Search-operator.com Redirect Virus - How to remove

Search-operator.com is a website that may attack all available Mac browsers. The basic reason that explains this unusual browser behavior is that your computer is contaminated with specific adware. It controls certain browser parameters and thus makes search-operator.com as the default home page. There is a possibility that search-operator.com hijacked your Mac as a result of clicking on a specific malicious link on the web or downloading free software bundled with the hijacker. Search-operator.com is clear evidence that there is something wrong with your computer. Thus, it needs to be immediately repaired.

Search-operator.com is also a pseudo search engine. The danger is not in the website itself but rather in the redirections it causes. Search-operator.com will provide you with some search results, however, they will not be relevant. On top of the search results, you may notice a lot of ads and sponsored links promoting other content. Clicking on these ads may lead you to visit numerous malicious resources, for example:

• websites used by online criminals to scare you into downloading rogue security software;
• misleading surveys or questionnaires attempting to illegally obtain and use your personal details;
• fictitious alerts demanding that you perform fake software updates leading to the installation of potentially unwanted utilities.

Where does search-operator.com come from

There are specific advertising agencies that promote particular online content. Sometimes they refer to the help of other third-party companies that primarily work through several adware programs. Once the adware is installed, it starts randomly generating pop-up ads and may eventually hijack your browser with search-operator.com. This way these companies get the revenue. It is obvious that the more successful clicks on the promoted content are made, the more profit they get. However, search-operator.com redirects browsers to third-party content without paying attention to what computer owners feel about the issue. Unfortunately, the adware responsible for the aforesaid redirections uses sneaky channels for infiltrating its malicious codes into computers.

The intrusion of the adware typically occurs during the installation of free software. This method is referred to as “bundling”. Along with the main free application, users are often suggested to consider installing other extra utilities. Often this information is not mentioned absolutely clear. As a matter of fact, when the adware is integrated into specific free software, there is hardly any information mentioned about it during the setup process. When you deal with free programs, it is important that you always select the “Advanced” or “Custom” installation mode in order to uncheck all relevant boxes where the third-party utilities are mentioned in the bundle.

Unauthorized adware installation may also be the result of fake Adobe Flash Player, Java or some other fictitious software update. We analyze the adware behavior regularly and almost every day observe the way it acts through the infected computers. We observe numerous misleading pop-ups claiming that there is some urgent need to implement the aforesaid updates, however, this instead leads to the installation of other malicious applications.

How to prevent search-operator.com attack

It is impossible to fully neutralize the negative effect by search-operator.com without the utter removal of the adware that hijacked your browser. Many browsers have an integrated feature of blocking malicious pop-ups. When they are properly updated they may start blocking search-operator.com hijacker too, however, there may be other malicious websites that could replace search-operator.com soon and similarly hijack the browser. Hence, the only correct solution is to delete the adware as the main source of the problem.

It is definitely better when the search-operator.com attack is duly prevented than looking for ways to fix the computer after it already got infected. Your personal caution while browsing the web matters a lot. Please pay attention to all the important details while installing free software. Take time to read the EULAs (End User License Agreements) related to free applications you decide to install. If you find the information about additional software you do not need, consider choosing the advanced installation mode to cancel such third-party installations. If this option is not provided, you’d better stay away from installing that software.

Your current anti-virus software actually failed to defend your computer and permitted the adware injection. This is why search-operator.com infected your Mac. It is definitely a good idea to switch to another program that can protect your system in a more professional way. We recommend scanning with Spyhunter – it will identify all other threats within your computer and delete them without leaving any remnants.

Automatic Malware removal tools

How to remove Search-operator.com Redirect Virus using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like Search-operator.com Redirect 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 Search-operator.com Redirect Virus . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make Search-operator.com Redirect 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 Search-operator.com Redirect Virus from macOS

Delete Search-operator.com Redirect Virus from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the Search-operator.com Redirect 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.

TopRemove malicious extensions from Internet Explorer

• Press on the Gear icon→Manage Add-ons.
  
• Go through Toolbars and extensions. Remove everything related to Search-operator.com Redirect Virus and items you do not know that are made not by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Oracle or Adobe.
  
• Close the Options.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to Search-operator.com Redirect Virus, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Press on the Gear icon->Internet Options.
  
• Choose the Advanced tab and click on the Reset button.
  
• Select a “Delete personal settings” checkbox and click on the Reset button.
  
• Click on the Close button on the confirmation box, then close your browser.
  

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

TopRemoving Search-operator.com Redirect Virus 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 Search-operator.com Redirect Virus. Click on the trash bin icon next to Search-operator.com Redirect Virus 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 Search-operator.com Redirect Virus, 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.

TopRemoving Search-operator.com Redirect Virus 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 Search-operator.com Redirect 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.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to Search-operator.com Redirect 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.
  
• 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.

How to remove Search-operator.com Redirect Virus 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 Search-operator.com Redirect Virus. Click on the "Remove" icon next to Search-operator.com Redirect Virus 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 Search-operator.com Redirect Virus from Safari (Mac OS X)

• Click on the Safari menu.
• Choose Preferences.
  
• Click on the Extensions Tab.
• Click on the Uninstall button near the Search-operator.com Redirect Virus. Remove all other unknown or suspicious entries too. If you are not sure whether you need the extension or not, you can simply uncheck the Enable check-box to disable the extension temporarily.
  
• Restart Safari.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to Search-operator.com Redirect Virus, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on the 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.