Remove Search.powersearch.online Hijacker

Can’t Remove Search.powersearch.online hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Search.powersearch.online Removal instructions!

The Search.powersearch.online redirect falls into the browser hijacker virus family. It takes over the browser settings of the user without their knowledge or consent. What happens once the computer is infected with this virus is that the preferred search engine, as well as the startup page get changed to a custom one. This action often leaves the user puzzled as to where this software came from. How this uninvited software works? The most common symptoms of this malware infection are annoying pop-ups, deals, coupons and other form of advertisement that constantly appears on the user’s screen. Clicking on such content is not advisable, because you never know what third-party websites they lead to. In most cases, this advertised content lead to all kinds of malicious software.

How did I get infected with?

The victim infects their computer unknowingly. Often this happens through software bundling. What happens is, that along the free programs or extensions included in the said bundle, the user also installs malware to their PC. One way of preventing that from happening would be to always make sure that no boxes are checked next to additional software during the installation process. Once the virus infects the system, it hijacks the browser and changes the search provider to search.powersearch.com. The aim of the ad content is to generate PPC (pay-per-click) revenue from the advertisement, as well as obtain user’s personal data. If you don’t want this to happen to you, read on to find out what you can do to remove this malware from your computer.

Why is this dangerous?

While the Search.powersearch.online site may seem harmless, it may redirect to dangerous third-party websites that could further cause damage to the victim’s computer. The virus not only gets hold of user’s browsing history, cookies, search queries and IP addresses, but also can obtain passwords, bank account information, credit card numbers, etc. The advertisement shown to the user may easily mislead them, because the virus uses their browsing habits in order to show that kind of content they are most likely to click to. Other symptom of this infection is visible during redirecting. In the status bar the browser may show a messages like “Transferring from Search.powersearch.online” or “Connection to Search.powersearch.online”. If you notice signs that your computer is infected with this browser hijacker, you must take immediate actions!

How to Remove Search.powersearch.online virus

The Search.powersearch.online 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 Search.powersearch.online 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.

STEP 1: Track down Search.powersearch.online related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Search.powersearch.online startup location

STEP 3: Delete Search.powersearch.online traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Search.powersearch.online related processes 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 Search.powersearch.online 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 Search.powersearch.online 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 Search.powersearch.online traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Search.powersearch.online 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 Search.powersearch.online

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 Search.powersearch.online, 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 Search.powersearch.online 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 Search.powersearch.online Virus (automatic) Removal Guide

Please, have in mind that once you are infected with a single virus, it compromises your whole system or network 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.