Hsearchpro.com Hijacker - How to remove

Search Pro is a browser hijacker (a malicious browser extension) that, when installed, makes Hsearchpro.com take over the new tab and the searches. And Hsearchpro.com lording over your browser leads to Yahoo redirects, pop-up ads, promoted sites opening in new windows, and even more browser hijackers being downloaded. While Hsearchpro.com is supposedly there to help you manage web search and find trending topics, it’s little more than adware. It’s best to remove it from your browser. It might also be good to check your computer for other malware, considering that Hsearchpro.com advertises and is advertised by some shady sites and programs.

In short about Hsearchpro.com:

Classification	Adware, browser extension.
How Hsearchpro.com affects the browser	Searches are sent to Yahoo, search queries and other activity is logged by Search Pro, more ads than usual appear in the browser, additional browser hijackers are offered.
Removing Hsearchpro.com	Uninstall Search Pro and other unwanted browser extensions, look for and remove other malware (with Combo Cleaner for macOS, Spyhunter for Windows, others), block web push notifications from adware sites.
How to protect yourself	Use programs and tools that can block malicious websites, avoid sites that show malicious ads, recognize and ignore malicious websites.

What is Hsearchpro.com

There’s a browser extension called Search Pro. You can find it being promoted on the website Searchpro.app.

Searchpro.app is a fake search site. It presents you with a search box, but when you type in a query, it doesn’t search for anything (at least not with any of the queries that I tried). Instead, it displays a message:

Please install the free Search Pro extension for Chrome to access reliable search results, …

It displays a button “Continue” that leads to Search Pro’s installation on your browser. This installation tactic is also used by fake package trackers to spread adware. If you then follow through with installing this extension, it warns you by displays what permissions it requires:

• replace your new tab page (with Hsearchpro.com),
• read your browsing history,
• change your default search engine (to Hsearchpro.com).

You can find some additional information about Search Pro by reading its privacy policy. Search queries, IP, language, your other extensions, which ads and search results were clicked on, which icons on Hsearchpro.com were clicked on, and various other data is logged. Also by the same privacy policy, this data can be used to compile analytics and help advertisers target ads to your interests. Yeah, Search Pro is adware.

By reading Search Pro/Hsearchpro.com’s privacy policy, we also find out that this adware was developed by Eightpoint Technologies/Polarity, an infamous company behind dozens and dozens of ad-supported browser hijackers. In particular, Hsearchpro.com is very similar to Search Tab.

Once Search Pro is installed and Hsearchpro.com takes over your new tab page and your address bar, it sends search queries to Yahoo.com. It can also redirect addresses and open unwanted sites for you. If you accept notifications from Hsearchpro.com or Searchpro.app, those can be used to show pop-ups on your screen. Oh, and there are a few links on Hsearchpro.com that lead to sites completely full of clickbait – sites owned by Eightpoint.

How to remove Hsearchpro.com

Hsearchpro.com redirects are caused by Search Pro changing your browser settings and interfering with its functioning. To get back control over your browser, you need to uninstall Search Pro – and any other extensions that may be messing with your browser in an unwanted way.

Open browser settings, find the section for extensions and look at all the browser extensions that are installed. Read their details that should reveal the permissions of each of them. If you’re uncomfortable with the reach a particular extension has over your browser (such as being able to read your browsing history), disable or remove it.

Also, scan your device with an anti-malware program, such as Combo Cleaner for Mac, Spyhunter for PC, and others. They can find malicious and potentially unwanted programs that may be lurking on your machine. Those that were advertised by Hsearchpro.com or those that brought Search Pro onto your machine.

Hsearchpro.com and Searchpro.app use web push notifications to send people ads, but know that you can stop them pretty easily:

1. Check your notification settings:
   • Chrome – type “chrome://settings/content/notifications” in the address box.
   • Safari – in the Safari menu, choose Preferences, Websites, Notifications.
   • New Edge – type “edge://settings/content/notifications” in the address box.
   • Firefox – open Settings, Preferences, Privacy & Security, scroll down to Permissions, and click on Settings next to Notifications.
2. If Hsearchpro.com and Searchpro.app are on the list of sites that have permission to send notifications, you can press a menu button next to each of them and then click “Block”.

How to avoid browser hijackers

Avoid malicious websites. Sites for pirating software and entertainment (movies, tv shows, games, etc.), including file download sites, are the most dangerous. Not because they’re malicious, but because they can’t afford to have high security standards for their ads. Malicious advertisers flock to a platform that’s so free of censorship. Not to say that Hsearchpro.com can’t be advertised on safe websites, either. Browser hijackers like Search Pro are in a sort of gray area.

Block bad sites and obnoxious ads with an ad-blocker or an anti-malware program that has a real-time web filter. No measure is perfect, but every bit of security helps.

Periodically scan your computer with an anti-malware program to check for potentially unwanted apps, low-reputation programs, and other suspicious files and software. No single antivirus or anti-malware program is perfect. Some are complimentary: what one misses, the other can easily detect.

Do not install stuff that you don’t trust. Some sites will tell you that you must download or install some software to continue watching videos, downloading files, etc. Usually, these pages are just malicious ads meant to trick people into infecting their own computers.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Remove malicious browser extensions

TopRemoving Hsearchpro.com Hijacker from Chrome

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Google Chrome window. Select “Settings”.
  
• Click “Extensions” on the left menu bar.
• Go through the extensions list and remove programs you do not need, especially similar to Hsearchpro.com Hijacker. Click on the trash bin icon next to Hsearchpro.com Hijacker or other add-ons you want to remove.
  
• Press on the “Remove” button on the Confirmation window.
  
• If unsure, you can disable them temporarily.
  
• Restart Chrome.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to Hsearchpro.com Hijacker, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on Chrome’s menu button (three horizontal lines) and select Settings.
  
• Scroll to the end of the page and click on the Reset 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 Hsearchpro.com Hijacker from Microsoft Edge:Top

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

• Go through the extensions list and remove programs you do not need, especially similar to Hsearchpro.com Hijacker. Click on the "Remove" icon next to Hsearchpro.com Hijacker or other add-ons you want to remove.

• Press on the “Remove” button on the Confirmation window.

• If unsure, you can disable them temporarily.

• Restart Microsoft Edge.

TopRemoving Hsearchpro.com Hijacker from Firefox

• 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 Hsearchpro.com Hijacker 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.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to Hsearchpro.com Hijacker, 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.
  
• Choose Troubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
  

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