove ChromeSearch from your computer and prevent it from spying on you. You can use ReimageIntego for that or follow manual removal tips that we provide in the end of this post. It can also help you perform a successful ChromeSearch removal on your computer.
Distribution strategies
There are three different ways used to spread such viruses like this one:
- Google Chrome web store
- Bundling
- Infected documents
When software developers launch a browser add-on, extension or toolbar, they typically add it to the Google Play store. Keeping in mind that malware experts cannot notify users about potentially unwanted programs before they start spreading on the Internet, their owners have a chance to increase their distribution rate.
To protect yourself, you should always check the rate of the app before downloading it. Also, search its name on the Internet to see what others think about it. Usually, people tend to share their thoughts with other people, especially when their experience wasn’t exciting.
Additionally, make sure you double check programs before installing them because the most of them is filled with additional components. For that, you need to opt for Custom or Advanced installation option when installing software on your computer. Then, we highly recommend you to uncheck all check marks that are typically pre-checked by software developers for generating some income. Usually, they allow changing the start page or adding new extensions to web browser.
Finally, pay attention to spam. Misleading email messages have been actively used to spread different kinds of threats, including hijackers. When you can’t say who is the sender, make sure you ignore attachments added to the email or contact him/her just to check if it is a real person.
ChromeSearch removal instructions
To remove ChromeSearch virus from the system, you need to be very careful while removing extensions from your web browsers. While security experts recommend eliminating only the ones that belong to Chrome Search developer, we think that you should reset all web browsers to prevent problems in the future. Besides, keep in mind that Potentially unwanted programs can spread together with different components that should also be eliminated to prevent their reappearance.
If you need some assistance with ChromeSearch removal, you can also opt for automatic method. In this case, you will have to install one of programs given below. Then, make sure you update it and run a full system scan to find every file of this virus.
You may remove virus damage with a help of ReimageIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of Chromesearch.win virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall Chromesearch.win in Windows systems
To remove ChromeSearch from Windows, you need to find all programs of its developer and uninstall them. For that, follow these steps:
Terminate suspicious programs from Windows 10/8 machines by following these instructions:
- Type Control Panel into Windows search and once the result shows up hit Enter.
- Under Programs, choose Uninstall a program.
- Find components related to suspicious programs.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- Click Yes when User Account Control shows up.
- Wait for the process of uninstallation to be done and click OK.
Windows 7/XP instructions:
- Click on Windows Start and go to Control Panel on the right pane.
- Choose Add/Remove Programs.
- Select Uninstall a program under Programs in Control Panel.
- Click once on the unwanted application.
- Click Uninstall/Change at the top.
- Confirm with Yes.
- Click OK and finish the removal.
Uninstall Chromesearch.win in Mac OS X system
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Users who use OS X should click on Go button, which can be found at the top left corner of the screen and select Applications.
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Wait until you see Applications folder and look for Chromesearch.win or any other suspicious programs on it. Now right click on every of such entries and select Move to Trash.
Eliminate Chromesearch.win virus from Microsoft Edge browser
Delete suspicious extensions from MS Edge:
- Go to the Menu by clicking on the three horizontal dots at the top-right.
- Then pick Extensions.
- Choose the unwanted add-ons on the list and click on the Gear icon.
- Click on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other data:
- Click on the Menu and from the context menu select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, select Choose what to clear.
- Choose everything except passwords, and click on Clear.
Alter new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
Reset MS Edge fully:
- Click on the keyboard Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Choose More details arrow at the bottom.
- Go to Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it.
- Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.
When none of the above solves the issue, you might need an advanced Edge reset method, but you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on the PC: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on the selection and choose Delete
- Right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- Copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions:
- Open Edge and click Settings.
- Then find Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions with the Remove.
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and then Settings.
- Find Privacy and services.
- Locate Clear browsing data, then click Choose what to clear.
- Time range.
- Click All time.
- Select Clear now.
Reset Chromium-based MS Edge browser fully:
- Go to Settings.
- On the left side, choose Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Click Reset.
Delete Chromesearch.win from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove suspicious Firefox extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the three horizontal lines at the top-right to open the menu.
- Select Add-ons in the context menu.
- Choose plugins that are creating issues and select Remove.
Reset the homepage on the browser:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner.
- This time select Options.
- Under Home section, enter your preferred site for the homepage that will open every time you launch Mozilla Firefox.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Options.
- Find the Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to choose Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data… option.
- Click Cookies and Site Data, Cached Web Content and press Clear.
Reset Mozilla Firefox:
If none of the steps above helped you, reset Mozilla Firefox as follows:
- Open Mozilla Firefox and go to the menu.
- Click Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Locate Give Firefox a tune-up section, click on Refresh Firefox…
- Confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox on the pop-up.
Chrome browser reset
To fix Google Chrome, you can either reset it or remove the search engine and extensions that belong to Chrome Search developer.
Find and remove suspicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- In Google Chrome, open the Menu by clicking three vertical dots at the top-right corner.
- Select More tools > Extensions.
- Once the window opens, you will see all the installed extensions.
- Find any suspicious add-ons related to any PUP.
- Uninstall them by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click the Menu and select Settings.
- Find Privacy and security section.
- Choose Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history.
- Cookies and other site data, also Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
Alter settings of the homepage:
- Go to the menu and choose Settings.
- Find odd entries in the On startup section.
- Click on Open a specific or set of pages.
- Then click on three dots and look for the Remove option.
Reset Google Chrome fully:
You might need to reset Google Chrome and properly eliminate all the unwanted components:
- Go to Chrome Settings.
- Once there, scroll down to expand Advanced section.
- Scroll down to choose Reset and clean up.
- Click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Click Reset settings again.
Delete Chromesearch.win from Safari
Get rid of questionable extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari.
- Then go to Preferences…
- Choose Extensions on the menu.
- Select the unwanted extension and then pick Uninstall.
Clear cookies from Safari:
- Click Safari.
- Choose Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, find and pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari fully:
- Click Safari and then Preferences…
- Choose the Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in the menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop.
- Then select Empty Caches.
Even if you have completed all the steps above, we still strongly recommend you to scan your computer system with a powerful anti-malware software. It is advisable to do that because an automatic malware removal tool can detect and delete all remains of Chromesearch.win, for instance, its registry keys. The anti-malware program can help you to easily detect and eliminate possibly dangerous software and malicious viruses in an easy way. You can use any of our top-rated malware removal programs: ReimageIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting browser hijacker
A proper web browser and VPN tool can guarantee better safety
As online spying becomes an increasing problem, people are becoming more interested in how to protect their privacy. One way to increase your online security is to choose the most secure and private web browser. But if you want complete anonymity and security when surfing the web, you need Private Internet Access VPN service. This tool successfully reroutes traffic across different servers, so your IP address and location remain protected. It is also important that this tool is based on a strict no-log policy, so no data is collected and cannot be leaked or made available to first or third parties. If you want to feel safe on the internet, a combination of a secure web browser and a Private Internet Access VPN will help you.
Recover files damaged by a dangerous malware attack
Despite the fact that there are various circumstances that can cause data to be lost on a system, including accidental deletion, the most common reason people lose photos, documents, videos, and other important data is the infection of malware.
Some malicious programs can delete files and prevent the software from running smoothly. However, there is a greater threat from the dangerous viruses that can encrypt documents, system files, and images. Ransomware-type viruses focus on encrypting data and restricting users’ access to files, so you can permanently lose personal data when you download such a virus to your computer.
The ability to unlock encrypted files is very limited, but some programs have a data recovery feature. In some cases, the Data Recovery Pro program can help recover at least some of the data that has been locked by a virus or other cyber infection.
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