Default-search Virus - How to remove

Default-search.net is a rogue search engine that profits from people’s browsing. It has many similar variants: Search.mytab.club, Search.powermediatabsearch.com, and BlpSearch.com browser hijackers. All of these tools are developed by Aztec Media. Highly reliable security researchers have found out that the company creates adware applications, detected as JS/Adware.AztecMedia.A (Virusradar.com).

Default-search.site is another rogue search engine that shares Default-search.net’s name. It’s equally dubious and should be avoided.

Default-search.net is active in the United States, Brazil, Mexico, and Spain. Knowing this, we invite people to read a Spanish version (Malwarerid.com) of this article which might be easier to comprehend.

About Default-search.net:

Classification	Adware, browser hijacker.
Problems caused by Default-search.net and Default-search.site	Installed without permission together with other hijackers, takes over the home page and the default search engine, causes unwanted ads and redirects.
How Default Search gets installed	Embedded in the installer of another program, installed by users unknowingly.
How to remove Default Search redirects	Remove all malware, use antivirus programs Spyhunter for PC, Combo Cleaner for Mac, Spyhunter for Mac, and others, manually uninstall malicious programs and browser extensions.

The danger of Default-search.net

The Default-search.net browser hijacker is a persistent infection: even though it is over 8 years old, it has not given up its position as one of the leading rogue search engines. Its reputation is very disturbing and many people indicated to have installed it thanks to some program’s Setup Wizard being packaged with additional unwanted apps.

Delta Homes malware appears as one of the traveling companions. Thanks to bundling, Default-search.net is often installed together with other malicious programs, which means that the hijacker might not be the only virus that needs to be removed.

What is more, reports about this infection clearly suggest multiple reg flags for Default-search.net. For instance, it can allow malvertising to appear and during online shopping activities, users’ confidential information to be stolen (known as phishing). As our evidence, we provide some testimonials (Mywot.com) about this Default-search.net virus:

• “This is a really bad site ..
  always my adblocker block many Ads and Popups witch is a very unwanted softwares and black-listed programms
  even when you try to buy something …. it doesn’t let you buy and always wanna take my credit card details
  also there is many server names witch is updated in 21/12/2014
  https://www.newbrandstore.com ,and many other softwares and sites witch is blocked by my Antivirus ((avast internet security));”
• “Installed without permission together with delta homes and other well known malware. Simply horrible.“
• “Trojan were imbedded in download file
  6/18/2014 12:50:19 PM,High,sysapcrt.dll (Trojan.ADH.2)
  6/18/2014 12:50:17 PM,High,systemkservice.exe (Trojan.ADH.2).”
• “Please do not enter this website because it is not safe.”
• “This site is often set as home page and default search engine by potentially unwanted software. It’s annoying and low-quality, and it’s probably also a spyware.”

Problems with Default-search.site

Default-search.site is yet another search hijacker. It doesn’t seem to have any content, as just visiting it opens a blank page. And yet, it does work. Type in the right address and it opens internet search results.

Default-search.site comes with the Search Set browser add-on. It replaces the default search engine with Default-search.site. Now, all your search queries go through Default-search.site.

While Search Set lets you choose between multiple search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, Ask, Baidu, Yandex), it gets access to all your searches and, if it wants to, it can interfere with them. Indeed, Search Set’s privacy policy reveals that the company behind it, LampaBar, logs user data and may use it for marketing.

Using Search Set hurts not just your privacy, but also robs your browser of features. The add-on doesn’t offer enough search engines. Where’s DuckDuckGo and Ecosia? With this extension, no niche search engines can be used.

Default-search.net offers no valuable features. All that it does is let marketers track your browsing and search data.

How a hijacker infected your computer

The Default-search virus is a browser hijacker that seeks to raise the traffic of certain websites and make a financial profit this way. Thus, it will force you to visit the sites that it is paid to promote.

If your computer has already been affected by the Default-search.net virus, your browsing will become completely unbearable. You will not be able to make any searches without interruptions. What is more, the Default-search.net virus can collect information about your browsing habits, like which specific website you visit.

Default-search.net can affect all major browsers. Once installed, it replaces your homepage and default search provider with Default-search.net. It displays search results using the Yahoo search engine (though that might change in the future) which is known for injecting a lot of poorly-labeled ads into the search results.

