Search.searchgtp.com hijacker - How to remove

Search.searchgtp.com also known as Get Tracker Package (the name of Google Chrome add-on) is a malicious browser extension that should allow you to track packages. However, functions that should be performed by this tool are really questionable (they are not really working, to be more exact) and it will bring you other unwanted qualities.

Also, Search.searchgtp.com can be difficult to get rid of and thus we are here – to provide you with detailed information about this PUP (potentially unwanted program) and suggest best possible methods to get rid of it effortless.

Search.searchgtp.com is designed to hijack Google Chrome settings

First of all, we would like to mention that this infection was developed by Polarity Technologies LTD. This company is actively developing browser hijackers, therefore it is not a really big surprise that Search.searchgtp.com was developed by this company too. We have seen infections like Search.searchumrz.com and Search.hthereadinghub.com from Polarity in the past. The good news is that we have managed to successfully remove them and this time should be not different.

So this particular virus is operating as a browser extension and it only supports Google Chrome – users of other web browsers should not worry about it. One of the main reasons why it is considered to be malicious is the way it is being distributed. Even though this extension is publicly available at Google Chrome extensions market, usually users get it as a bundle to other free software that can be downloaded from the Internet. I.e. when you download and try to install some PDF generator or media player, this extension might be offered as “additional and free tool”, that will enhance you web browser and provide you with the ability to track packages online easier.

Unfortunately, Search.searchgtp.com  fails to deliver what is promised. Instead of an actual tracking tool, you will receive a hijacker that will take over new tab page on your Google Chrome web browser. It will be automatically set to www.search.searchgtp.com, so this website will appear every time you open a a new tab. Even though it does not look like a huge disadvantage that should bother you, it sure will over the time.

If you take a look at the website itself, it looks just like a regular search engine with two rather unusual features – a top toolbar with various links and additional field dedicated to package tracking. We have discovered that this field is completely unnecessary and inoperative – it can’t find any packages even if you fill in legitimate tracking code.

Links on the top toolbar are just a smart move to redirect users to the websites that Polarity Technologies LTD are affiliated with. There are two most active websites – Local Weather Forecast and My News Wire. Both of those websites are featured on most of browser hijackers developed by Polarity. You definitely should not use any of them.

Lastly, this website provides you with the ability to search the web. However, you should know that using Search.searchgtp.com for searches will only redirect you to Yahoo search engine and in addition to that, your searches will be tracked and you might receive additional advertisements and random redirects. This creates a possibility that your personal information will be exposed to various third parties, so using this website for searches is potentially dangerous.

Eliminate Search.searchgtp.com from Chrome

Search.searchgtp.com can be removed from the extensions list on Google Chrome by simply clicking on the “Restore Chrome Tab Page”. However, this solution is only temporary because the add-on is likely to come back the next time you restart your computer. To get rid of it for good, you should run a full scan with anti-malware application, such as Spyhunter. Either one of those programs should be able to detect and remove malicious files of searchgtp virus in no time.

Also, after that, you will have to restore Google Chrome settings manually. If you don’t have knowledge how to do that, look at the step-by-step tutorial provided below this article.

TopHow To remove Search.searchgtp.com hijacker 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.searchgtp.com hijacker, 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.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Manual removal