How to Remove Secure Search Virus

Can’t Remove Secure Search hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Secure Search Removal instructions!

When you discover your browser’s homepage replaced by an unknown search engine, of course, you will conclude that your PC is infected with a virus. Luckily, this is not the case. You still got an infection, but it is not a full-fledged virus. Your PC is infected with a browser hijacker. The Secure Search hijacker is an application that has managed to sneak into your computer. It has infected all installed web browsers and is now causing havoc. This tool is designed to use a pay-per-click marketing system. And the Secure Search hijacker overuses that system. This app will force adverts on all opened web pages. Even on the one that used to be ad-free. Ad-blocking applications are useless against the hijacker. Never forget that the Secure Search utility is installed on your PC. It can bypass your security and change your browsers’ settings. The malicious app creates an ad-layer which forces the advertisements on you. It also blocks content from its competitors. Thus, you will see only the ads you are allowed to see. Eventually, you will lose a track of the current prices on the market. The hijacker is turning you into an easy target. What is worse is the fact that the ads displayed by the furtive tool, may lead to fake or infected websites. The Secure Search hijacker has no verifying mechanism. It doesn’t distinguish between legit and dodgy websites. Scammers often get an advantage of the situation. Expect to be redirected to websites that promote financial software and performance boosters. Don’t trust anything you see on your screen. More often than not, these suspicious pages are part of financial schemes.

How did I get infected with?

The Secure Search website appeared out of the blue. You have never heard this name before. One day you opened your browser and this strange search engine was there, as your new homepage. This was the plan. Yet, you are wrong. You have approved that change. The Secure Search hijacker is a program. As any other computer program, it needs the users’ approval to operate. What it doesn’t need is to ask for your permission openly. The crooks have found a way to trick the users into giving permissions. They would attach additional programs to the installation files of many free programs. This method is known as bundling. When you start the installation of such a bundle, you will face two types of setup wizards: a standard one, which is the recommended option, and a custom/advanced installation. Which one do you prefer? If your answer is the standard one, you must change your habits. This process is automatic. Once you start it, you lose control over it. It will install all extras. The advanced option, on the other hand, is your best friend. This option is often misrepresented as a complicated process. However, this is nothing but a trick. Crooks don’t want you to use this wizard. Under it, you will be presented with a list of all extra programs that are about to be installed. You can deselect them and still install the app you originally planned to set up. Never rush through an installation process. Only your caution can prevent infections!

Why is this dangerous?

The Secure Search hijacker causes a lot of changes. Some are obvious. Like the replacement of your homepage. Yet, some changes are obscured. The hijacker has replaced your default search engine. The search results you are provided with, appear to be displayed by a well-known engine. Unfortunately, this is not correct. With the Secure Search hijacker on board, all search results, no matter the provider, are corrupted. The malicious tool injects fake entries among them. These entries are sponsored. Yet they are not marked as adverts. Unfortunately, there is more. These “secret” adverts may be corrupted. Hackers often use browser hijackers to spread malicious content. One click is all it takes for a virus to be downloaded. All these issues aside. Let’s not forget how annoying the hijacker is. This tool bombards you with adverts. Coupons, great deals, and discounts are blinking in all imaginable colors. Pop-up windows and messages interrupt you all the time. This tool can never be beneficial to you. Its removal, however, will benefit your computer. It will run much faster once the intruder is gone. Do yourself a huge favor. Remove the hijacker as soon as possible!

How to Remove Secure Search virus

The Secure Search 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 Secure Search 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 Secure Search infection, you need to purchase its full version.

STEP 1: Track down Secure Search related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Secure Search startup location

STEP 3: Delete Secure Search traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Secure Search 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 Secure Search 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 Secure Search 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 Secure Search traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Secure Search 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 Secure Search

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 Secure Search, 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 Secure Search 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 Secure Search 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.