Remove Safesurfs.com (Uninstall Guide) - Aug 2016 updated
Safesurfs.com Removal Guide
Description of Safesurfs.com
The most threatening features of Safesurfs.com virus
Safesurfs.com is a browser hijacker that was noticed infecting Internet browsers for the first time last year. Since then, this virus hasn’t stopped its activity and can be called one of the most aggressive browser hijackers. The virus gets into a computer without asking permission and modifies specific settings on each of Internet browsers. It can infect four popular browsers: Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari. As soon as this job is finished, safesurfs.com starts providing altered search results filled with unreliable content. The majority of these search results are sponsored websites, so, by clicking one of these links, you might be redirected to the malicious site and get your computer infected. If you do not want to put your PC at risk, you should not open these links. Keep in mind that the developers of this potentially unwanted program are interested only in advertising and generating traffic to their sites. While we can’t say that Safesurfs.com intentionally promotes malicious websites, the problem that its owners do not care about the credibility of promoted third parties persists. The only way to keep your PC safe and reset your browsers to previous settings is to remove Safesurfs.com virus from your computer. For that you can use ReimageIntego.
Nevertheless, one of the most unpleasant features of this virus is its capability to track its users. This activity is described in the program’s Privacy Policy but we are almost sure that the most of safesurfs.com users haven’t read it yet because of two reasons. Firstly, this potentially unwanted program was installed on their computers without users’ permission. Secondly – the majority of users do not read the Privacy Policy or Terms of Agreement delivered by software developers in general. Unfortunately, but you must realize that Safesurfs.com hijack can result in leakage of various data, such as your computer’s IP address, its geolocation, your search terms, mostly visited websites, viewed pages, search queries, etc. Usually, this information is used for marketing purposes. However, there is a possibility that developers will share it with third parties that will use it for unfair purposes. If you don’t want to let suspicious people get information about you, you should consider Safesurfs.com removal from your computer.
How did this virus infiltrate my computer?
Safesurfs.com redirect problem might occur right after downloading free software from the internet. For tricking users into installing this hijacker on their computers, its developers use marketing method called ‘bundling.’ It requires combining this potentially unwanted program with other programs as optional component. The majority of computer users do not pay enough attention to software installation process. For this reason, they let PUPs get into computer’s system without even noticing this. To protect your computer from viruses or potentially unwanted programs, you have to follow every installation step. Users often apply ‘Default’ installation settings. However, you should switch to ‘Advanced’ or ‘Custom’ installation option, read the Privacy Policy, Terms of Agreement, and other information. If you find suspicious statements, you should cancel the installation of the freeware and look for another program.
Safesurfs.com removal
Removing potentially unwanted programs might be a tricky task. For this reason, we recommend you to remove safesurfs.com virus from your computer automatically by using reliable anti-spyware software. It deletes PUPs with all their files and registry data. Besides, it will protect you from similar intruders in the future. However, not all users want to remove the virus with additional software. If you are one of those who can’t even think about installation of additional software on your computer, you can also consider manual SafeSurfs.com removal option. For that, we provided a step-by-step guide bellow.
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 Safesurfs.com. Follow these steps
Uninstall Safesurfs.com in Windows systems
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 Safesurfs.com 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 Safesurfs.com or any other suspicious programs on it. Now right click on every of such entries and select Move to Trash.
Delete Safesurfs.com from Microsoft Edge
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 Safesurfs.com 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
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 Safesurfs.com 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 Safesurfs.com, 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
Prevent the government from spying on you
As there is a growing debate in government about collecting users' data and spying on citizens, you should take a closer look at this issue and find out what shady ways of gathering information can be used to collect information about you. You need to browse anonymously if you want to avoid any government-initiated spying and tracking of information.
You can enjoy secure internet browsing and minimize the risk of intrusion into your system if you use Private Internet Access VPN program. This VPN application creates a virtual private network and provides access to the required data without any content restrictions.
Control government and other third party access to your data and ensure safe web browsing. Even if you do not engage in illegal activities and trust your ISP, we recommend being careful about your security. You should take extra precautions and start using a VPN program.
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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