What is Direct Search Online?
According to cyber security specialists, Direct Search Online is a potentially unwanted program (PUP) that falls under the group of Browser hijackers. It affects your computer and modifies browser settings. Direct Search Online can take over your web-browser and force you to use an unwanted web-page as your homepage, newtab page and default search provider. When Direct Search Online in the personal computer, it can gather privacy data such as search queries as well as browsing history. So if you find this PUP on the personal computer you need to delete it. The detailed removal guidance will allow you remove Direct Search Online and protect your computer from more dangerous software.
Most often, browser hijackers promote fake search engines by setting their address as the default search engine. In this case, the browser hijacker installs search.directsearchonline.com as a search provider. This means that users whose internet browser is infected with the browser hijacker are forced to visit search.directsearchonline.com each time they search in the Web, open a new window or tab. And since search.directsearchonline.com is not a real search engine and does not have the ability to find the information users need, this web-site redirects the user’s browser to the Yahoo search engine.
As well as unwanted internet browser redirects to search.directsearchonline.com, Direct Search Online can collect your Web browsing activity by saving URLs visited, web-pages visited, Internet Service Provider (ISP), cookie information, IP addresses and web-browser version and type. Such kind of behavior can lead to serious security problems or personal information theft. This is another reason why the browser hijacker that redirects the web browser to Direct Search Online should be removed ASAP.
If your browser has been affected by the Direct Search Online hijacker, you must have finished the steps below. Once you’ve cleaned your PC by following our few simple steps, make sure not to commit the same mistakes again in the future.
How can a browser hijacker get on your personal computer
PUPs and browser hijackers such as Direct Search Online come from web-browser toolbars, browser extensions, BHOs (browser helper objects) and third-party programs. Most commonly, these items claim itself as apps that improve your experience on the Internet by providing a fast and interactive home page or a search engine that does not track you. Remember, how to avoid the unwanted applications. Be cautious, launch only reputable software which download from reputable sources. NEVER install an unknown and suspicious program.
Threat Summary
| Name | Direct Search Online |
| Type | redirect virus, homepage hijacker, browser hijacker, search provider hijacker, PUP |
| Associated domains | search.directsearchonline.com |
| Affected Browser Settings | startpage, search provider, newtab page URL |
| Distribution | free software setup files, fake updaters, shady pop-up ads |
| Symptoms | Advertising banners appear in places they shouldn’t be. Every time you perform an Internet search, your web-browser is redirected to another website. There is an unexpected program in the ‘App & Features’ section of Microsoft Windows settings. Unwanted web browser toolbars in your web-browser. Your internet browser homepage has modified and you cannot change it back. |
| Removal | Direct Search Online removal guide |
How to remove Direct Search Online from Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge
When a hijacker like the Direct Search Online gets installed on your computer without your knowledge, it is not easy to remove. Most commonly, there is no Uninstall application that simply uninstall a browser hijacker from your computer. So, we suggest using several well-proven free specialized tools such as Zemana, MalwareBytes Anti Malware or HitmanPro. But the best method to remove Direct Search Online will be to perform several manual steps, after that additionally run free malware removal tools.
To remove Direct Search Online, execute the steps below:
- Remove Direct Search Online related software
- Remove Direct Search Online browser hijacker from Chrome, Firefox, Edge
- Automatic Removal of Direct Search Online
- How to stop Direct Search Online redirects
How to manually remove Direct Search Online
Read this section to know how to manually remove the Direct Search Online browser hijacker. Even if the steps does not work for you, there are several free malware removers below that can easily handle such hijackers.
Remove Direct Search Online related software
Check out the MS Windows Control Panel (Programs and Features section) to see all installed applications. We recommend to click on the “Date Installed” in order to sort the list of programs by the date you installed them. If you see any unknown and suspicious applications, they are the ones you need to remove.
Windows 8, 8.1, 10
First, click Windows button
, then click Search 
. Type ‘Control panel’and press Enter as shown in the following example.
When the ‘Control Panel’ opens, click the ‘Uninstall a program’ link under Programs category as displayed on the screen below.
You will see the ‘Uninstall a program’ panel as displayed on the image below.
Very carefully look around the entire list of applications installed on your device. Most likely, one of them is the Direct Search Online hijacker. If you have many programs installed, you can help simplify the search of malicious software by sort the list by date of installation. Once you’ve found a questionable, unwanted or unused application, right click to it, after that click ‘Uninstall’.
Windows XP, Vista, 7
First, click ‘Start’ button and select ‘Control Panel’ at right panel as on the image below.
Once the Windows ‘Control Panel’ opens, you need to click ‘Uninstall a program’ under ‘Programs’ as displayed in the figure below.
You will see a list of applications installed on your PC. We recommend to sort the list by date of installation to quickly find the apps that were installed last. Most probably, it is the Direct Search Online hijacker. If you are in doubt, you can always check the application by doing a search for her name in Google, Yahoo or Bing. When the program which you need to remove is found, simply click on its name, and then press ‘Uninstall’ as shown below.
Remove Direct Search Online browser hijacker from Chrome, Firefox, Edge
If you have ‘Direct Search Online hijacker’ removal problem, then remove unwanted extensions can help you. In the steps below we will show you the method to remove harmful add-ons without reinstall. This will also allow to remove Direct Search Online browser hijacker from your web-browser.
