I wrote this article to help you remove Searchpause.com. This Searchpause.com removal guide is working for Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer.
Searchpause.com is a program, which, like many others of its kind, misleads users into thinking that it will improve their browsers while, in fact, it is nothing more than a malicious computer infection. More specifically, it is a malware classified as a browser hijacker, and while most of the time it is considered more annoying than dangerous, it could do some serious damage to your PC.
Luckily, browser hijackers are not that hard to get rid of. But you have to take immediate measures, the sooner you remove it from your computer the better. Let`s not forget that something created by a crooks` hands can`t do you any good.
Now, what are you about to face if you have been infected with Searchpause.com? Fully deserving its name, the browser hijacker will do exactly what it suggests. Once it infects your PC it will start making changes in your browser settings. And, of course, it doesn’t ask you if you agree. You will start noticing the changes after they have been done. Someone messing with your own machine like that is not only very annoying but dangerous as well. Searchpause.com will add malicious extensions to the browsers you have previously relied on. Moreover, it will replace both your search engine and homepage with its own domain and add some extra toolbars as well. This is what Searchpause.com does – it completely takes over your browser experience and if you don’t uninstall it as soon as possible you will have to put up with it.
In addition, this parasite generates sponsored search results, which could be leading you straight to malware. Is doesn’t matter for the crooks if the links are real or fake as they both help them gain profits. However, as a user, you can tell the real ones apart from the sponsored ones before you have clicked. The best thing to do is to not click on any of them and stay safe. The Searchpause.com and all hijackers in general also slow down your PC and may redirect to risky pages. Not to mention that they invade your privacy by spying on your browser activity and have access to your personal data (IP addresses, search queries, usernames/passwords, browsing history). What is even worse that having your personal data stolen I having it sold to third parties, which you don’t know the intentions of. They can use it for a financial scam or even identity theft. I think this is more than enough to convince you that Searchpause.com need to be removed as soon as possible.
To the question of how did you get infected the answer is bundled software. The majority of users don’t bother to read the installation steps and the crooks know that. So, the attackers attach the malicious hijacker to other programs and when your download this program you get the virus as well. You need to be extra vigilant when you download freeware/shareware bundles. Stay away from shady and suspicious looking pages and unverified software because there is a very high change they have been compromised. Another important advice, always choose to go with the Advanced or Custom settings in the Setup Wizard so you will be able to spot the intruder on time.
Another way to spread this infection are spam email messages and malicious attachments. Sometimes the malware can land directly into your inbox, not even in the spam box. Any mail, which you don’t know the sender to, can be malicious. Delete it straight away and do all you can to never have to deal with threats like Searchpause.com in the first place.
To permanently remove Serachpuase.com from your computer and protect yourself from potential scams, please follow the removal steps below, or install a reliable antimalware tool on your PC.
Searchpause.com Uninstall
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 Searchpause.com 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 Searchpause.com from your browser? Please, leave a comment below, describing what steps you performed. I will answer promptly.