TheSmartSearch.net virus - How to remove

TheSmartSearch.net virus is a browser hijacker that is distributed together with various freeware and that can affect a lot of popular browsers, including Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari. If your homepage has been changed to TheSmartSearch.net too, you should take care of your computer and get rid of this hijacker immediately. If you ignore it, your system may be exposed to numerous infections and you will risk to have some issues with your privacy.

The easiest way to remove TheSmartSearch.net virus is with the help of an anti-malware program, like Spyhunter or Stopzilla. For more information about this browser hijacker continue reading this article. You will also learn how to remove it in the most efficient manner possible.

About TheSmartSearch.net virus

TheSmartSearch.net page doesn’t look suspicious at first sight. You may think it is just another search provider and you shouldn’t worry about it. However, you should bear in mind that, if your homepage was changed without your permission, there is something wrong with the program. TheSmartSearch.net virus usually takes over your browsers when you are downloading free programs from the Internet. We will talk more about it further in this article.

If any of your browsers has already been affected and if you try to make search using TheSmartSearch.net, you will see that it includes numerous sponsored websites and displays various ads among your search results. Usually, the purpose of such programs is to advertise particular websites, but you will never know, if it can try to redirect you to malicious websites that contain spyware or other kind of infections. That is why it is recommended to remove TheSmartSearch.net virus from your browsers.

Distribution Methods of TheSmartSearch.net virus

Beware that you can avoid TheSmartSearch.net virus and similar programs in the future. It is not that difficult to do this. Since it comes bundled to other applications, you only have to be more careful when installing something with freeware. Always opt for the Custom installation and make sure you don’t agree to change your homepage to TheSmartSearch.net or any other unknown page. Read what every installation step says before clicking ‘OK’, ‘Next’, ‘Agree’, ‘Accept’ and similar buttons. Don’t agree to install any additional programs either, unless you know that they are reliable and useful.

Check out the tutorial below to learn how to remove TheSmartSearch.net virus. Don’t forget to upgrade your anti-malware to its latest version before you run a full system scan in the case of automatic removal.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Manual removal of TheSmartSearch.net virus

How to remove TheSmartSearch.net virus using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like TheSmartSearch.net 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 TheSmartSearch.net virus . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make TheSmartSearch.net 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 TheSmartSearch.net virus from macOS

Delete TheSmartSearch.net virus from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the TheSmartSearch.net 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 TheSmartSearch.net 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 TheSmartSearch.net 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 TheSmartSearch.net 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 TheSmartSearch.net 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 TheSmartSearch.net 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.

How to remove TheSmartSearch.net 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 TheSmartSearch.net 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 TheSmartSearch.net virus from Safari:Top

Remove malicious extensions

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences.
  
• Select Extensions and uninstall TheSmartSearch.net virus 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 TheSmartSearch.net virus, 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.