Remove “Please Add Search App” Adware

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The “Please Add Search App” message offers you a fast solution to your “problem.” Don’t rush! And most importantly, do not install anything! These messages are triggered by a malicious ad-supported program. You guessed right. Your computer is infected with the “Please Add Search App” adware. This furtive utility has managed to enter your PC unnoticed and is now trying to trick you into installing questionable software. It’s a good thing that this message rose a red flag. The “Please Add Search App” adware is programmed to be stealthy. It might have spent weeks on your PC without you noticing it. The first days after the infection, you may or may not notice an increased number of online adverts. Yet, we are surrounded by massive ad campaigns. Somehow, we tend to ignore the commercial and get on with our lives. For these reasons, adware applications are able to generate huge revenues for their owners. The “Please Add Search App” app works in the background. It creates an ad-layer which injects advertisements on all opened web pages. It can also add commercials to online videos. And of course, redirect you to some websites. You may have overlooked the symptoms in the past. However, now that you know you have an infection, act against it. Your situation will worsen. The adware will soon adopt a more aggressive marketing strategies. The number of browser redirections will increase and displayed ad banners will double. This furtive utility will cause your browser to freeze and crash frequently. You won’t be able to get any work done without being interrupted. Luckily, this infection can be removed quite easily. However, this is possible only if you act promptly. Let the adware stay and it will wreak havoc on your PC. Do not waste your time. Download a trustworthy anti-virus you like or follow our guide. The sooner you clean your computer, the better!

How did I get infected with?

Did you approve the installation of the “Please Add Search App” adware? No? What if we tell you that you did? This is exactly what had happened. We are not judging you. You were cleverly deceived. The adware uses not one but many distribution tactics to reach its victims. Spam emails, torrents, fake software updates, drive-by downloads. You name it, the adware uses it. Among all these methods, there is one that strikes with its popularity among the crooks. We are talking about the bundling technique. It is a genius in its simplicity. Developers would attach extra programs to the installation files of many free apps. If you are not careful, you will install these extras unintentionally. And this can harm your computer. More often than not, these additional apps are malicious. You must be wondering how to prevent such infections. It’s simple. Be vigilant. Always keep your guard up. Whenever installing a program, opt for advanced/custom option. Use it without hesitation. This process may be misrepresented as a suitable choice for IT experts only. Use it no matter what you read. The crooks don’t want you to select it. Under it, you will be presented with a list of all applications that are about to be installed. You can deselect the and still install the program you originally planned to install. Also, take your time to read the terms and conditions/EULA. This is the only way you can spot breaches. This is your PC. Its security is your responsibility.

Why is this dangerous?

The “Please Add Search App” adware is monitoring all your online activities. Even now, as you read this article, the adware is cataloging your behavior. The furtive app uses the collected data to target advertisements for you. However, the furtive app knows the potential of your data. There are many individuals interested in it. The adware makes every bit of information available for sale to third parties. From desperate marketing to dangerous hackers, anyone may buy your data. The aware knows which websites you visited. Which videos you watched, what search inquiries you made. It observes all your online activities. This means that if you use your computer to pay the bills or to make an online purchase, the malicious app will record your billing address and credit card details, you wouldn’t wish for such information to become a possession of a stranger, would you? Take immediate action against the adware.

How to Remove “Please Add Search App” virus

The “Please Add Search App” infection is specifically designed to make money to its creators one way or another. The specialists from various antivirus companies like Bitdefender, Kaspersky, Norton, Avast, ESET, etc. advise that there is no harmless virus.

If you perform exactly the steps below you should be able to remove the “Please Add Search App” infection. Please, follow the procedures in the exact order. Please, consider to print this guide or have another computer at your disposal. You will NOT need any USB sticks or CDs.

WARNING! Stopping the wrong file or deleting the wrong registry key may damage your system irreversibly.
If you are feeling not technical enough just use Spyhunter Professional Malware Removal Tool to deal with the problem!
>>Download SpyHunter – a Professional Remover.

Please, keep in mind that SpyHunter’s scanner tool is free. To remove the “Please Add Search App” infection, you need to purchase its full version.

STEP 1: Track down “Please Add Search App” in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate “Please Add Search App” startup location

STEP 3: Delete “Please Add Search App” traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down “Please Add Search App” in the computer memory

• Open your Task Manager by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ESC keys simultaneously
• Carefully review all processes and stop the suspicious ones.

• Write down the file location for later reference.

Step 2: Locate “Please Add Search App” startup location

Reveal Hidden Files

• Open any folder
• Click on “Organize” button
  
• Choose “Folder and Search Options”
• Select the “View” tab
• Select “Show hidden files and folders” option
• Uncheck “Hide protected operating system files”
• Click “Apply” and “OK” button

Clean “Please Add Search App” virus from the windows registry

• Once the operating system loads press simultaneously the Windows Logo Button and the R key.

• A dialog box should open. Type “Regedit”

• WARNING! be very careful when editing the Microsoft Windows Registry as this may render the system broken.

Depending on your OS (x86 or x64) navigate to:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] or
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] or
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]

• and delete the display Name: [RANDOM]

• Then open your explorer and navigate to: %appdata% folder and delete the malicious executable.

Clean your HOSTS file to avoid unwanted browser redirection

Navigate to %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/host

If you are hacked, there will be foreign IPs addresses connected to you at the bottom. Take a look below:

STEP 3 : Clean “Please Add Search App” traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the “Please Add Search App” by clicking on the little recycle bin
• Reset Google Chrome by Deleting the current user to make sure nothing is left behind

• Open Mozilla Firefox

• Press simultaneously Ctrl+Shift+A
• Disable the unwanted Extension
• Go to Help
• Then Troubleshoot information
• Click on Reset Firefox

• Open Internet Explorer

• On the Upper Right Corner Click on the Gear Icon
• Click on Internet options
• go to Toolbars and Extensions and disable the unknown extensions
• Select the Advanced tab and click on Reset

• Restart Internet Explorer

Step 4: Undo the damage done by “Please Add Search App”

This particular Virus may alter your DNS settings.

Attention! this can break your internet connection. Before you change your DNS settings to use Google Public DNS for “Please Add Search App”, be sure to write down the current server addresses on a piece of paper.

To fix the damage done by the virus you need to do the following.

• Click the Windows Start button to open the Start Menu, type control panel in the search box and select Control Panel in the results displayed above.
• go to Network and Internet
• then Network and Sharing Center
• then Change Adapter Settings
• Right-click on your active internet connection and click properties. Under the Networking tab, find Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4). Left click on it and then click on properties. Both options should be automatic! By default it should be set to “Obtain an IP address automatically” and the second one to “Obtain DNS server address automatically!” If they are not just change them, however if you are part of a domain network you should contact your Domain Administrator to set these settings, otherwise the internet connection will break!!!

You must clean all your browser shortcuts as well. To do that you need to

• Right click on the shortcut of your favorite browser and then select properties.

• in the target field remove “Please Add Search App” argument and then apply the changes.
• Repeat that with the shortcuts of your other browsers.
• Check your scheduled tasks to make sure the virus will not download itself again.

How to Permanently Remove “Please Add Search App” Virus (automatic) Removal Guide

Please, have in mind that once you are infected with a single virus, it compromises your system and let all doors wide open for many other infections. To make sure manual removal is successful, we recommend to use a free scanner of any professional antimalware program to identify possible registry leftovers or temporary files.