Remove SafeSearch Virus

Did your default home page on browser get changed automatically to an unknown site – www.safesearch.net? Has the default search engine you usually use been replaced to this SafeSearch? Wondering browsers might be hijacked by some computer virus? The answer is positive. This specific site belongs to a browser hijacker. Read more if you need help with the removal of this hijacker.

SafeSearch Virus – Browser Redirect

SafeSearch, also known as www.safesearch.net or safesearch.net, is categorized as a browser redirect virus/ browser hijacker that computer users should be watching out for because this kind of computer virus is targeting at private info from its victims especially, which means SafeSearch virus can help online third parties collect valuable information. Unlike other viruses which can be detected by computer protection tools, this SafeSearch redirect cannot be picked up by programs. On the opposite, it can even get itself installed without consent. For the safety of your private info, this browser hijacker is better to be removed ASAP.

Generally, a browser hijacker will put its first target on browsing applications. But when the infection gets worse, it can also affect other parts of the computer somehow. Similar to the “You shall not pass” virus, SafeSearch redirect also blocks you from accessing wanted web sites and pages. But safesearch.net has some differences. Both browser hijackers show up on your browser as the welcome pages. While the former one blocks you from accessing the online resources, the latter one provides a search engine – SafeSearch which seems to provide many shortcuts to the online resources. By hijacking your default home page and search engine, this SafeSearch redirect is trying to get you online from its given search engine. Fault and fake results will be provided if you do surf online from this search engine. Furthermore, there might be viruses hidden in some of the result web sites and pages. But certainly, you will experience constant redirect actions once you are online with this SafeSearch virus. Online activities will be recorded and valuable information will be collected then sold to computer hackers. This is basically how a browser hijacker like this safesearch.net redirect helps them benefit.

For the safety of your computer and privacy, SafeSearch redirect virus should be removed ASAP. Contact YooSecurity Online PC Experts for removal suggestions right away if you have no idea on how to do it yourself.

Screen-shot of www.safesearch.net Redirect

safesearch.net

Safesearch.net redirect is not a safe site to keep in many aspects:
# It can hijack your browser and reset the default home page and search engine by itself without consent
# It can force you to get online from its welcome page then start redirecting you to unwanted places online
# It can help remote computer hackers record your browsing histories and collect valuable info out of them
# It can even affect other parts of the computer including posing many responding issues

Step-by-step Manual Removal Guide

Since antivirus programs haven’t been able to pick up this SafeSearch virus, one should stop looking for other programs online while having the risks of coming into another scam program. Below are some manual removal steps to give you a general concept on how to remove this hijacker manually. (Notice: advanced computer skills will be needed)

Step A: Open Windows Task Manager to end process related to the SafeSearch redirect. To do that, press Ctrl+Alt+Del keys at the same time to pull up Window Task Manager; go to Processes tab on top and scroll down the list to find.
taskmanager

Step B: Open Control Panel from Start menu and search for Folder Options. Go to Folder Options window, under View tab, tick Show hidden files and folders and non-tick Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) and then click OK.
FolderOptions

Step C: Press Windows+R keys to pull up Run box and type in regedit to open Registry Editor.
Run+regedit

Step D: Delete all these associated files and registry entries with safesearch.net redirect in Registry Editor as below:

%AppData%\[rnd]
%AllUsersProfile%\Programs\{random}\
%CommonStartMenu%\Programs\Users\””
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Regedit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System “DisableRegedit”
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Settings\{.exe}

Step E: Set default home page back from this www.safesearch.net hijacker.

Conclusion

Browser hijacker like this SafeSearch redirect virus isn’t a common issue anymore in these days. Browsing applications including Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome will be the first ones to be attacked. Once a browser is hijacked by such browser redirect virus, the default home page, search engine and add-on toolbars will be automatically replaced without consent. In this case, www.safesearch.net will become your new home page and SafeSearch is your new default search engine. Like many other browser hijackers, it will not let you access other web sites as usual. It may open many new tabs constantly whenever you try to get online. But most importantly, your online activities will be recorded by this virus and the data will be sold to remote PC hackers. Computer hackers can benefit from these records often. Therefore, this SafeSearch redirect virus should be removed out of the computer ASAP.

Note: Still cannot stop the constant redirect actions by this SafeSearch virus? Please contact YooSecurity Online Experts now to get help with a complete removal if you can’t achieve it.