I wrote this article to help you remove Zinkseek.com. This Zinkseek.com removal guide works for Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Zinkseek.com is a search provider. The website is associated to a program called ZinkSeek Desktop Search. This application will be installed to your browser as an extension or add-on. It is compatible with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. The platform does not provide a link for the software. This is because the tool is a browser hijacker. It makes unauthorized changes to the web browser’s internal settings and exploits its resources. This leads to security issues to both your system and your virtual privacy. You should take measures against the Zinkseek.com hijacker as soon as its presence becomes evident.

You may not realize when and how you contacted the rogue program. The Zinkseek.com hijacker can gain access to your machine in a couple of ways. The propagation vectors the shady tool uses pray on users’ negligence and lack of attentiveness. The predominant distribution technique is bundling. The Zinkseek.com hijacker travels merged with the wizard of another application. It can get attached to freeware, shareware, and pirated programs. The furtive tool will be offered for install with the main program from the bundle. This option will be the default setting, so you will have to change it. Make sure you take the time to read the terms and conditions of the programs you install to your computer.

The other dark pattern the Zinkseek.com hijacker uses is even more obscure. The covert program can hitch a ride with documents, images, and archives. It can attach itself to all kinds of MS Office files, compressed archives, and graphics. Opening the carrier can execute the download of the payload to your hard drive. This will happen on the background, as will the install of the Zinkseek.com hijacker. To protect your computer, you have to filter spam letters from genuine messages. Check the contacts the sender has provided. Keep in mind that spammers often write on behalf of existing entities to lead users astray. Consulting the contact page from the organization’s official website will reveal the truth.

The symptoms for the presence of the Zinkseek.com hijacker kick in after it has been installed. It may or may not make its presence clear right away. Malware sometimes lies in stealth for a while before starting to work. The first thing you will notice once it has been activated is the change in your web browser’s settings. The rogue program sets the homepage and default search engine to Zinkseek.com. Trying to edit your settings would be in vain. The hijacker will change them back without delay. The Zinkseek.com website is the ticket to the browser’s resources. Having people conduct their searches through this engine is beneficial in its own right. The sinister program manipulates the search results.

To elaborate, the main purpose of the Zinkseek.com hijacker is to raise proceeds for its developers. To achieve its goal, the insidious program supports third party platforms. It brings content in the form of advertisements. The ads promote bargain deals for various consumer goods, including technological devices, apparel, furniture, accessories, decorative elements, gardening equipment, sports gear, toys, and others. The ads focus on exclusive offers to get users interested. Auctions, sales, clearances, and package deals are the kinds of listings the Zinkseek.com hijacker suggests. In addition, the shady tool hands out gift cards, freebies, and coupons. The listings may be enticing, but their reliability is under question. Any given ad could redirect you to a malicious website, so it is better to steer clear of them.

The Zinkseek.com hijacker performs another task which poses a threat to users’ personal security. It monitors their browsing sessions and collects the information they enter into their web browser. The gathered input is then packed into catalogs and traded on the darknet. The Zinkseek.com hijacker can access different kinds of details, including both statistical and personal. To begin with, it records the browsing sessions and tracking cookies. This input will reveal your browsing habits and preferences. The web browser also stores specifications about the system, including its type and version. Your IP address and geographic location can be tracked. Worst of all, the malevolent program can record your keystrokes. This will give it access to your email, social, and financial accounts. The people who buy your private data can use it to break into your accounts. Note that the company behind Zinkseek.com has opted out of responsibility for third party practices. The end user assumes the entire burden of the security risk.

Zinkseek.com Removal

Before starting the real removal process, you must reboot in Safe Mode. If you know how to do this, skip the instructions below and proceed to Step 2. If you do not know how to do it, here is how to reboot in Safe mode:

For Windows 98, XP, Millenium and 7:
Reboot your computer. When the first screen of information appears, start repeatedly pressing F8 key. Then choose Safe Mode With Networking from the options.

For Windows 8/8.1
Click the Start button, next click Control Panel —> System and Security —> Administrative Tools —> System Configuration.‌

Check the Safe Boot option and click OK. Click Restart when asked.
For Windows 10
Open the Start menu and click or tap on the Power button.

While keeping the Shift key pressed, click or tap on Restart.

Please, follow the steps precisely to remove XXXXXXXX from the browser:

Remove From Mozilla Firefox:

Open Firefox, click on top-right corner , click Add-ons, hit Extensions next.

Look for suspicious or unknown extensions, remove them all.

Remove From Chrome:

Open Chrome, click chrome menu icon at the top-right corner —>More Tools —> Extensions. There, identify the malware and select chrome-trash-icon(Remove).

Remove From Internet Explorer:
Open IE, then click IE gear icon on the top-right corner —> Manage Add-ons.

Find the malicious add-on. Remove it by pressing Disable.

Right click on the browser’s shortcut, then click Properties. Remove everything after the .exe” in the Target box.

Open Control Panel by holding the Win Key and R together. Write appwiz.cpl in the field, then click OK.

Here, find any program you had no intention to install and uninstall it.

Run the Task Manager by right clicking on the Taskbar and choosing Start Task Manager.

Look carefully at the file names and descriptions of the running processes. If you find any suspicious one, search on Google for its name, or contact me directly to identify it. If you find a malware process, right-click on it and choose End task.

Open MS Config by holding the Win Key and R together. Type msconfig and hit Enter.

Go in the Startup tab and Uncheck entries that have “Unknown” as Manufacturer.

Still can not remove Zinkseek.com from your browser? Please, leave a comment below, describing what steps you performed. I will answer promptly.