Search Web is a malicious browser extension which falls under the category of browser hijackers. It changes the start page, newtab page and default search provider of your installed browsers such as Google Chrome. When the Search Web is installed, it’ll modify the web-browser’s settings so that they automatically being redirected to an unwanted site as your startpage and use it for Internet searches. So, every time, when your web browser opens, it’ll open an unknown web page instead of your favorite site. Furthermore, when you try to search through affected internet browser, “Search Web” extension will redirect your queries first to an unwanted site, and then on to Bing or Yahoo or Google Custom Search.
If your computer is infected by Search Web browser virus, every time you launch your internet browser you will see an unwanted web-site. Of course you may setup your homepage again, but next time you open a internet browser you will see that this page return. As mentioned above, the browser virus may alter the default search engine on this intrusive web-page too, so all your search queries will be re-directed via Search Web extension. Thus the authors of the virus can collect the search terms of your queries, and redirect you to annoying web-pages.
Often, the computer that has been infected by Search Web browser virus, will be also infected by adware (also known as ‘ad-supported’ software) which opens a large number of various ads. It can be pop-ups, text links in the web-pages, banners where they never had. What is more, the adware can replace the legitimate ads with malicious advertisements that will offer to download and install malware and unwanted applications or visit the various dangerous and misleading sites.
Most often, a browser hijacker virus such as Search Web affects most common web browsers like Chrome, Internet Explorer, FF and MS Edge. But such viruses as well can infect other web browsers by modifying its shortcuts (adding ‘http://site.address’ into Target field of internet browser’s shortcut). So every time you run the internet browser, it’ll open an unwanted web-page. Even if you setup your homepage again, an undesired page will be the first thing which you see when you open the browser.
Thus, it’s clear that the presence of virus on your PC system is not desirable, and you need to clean up your PC system as quickly as possible. Follow the step by step tutorial below in order to delete Search Web from Google Chrome and other browsers.
Remove “Search Web” Chrome extension
In the steps below we will have a look at the virus and how to get rid of Search Web from Chrome and other web-browsers for MS Windows OS, natively or by using a few free removal tools. Certain of the steps below will require you to close the web-site. So, please read the step-by-step guide carefully, after that bookmark or print it for later reference.
How to get rid of Search Web redirect virus without any software
If you perform exactly the steps below you should be able to delete the Search Web virus from the Google Chrome, FF, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Edge web browsers.
Delete Search Web associated software by using Microsoft Windows Control Panel
The best way to begin the PC cleanup is to remove unknown and suspicious software. Using the Windows Control Panel you can do this quickly and easily. This step, in spite of its simplicity, should not be ignored, because the removing of unneeded software can clean up the Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, IE and MS Edge from advertisements hijackers and so on.
Windows 8, 8.1, 10
First, click Windows button
, then click Search 
. Type ‘Control panel’and press Enter as shown in the following example.
After the ‘Control Panel’ opens, press the ‘Uninstall a program’ link under Programs category as shown on the image below.
You will see the ‘Uninstall a program’ panel like below.
Very carefully look around the entire list of software installed on your PC system. Most likely, one or more of them are responsible for the appearance of pop-ups and web-browser redirect to annoying web-sites. If you have many programs installed, you can help simplify the search of harmful applications by sort the list by date of installation. Once you have found a suspicious, unwanted or unused program, right click to it, after that click ‘Uninstall’.
Windows XP, Vista, 7
First, click ‘Start’ button and select ‘Control Panel’ at right panel as shown on the screen below.
Once the Windows ‘Control Panel’ opens, you need to press ‘Uninstall a program’ under ‘Programs’ as shown on the image below.
You will see a list of programs installed on your computer. We recommend to sort the list by date of installation to quickly find the programs that were installed last. Most likely they responsibility for the appearance of popup ads and web-browser redirect. If you are in doubt, you can always check the program by doing a search for her name in Google, Yahoo or Bing. When the program which you need to uninstall is found, simply press on its name, and then press ‘Uninstall’ as shown on the image below.
Fix web-browser shortcuts
Important to know, most anti malware applications which are able to delete hijacker virus, but unable to find and recover modified shortcuts. So, you need to fix the desktop shortcuts for your Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer and Edge internet browsers manually.
Click the right mouse button to a desktop shortcut which you use to launch your internet browser. Next, select the “Properties” option. Important: necessary to click on the desktop shortcut for the web-browser that is re-directed to an annoying web-site.
Further, necessary to look at the text which is written in the “Target” field. The browser virus can replace the contents of this field, which describes the file to be start when you start your web-browser. Depending on the web-browser you are using, there should be:
- Google Chrome: chrome.exe
- Opera: opera.exe
- Firefox: firefox.exe
- Internet Explorer: iexplore.exe
If you are seeing an unknown text similar to “http://site.addres” which has been added here, then you should remove it, as displayed on the image below.
Next, click the “OK” button to save the changes. Now, when you open the browser from this desktop shortcut, it does not occur automatically reroute on an unwanted site. Once the step is complete, we recommend to go to the next step.
Remove Search Web from Google Chrome
If your Chrome web browser is rerouted to unwanted web pages, it may be necessary to completely reset your internet browser application to its default settings.
- First run the Google Chrome and click Menu button (small button in the form of three horizontal stripes).
- It will show the Google Chrome main menu. Select “Settings” option.
