SearchZone - How to remove

SearchZone is a browser extension that causes search queries to be redirected to Yahoo. It comes with infected software installers and misleading ads. Then, it replaces the browser’s default search engine with Search-zone.com. While SearchZone is installed, users can’t fix their browser settings. Other than that, SearchZone provides no useful features or functionality.

In short about SearchZone:

Type of threat	Adware, browser hijacker.
How to remove SearchZone	Find and remove malware from your computer (with Combo Cleaner for Mac, Spyhunter for PC, or other programs), uninstall the extension, block malicious websites.
Hijacking effects	Search results appear on Yahoo.com, your browsing data is logged and used for advertisements.
How SearchZone spreads	Advertised online, included in adware bundles.

How to remove SearchZone

Let’s not delay and get straight to the point. You need to check your web browser and remove all the suspicious extensions. It’s also important to review the programs that you’ve downloaded and installed recently. Finally, secure your browsing to avoid malicious sites.

SearchZone is a browser add-on, it can be found by opening your browser settings and finding the extension section. You can also find your extensions by the little icons that they display in the upper right corner of your browser. Right-click on SearchZone’s icon (a green-blue square with a magnifying glass) and click “Remove” to uninstall the extension. More detailed removal instructions (including screenshots) are at the bottom, in the last section of this post. It’s really as easy as that.

Still, I would recommend that you scan your computer with an antivirus application that you trust (Combo Cleaner for macOS, Spyhunter for Windows, and other programs). Good anti-malware programs can detect most bundlers and malicious browser extensions. Carefully check the scan results for malware and PUPs (potentially unwanted programs). If any malicious programs are found to be on your device, you should probably remove them to avoid future problems.

Is Search-zone.com showing any pop-ups on your screen, even when you’re not on the site? If it is, check out this post on how to block notifications.

At last, consider using an ad-blocker or an anti-malware app. They help avoid malware infections by blocking malicious sites like Search-zone.com from opening.

Effects of Search-zone.com hijacking

SearchZone is a browser add-on that does nothing but hijack your browser’s search engine settings. Now, every time you type a search query into the address bar of the infected web browser, Yahoo.com is the one that returns the search results. Yahoo is a legitimate search engine, but it should not be forced on you by a shady browser extension. You should always be in control over the search engine used in your web browser (How to change your default search engine).

Besides, SearchZone also gets access to your browsing history, which includes all the sites that you visit. This data is great for interest-based advertising.

To be fair, a lot of browser extensions read your browsing history. Many free extensions are monetized in subtle ways. The difference is, some of them provide a useful function, like blocking ads, translating text, cross-referencing things on the fly, etc. SearchZone, though, fails to offer anything useful.

How SearchZone gets installed

SearchZone is made by Webcoapps, just like SearchWizard, AnonymoSearch, Vista Search, and a bunch of other browser hijackers. They each infect thousands of browsers of unwitting users through deceptive ads or through bundling.

Deceptive ads are like the ones in the image above. Here’s how they work:

1. People go online, possibly to watch a movie, download a song, or maybe a free program.
2. They find a site for this. The site shows aggressive ads and pop-ups, though that might not be apparent at first. A lot of infringing (pirating) sites show dangerous advertisements.
3. They then try to watch a video or download a file, only to be shown a pop-up that asks to install a browser extension called “SearchZone”.
4. Some people believe the pop-up to be a genuine warning and they follow the instructions, installing SearchZone on their browser, allowing it to hijack their search settings.

SearchZone gets installed on Install.search-zone.com, a site related to Install.notify-service.com.

Because it’s so easy to install extensions without meaning to, it can be hard to discover the cause of the Yahoo redirects. SearchZone is pretty inconspicuous.

Even more so when it comes bundled with programs downloaded from the internet. Bundling is the practice of offering additional software in the installer of a program. It is often misused to spread potentially harmful programs.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Manually remove browser extensions

TopHow To remove SearchZone 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 SearchZone, 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 SearchZone 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 SearchZone, 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 SearchZone from Safari:Top

Remove malicious extensions

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences.
  
• Select Extensions and uninstall SearchZone and other suspicious extensions.
  
• If your homepage was changed, click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences and choose General tab. Enter preferable URL to the homepage field.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings(older versions) If you are still experiencing any issues related to SearchZone, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Reset Safari…
  
• Select which options you want to reset (usually all of them come preselected) and click on the Reset button.
  

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