Usually, Default-search.net is installed on computers together with other applications that you can download from the Internet. It is distributed with MySearchDial, Homepage-web.com, and similar tools. When removing Default-search.net, keep an eye out for these hijackers.

You should be very careful when getting any programs from the Internet that are free of charge. You can avoid installing unwanted applications by paying more attention to the installation steps. If you see any options that are already selected for you and that indicate installing unknown programs, you should always deselect them.

How to uninstall Default-search.net/Default-search.site

To remove the Default-search virus, remove all apps and browser extensions that are suspicious and that were installed at the same time as the Default-search.net/Default-search.site redirects started.

Windows users can check their apps in Control Panel (instructions below) or in their settings. MacOS users can do this by opening their Applications folder. Look for something like a “Settings Manager” program – that name has been associated with the Default-search.net hijacker.

Some versions of the Default-search.site virus install software that blocks browser settings from changing. To identify them, scanning with Spyhunter for Windows, Combo Cleaner for macOS, Spyhunter for Mac or another reputable antispyware tool might be useful. Then you can remove the extensions and reset settings in your browsers.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Special removal instructions of Default search virus

How to remove Default-search Virus using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like Default-search virus install some of their components as regular Windows programs as well as additional software. This part of malware can be uninstalled from the Control Panel. To access it, do the following.

• Start→Control Panel (older Windows) or press Windows Key→Search and enter Control Panel and then press Enter (Windows 8, Windows 10).
• Choose Uninstall Program (if you don't see it, click in the upper right next to "View by" and select Category).
• Go through the list of programs and select entries related to Default-search Virus . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make Default-search virus easier to find.
• Click the Uninstall button. If you're asked if you really want to remove the program, click Yes.
• In many cases anti-malware programs are better at detecting related parasites, thus I recommend installing Spyhunter to identify other programs that might be a part of this infection.

How to remove Default-search Virus from macOS

Delete Default-search virus from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the Default-search Virus app.
5. Select it and right-click it (or hold the Ctrl and click the left mouse button).
6. In the dropdown, click Move to Bin/Trash. You might be asked to provide your login password.

TopHow To remove Default-search Virus from Google Chrome:

• Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select More Tools→Extensions
  
• Select all malicious extensions and delete them.
  
• Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select Settings
  
• Select Manage Search engines
  
• Remove unnecessary search engines from the list
  
• Go back to settings. On Startup choose Open blank page (you can remove undesired pages from the set pages link too).
• If your homepage was changed, click on Chrome menu on the top right corner, select Settings. Select Open a specific page or set of pages and click on Set pages.
  
• Delete malicious search websites at a new Startup pages window by clicking “X” next to them.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to Default-search virus, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on a Chrome’s menu button (three horizontal lines) and select Settings.
• Scroll to the end of the page and click on theReset browser settings button.
  
• Click on the Reset button on the confirmation box.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

How to remove Default-search Virus from Microsoft Edge:Top

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Microsoft Edge window. Select “Extensions”.

• Select all malicious extensions and delete them.

• Click on the three-dot menu on the browser toolbar and Select Settings

• Select Privacy and Services and scroll down. Press on Address bar.

• Choose Manage search engines.

• Remove unnecessary search engines from the list: open the three-dot menu and choose Remove.

• Go back to Settings. Open On start-up.
• Delete malicious search websites at Open specific page or pages by opening the three-dot menu and clicking Delete.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to Default-search Virus, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings

• Click on Edge's menu button and select Settings. Click on the Reset Settings button on the left.
• Press the Restore settings to their default values option.

• Click on the Reset button on the confirmation box.

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

How To remove Default-search Virus from Firefox:Top

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla window and select the “Add-ons” icon (Or press Ctrl+Shift+A on your keyboard).
  
• Go through Extensions and Addons list, remove everything Default-search Virus related and items you do not recognise. If you do not know the extension and it is not made by Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, Oracle or Adobe then you probably do not need it.
  
• If your homepage was changed, click on the Firefox menu in the top right corner, select Options → General. Enter a preferable URL to the homepage field and click Restore to Default.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to Default-search virus, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla Firefox window. Click on the Help button.
  
• ChooseTroubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
  
• Click on theReset Firefox button.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
  

If the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program to identify malicious entries.