Uninstall Search Awesome virus (Uninstall Instructions) - Sep 2018 updated
Search Awesome virus Removal Guide
Description of SearchAwesome
SearchAwesome is an unwanted program aimed to promote the installation of additional applications or tools
SearchAwesome is an adware-type program developed to display intrusive advertisements and various pop-ups on victims' browsers while they are searching the web. According to its presentation, this program should be a useful service, “non-invasive approach to accessing recommendations from your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ when you search on supported sites”. However, this intruder affects your browsing in a negative way right after infiltrating the system.
SearchAwesome virus typically infiltrates systems with the help of other software as an optional addition. Right after that, it hijacks Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and other web browsers what results in constant redirects and numerous advertisements. This commercial content is mostly based on your browsing habits and search terms used during your searches.
No matter how harmless it seems, note that adware viruses have a feature of tracking users' Internet habits related information. In addition, this data can be shared with third parties and used for other suspicious activities, such as involving users to fake surveys, spam campaigns, etc. This is the most concerning feature and one of the main reasons why you should remove SearchAwesome without any delay. Other symptoms you may notice if your PC is infected with this virus are the following ones:
- You see advertisements filling up various web pages you are visiting;
- Pop-ups and banners interrupt you and offer fake updates or questionable software;
- The random text turns into active links;
- Various unwanted programs appear on your PC system without your knowledge;
- The computer starts slowing down.
This malware is almost identical to other programs asking users for an access to their social media accounts. You should perform Search Awesome virus removal as soon as possible because these silent intruders can install various additional programs on your device and that makes your system running even slower. You could use anti-malware tools like FortectIntego for best results or follow our detailed removal guide given in the end of this post. This virus is typically detected as Adware.SearchAwesome when automatic removal tools are used.
Adware can be bundled with software and other PUPs
PUP developers and freeware providers often employ bundling technique. They group their products, and this makes it easier to distribute. These bundles can contain various programs, and if you are not paying enough attention during the installation process you may get additional programs or tools installed on your device. You could avoid this if you chose Advanced or Custom options during freeware installations.
If you opt for Advanced installation, you can see the full list of programs that are suggested for you. At this point, you can de-select unwanted programs or tools. This is an easy step that many people forgets about. Also, choosing reputable sources for your software, updates and applications can be beneficial for the whole system.
Get rid of SearchAwesome from your device with professional tools
To remove SearchAwesome virus and related issues, you need to use reputable anti-malware programs. These are the programs designed to fight malware and other cyber infections. The main thing is a full system scan that helps to determine which programs are harmful and causing problems on your device.
Perform a Search Awesome virus removal with anti-malware and double check if the virus is gone. You can choose from our suggestions below and also use manual adware removal guides. Keep an anti-malware program on your PC as an addition to your antivirus. This tool can block possible threats.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. 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 Search Awesome virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall Search Awesome in Windows systems
If your Windows device is infected with adware, follow these steps and remove it from the system:
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 Search Awesome 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 Search Awesome or any other suspicious programs on it. Now right click on every of such entries and select Move to Trash.
Eliminate Search Awesome 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 Search Awesome from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Follow the guide and get rid of SearchAwesome and other adware-related components:
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
Clean your Google Chrome by following the steps:
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 Search Awesome 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 Search Awesome, 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: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting adware
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.
Reduce the threat of viruses by backing up your data
Due to their own careless behavior, computer users can suffer various losses caused by cyber infections. Viruses can affect the functionality of the software or directly corrupt data on your system by encrypting it. These problems can disrupt the system and cause you to lose personal data permanently. There is no such threat if you have the latest backups, as you can easily recover lost data and get back to work.
It is recommended to update the backups in parallel each time the system is modified. This way, you will be able to access the latest saved data after an unexpected virus attack or system failure. By having the latest copies of important documents and projects, you will avoid serious inconveniences. File backups are especially useful if malware attacks your system unexpectedly. We recommend using the Data Recovery Pro program to restore the system.
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