- You will see the Google Chrome’s settings page. Scroll down and click “Show advanced settings” link.
- Scroll down again and press the “Reset settings” button.
- The Google Chrome will show the reset profile settings page as shown on the image above.
- Next click the “Reset” button.
- Once this procedure is finished, your internet browser’s startpage, newtab and default search provider will be restored to their original defaults.
- To learn more, read the article How to reset Chrome settings to default.
Run free malware removal utilities to completely remove Search Web redirect virus
After completing the manual removal guide above all unwanted software and web-browser’s extensions that causes internet browser redirects should be uninstalled. If the problem with Search Web virus is still remained, then we advise to check your system for any remaining malicious components. Use recommended free virus removal programs below.
Run Zemana to delete virus
We recommend you to use the Zemana AntiMalware (ZAM) which are completely clean your personal computer. Moreover, the utility will help you to remove PUPs, malicious software, toolbars and ad-supported software that your system may be infected too.
Download Zemana Anti Malware (ZAM) on your MS Windows Desktop from the following link.
164028 downloads
Author: Zemana Ltd
Category: Security tools
Update: July 16, 2019
Once the downloading process is complete, close all software and windows on your machine. Double-click the install file called Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup. If the “User Account Control” dialog box pops up as on the image below, click the “Yes” button.
It will open the “Setup wizard” that will help you install Zemana AntiMalware on your computer. Follow the prompts and don’t make any changes to default settings.
Once installation is finished successfully, Zemana AntiMalware will automatically start and you can see its main screen like below.
Now press the “Scan” button to begin checking your system for the Search Web hijacker. A system scan can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on your computer. While the Zemana is scanning, you can see how many objects it has identified either as being malicious software.
After that process is finished, the results are displayed in the scan report. Review the report and then press “Next” button. The Zemana will begin to delete browser hijacker which cause a reroute to an unwanted web page. Once the cleaning process is complete, you may be prompted to restart the computer.
How to remove Search Web with Malwarebytes
You can delete Search Web virus automatically with a help of Malwarebytes Free. We advise this free malware removal utility because it can easily remove viruss, adware, potentially unwanted programs and toolbars with all their components such as files, folders and registry entries.
Download MalwareBytes Free by clicking on the link below and save it to your Desktop.
326379 downloads
Author: Malwarebytes
Category: Security tools
Update: April 15, 2020
After the download is finished, run it and follow the prompts. Once installed, the MalwareBytes AntiMalware (MBAM) will try to update itself and when this task is finished, press the “Scan Now” button to start scanning your PC system for the Search Web hijacker and other malware. This task may take quite a while, so please be patient. Review the scan results and then click “Quarantine Selected” button.
The MalwareBytes is a free application that you can use to get rid of all detected folders, files, services, registry entries and so on. To learn more about this malware removal utility, we suggest you to read and follow the steps or the video guide below.
Scan your personal computer and get rid of Search Web redirect virus with AdwCleaner
AdwCleaner is a free removal tool that can be downloaded and run to remove hijackers, ad supported software, malicious software, PUPs, toolbars and other threats from your computer. You can run this utility to detect threats even if you have an antivirus or any other security program.
- Download AdwCleaner from the link below and save it to your Desktop.
AdwCleaner download
225257 downloads
Version: 8.4.1
Author: Xplode, MalwareBytes
Category: Security tools
Update: October 5, 2024
- After the downloading process is finished, double click the AdwCleaner icon. Once this tool is opened, click “Scan” button to perform a system scan for the Search Web hijacker. A system scan can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on your machine. While the tool is checking, you can see number of objects and files has already scanned.
- As the scanning ends, a list of all threats found is produced. When you’re ready, click “Clean” button. It will open a prompt, press “OK”.
These few simple steps are shown in detail in the following video guide.
How to stay safe online
If you surf the Web, you can’t avoid malvertising. But you can protect your web browser against it. Download and run an adblocker application. AdGuard is an ad-blocker which can filter out a ton of of the malvertising, stoping dynamic scripts from loading harmful content.
- Download AdGuard application from the link below. Save it on your Microsoft Windows desktop.
Adguard download
26627 downloads
Version: 6.4
Author: © Adguard
Category: Security tools
Update: November 15, 2018
- Once the download is finished, run the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” program window. Follow the prompts.
- When the install is finished, click “Skip” to close the installation application and use the default settings, or press “Get Started” to see an quick tutorial that will help you get to know AdGuard better.
- In most cases, the default settings are enough and you don’t need to change anything. Each time, when you start your machine, AdGuard will launch automatically and block pop-up advertisements, as well as other harmful or misleading web-sites. For an overview of all the features of the program, or to change its settings you can simply double-click on the icon named AdGuard, that is located on your desktop.
To sum up
Once you’ve finished the step-by-step guide outlined above, your computer should be clean from Search Web virus and other malicious software. The Google Chrome will no longer show unwanted site on startup. Unfortunately, if the step-by-step guide does not help you, then you have caught a new virus, and then the best way – ask for help.
Please start a new thread by using the “New Topic” button in the Spyware Removal forum. When posting your HJT log, try to give us some details about your problems, so we can try to help you more accurately. Wait for one of our trained “Security Team” or Site Administrator to provide you with knowledgeable assistance tailored to your problem with the intrusive Search Web redirect virus.