 Google Chrome |
 Mozilla Firefox |
|---|---|
You can also try to remove Direct Search Online from Chrome by reset Chrome settings. |
If you are still experiencing problems with Direct Search Online browser hijacker removal, you need to reset Firefox browser. |
 Internet Explorer |
 Safari |
Another way to remove Direct Search Online browser hijacker from IE is reset Internet Explorer settings. |
|
Automatic Removal of Direct Search Online
The manual tutorial above is tedious to follow and can not always help to get rid of Direct Search Online hijacker fully. Here I am telling you an automatic solution to remove this browser hijacker from your computer completely. Zemana Free, MalwareBytes Free and HitmanPro are antimalware utilities that can detect and delete all kinds of malicious software including browser hijackers and PUPs.
Remove Direct Search Online hijacker with Zemana Free
Zemana is extremely fast and ultra light weight malicious software removal tool. It will allow you delete Direct Search Online hijacker, adware, potentially unwanted applications and other malicious software. This program gives real-time protection which never slow down your PC. Zemana is developed for experienced and beginner computer users. The interface of this utility is very easy to use, simple and minimalist.
Download Zemana Free on your personal computer by clicking on the link below.
164002 downloads
Author: Zemana Ltd
Category: Security tools
Update: July 16, 2019
After the downloading process is finished, close all windows on your computer. Further, open the install file named Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup. If the “User Account Control” prompt pops up as displayed on the image below, click the “Yes” button.
It will show the “Setup wizard” that will help you install Zemana on the personal computer. Follow the prompts and do not make any changes to default settings.
Once installation is complete successfully, Zemana Free will automatically start and you may see its main window as shown in the following example.
Next, press the “Scan” button to perform a system scan for the Direct Search Online browser hijacker. A system scan can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on your computer. While the Zemana AntiMalware tool is scanning, you can see number of objects it has identified as being infected by malicious software.
Once the checking is complete, it will display the Scan Results. In order to remove all items, simply press “Next” button.
The Zemana will remove Direct Search Online browser hijacker. Once that process is finished, you may be prompted to reboot your computer.
Run HitmanPro to remove Direct Search Online browser hijacker
Hitman Pro is a free removal tool that may be downloaded and use to remove browser hijackers, adware, malware, potentially unwanted software, toolbars and other threats from your computer. You can use this utility to locate threats even if you have an antivirus or any other security program.
- Installing the HitmanPro is simple. First you will need to download HitmanPro on your device from the following link.
- Once the download is done, double click the HitmanPro icon. Once this tool is launched, click “Next” button to perform a system scan with this tool for the Direct Search Online hijacker. Depending on your PC, the scan can take anywhere from a few minutes to close to an hour. While the HitmanPro utility is checking, you can see how many objects it has identified as being affected by malicious software.
- After the scan is finished, HitmanPro will show a scan report. In order to delete all items, simply press “Next” button. Now click the “Activate free license” button to begin the free 30 days trial to remove all malicious software found.
Run MalwareBytes Anti Malware to get rid of Direct Search Online hijacker
Uninstall a browser hijacker manually is difficult and often this unwanted software is not fully removed. Therefore, we suggest you to run the MalwareBytes Free that are fully clean your personal computer. Moreover, this free application will help you to get rid of malicious software, potentially unwanted software, toolbars and adware software that your PC system can be infected too.
First, click the following link, then click the ‘Download’ button in order to download the latest version of MalwareBytes Anti Malware (MBAM).
326349 downloads
Author: Malwarebytes
Category: Security tools
Update: April 15, 2020
Once the downloading process is complete, close all windows on your PC. Further, start the file named MBSetup. If the “User Account Control” dialog box pops up as shown on the image below, click the “Yes” button.
It will show the Setup wizard which will help you install MalwareBytes Anti-Malware on the computer. Follow the prompts and do not make any changes to default settings.
Once installation is complete successfully, click “Get Started” button. Then MalwareBytes Free will automatically start and you can see its main window as displayed below.
Next, click the “Scan” button . MalwareBytes Free program will scan through the whole computer for the Direct Search Online hijacker. A scan can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the count of files on your computer and the speed of your computer. While the MalwareBytes AntiMalware application is scanning, you can see number of objects it has identified as threat.
After that process is done, MalwareBytes will open a list of all items found by the scan. Make sure to check mark the threats which are unsafe and then press “Quarantine” button.
The MalwareBytes AntiMalware will delete Direct Search Online hijacker. When the procedure is finished, you can be prompted to restart your PC system. We suggest you look at the following video, which completely explains the process of using the MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) to remove browser hijackers, adware software and other malware.
How to stop Direct Search Online redirects
We recommend to install an ad blocker program which may stop Direct Search Online redirects and block malicious websites. The ad blocking tool such as AdGuard is a program which basically removes advertising from the Internet and blocks access to malicious web-sites. Moreover, security experts says that using ad-blocker programs is necessary to stay safe when surfing the Net.
Download AdGuard by clicking on the following link.
26620 downloads
Version: 6.4
Author: © Adguard
Category: Security tools
Update: November 15, 2018
Once the downloading process is complete, start the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” screen as shown below.
Follow the prompts. When the installation is finished, you will see a window as displayed on the screen below.
You can click “Skip” to close the installation application and use the default settings, or click “Get Started” button 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 launch your personal computer, AdGuard will run automatically and stop Direct Search Online redirects, as well as block malicious or misleading websites. For an overview of all the features of the program, or to change its settings you can simply double-click on the AdGuard icon, that can be found on your desktop.
To sum up
Once you have complete the steps outlined above, your computer should be clean from this hijacker and other malicious software. The Google Chrome, IE, MS Edge and Firefox will no longer open the search.directsearchonline.com website. Unfortunately, if the steps does not help you, then you have caught a new hijacker, and then the best way – ask for help.
Please create a new question by using the “Ask Question” button in the Questions and Answers. 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 Direct Search Online hijacker.
