Search Extender - How to remove

Search Extender is a new member to the family of browser hijackers. Other versions of this hijacker are known by the names of Search Swapper and BestMediaTab. It is compatible with Windows OS, Mac OS and Linux OS and is primarily designed for Google Chrome web browser. But it can also get on other browsers starting from Internet Explorer and ending with Safari (the list is, however, infinite).

About Search Extender Browser Hijacker

Search Extender sets your default homepage, new tab page and search engine to searchextender.com. It does also install a shortcut to searchextender.com on your desktop. This hijacker displays corrupted search results of Yahoo search engine. 3rd party advertising websites reigns over them. The legitimate websites are contaminated by 3rd party advertisements.

Search Extender bears resemblance to adware-type extensions as the ads it generates are marked as “Powered by Search Extender“, “Brought to you by Search Extender“, “RocketTab powered by Search Extender“, “Ads by Search Extender” or “Ads powered by Search Extender“. They typically are synchronized with the actual content of the website. For the latter purpose, Search Extender tracks your browsing activities and sells this info to 3rd parties. In the following manner, web traffic is provoked to the suspicious domains of 3rd party which, in most cases, spread other hijackware, adware, or even spyware and ransomware.

How does Search Extender Browser Hijacker Proliferate?

Search Extender can be downloaded and installed for free from its official website at searchextender.com. However, there are many more methods of its stealth penetration. The main such method is referred to as ‘‘bundling’’. Search Extender is made a component of an installation package. This rogue installer is put forward as a single application such as video codec, and the like programs. Therefore, do not commit a sin and go through the EULA (End User License Agreement) or otherwise named supplemental documentation. Additionally, go for Custom/Advanced settings and discard recommended apps. Other methods of sly infiltration include clicking on suspicious pop-ups, performing questionable updates, visiting unsafe domains such as free gaming, gambling online platforms and pornographic sites.

Spyhunter, Hitman assists in fighting such threats as Search Extender. In fact, the application of the previous automatic security tools is the best solution to be made facing the malware attack. Because they are capable of performing the overall cleaning of the system. For manual removal of Search Extender browser hijacker check the instructions below.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Manual removal of Searchextender.com virus

How to remove Searchextender.com virus using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like Search Extender 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 Searchextender.com virus . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make Search Extender 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 Searchextender.com virus from macOS

Delete Search Extender from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the Searchextender.com 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 Search Extender 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 Search Extender, 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 Search Extender 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 Search Extender 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 Searchextender.com 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 Search Extender 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 Search Extender, 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 Search Extender from Safari:Top

Remove malicious extensions

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences.
  
• Select Extensions and uninstall Searchextender.com 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 Search Extender, 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.

Manual removal