I wrote this article to help you remove Private.search-protection.com. This Private.search-protection.com removal guide works for Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer.
Has your homepage been changed to Private.search-protection.com? You should know that this is just one of the signs that you have a browser hijacker on your hands. This computer infection can also replace your search provider with the same undesired website. What’s more, hijackers are known to alter browser’s settings and also obtain user’s history so as to generate targeted advertisements that they are most likely to click on. The goal of this action is to create income by the PPC (Pay-Per-Click) method.
Victims of the Private.search-protection.com redirect are surely to get bombarded by annoying pop-ups, ads, blinking messages, fake updates, exclusive deals, coupons, etc. that would constantly interrupt their browsing experience. The bad news is, they can redirect to suspicious and even dangerous third-party websites that can potentially steal your personal data and even share it with other hackers for profit.
In most cases, user unknowingly infect their computers with malicious software. This particular malware can infiltrate your computer through spam emails and attachments, fake updates, dubious links, ads, as well as free software bundles. Sometimes users might experience sudden pop-ups that urge for immediate software updates. In such cases it would be a mistake to click on the provided update link. It is recommended to always get your updates straight from the official software company.
One of the most common mistakes that lead to malware infection is when users don’t pay attention when they are installing programs and are too quick to click on the ‘Next’ button without reading diligently to what they are agreeing to during installation. We strongly advise to always select the Custom or Advanced option in the Setup Wizard because that way users will have full control over what is actually being installed on their computer and can easily deselect any additional software that they deem unnecessary or didn’t want in the first place.
Browser hijackers are generally not considered to be as dangerous as other malicious software. Some would not even go as far as putting the ‘virus’ label on them. True, all you may experience is an annoying ad attack, but you still should not underestimate the dangers that may lie behind those pop-ups. You never know where they might reroute you to if you fall into the cyber ciminals’ trap.
Next thing you know, you might unknowingly allow a Trojan Horse in your computer system or even risk a potential ransomware infection! Which is why if you notice that your browser has been hijacked, you should proceed with its removal as soon as possible! In this article we can lead you through some detailed instructions to help you deal with this annoying malware infection before the worst can happen and your personal data gets compromised.
Private.search-protection.com Uninstall
Before starting the real removal process, you must reboot in Safe Mode. If you are familiar with this task, 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.
Here are the steps you must follow to permanently remove 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 Private.search-protection.com from your browser? Please, leave a comment below, describing what steps you performed. I will answer promptly.