SearchQuest - How to remove

SearchQuest is officially listed as an adware (advertising-supported application), so once inside it will display various advertisements on all of your web browsers. Those ads are not only annoying, but malicious as well, therefore we recommend to eliminate this application as soon as possible.

If you have recently discovered that your computer is infected with this malware but you don’t know how to eliminate it, you have come to the right place. In this article we will provide you with detailed instructions how to remove SearchQuest either manually or automatically so it’s completely up to you which removal method to choose.

If it’s your first time removing virus like this, we suggest to do it automatically – it’s much easier and less time consuming. All you have to do is to download reliable anti-malware application, such as Spyhunter or Malwarebytes, install it on your computer and then run a full scan of all files stored on your hard drive. It should automatically detect and remove the virus just in a few moments. It will also protect your computer from similar infections in the future, so it’s worth to keep it installed. You can use other anti-malware applications of your choice as well.

In case you prefer to perform this removal manually – scroll down below this article. There you will find our step-by-step SearchQuest manual removal guide. Try to complete all steps correctly and you will be able to remove the virus manually by your own.

If you have faced some difficulties during the removal, feel free to contact us in the comments section below and we will do our best to provide you with needed assistance. To learn more about specific features of SearchQuest please continue reading this article.

About SearchQuest adware

Even though it is presented as useful application that will help to save your time and enhance your browsing experience, this is not true. SearchQuest is listed as an adware, so once inside it will flood your web browsers with various advertisements in all kinds of forms, such as pop-up, pop-under, in-text, banner or contextual advertisements. New tab or even window can be opened on your web browser at any time as well.

Those ads displayed by SearchQuest might look very appealing, but you should not click on them. If it happens so that you click on the advertisement displayed by SearchQuest you will be immediately redirected to other websites that might be owned by various cyber criminals, such as hackers or scammers. This way your computer can get infected with other viruses or if you attempt to purchase something there you can even get scammed and lose your hard earned money.

Another unwanted attribute of SearchQuest is data collection. Once inside it will collect your personal information, such as browsing history, search queries, most visited sites or even your IP and email addresses. They adjust those advertisements according to collected data and make them even more relevant and attractive to you this way, so chances that you will click on one of them rise. And that’s the main goal of SearchQuest because they get paid for every click you make.

Distribution Methods of SearchQuest adware

SearchQuest is traveling the same way as most of other adware of this type – bundled with various freeware that can be downloaded from the Internet. I.e. when you download and install some PDF generator or media player there is a chance that SearchQuest will be downloaded alongside and installed without you even being aware of that. That’s why you should always pay close attention to the installation process of freeware and keep your computer secured with reliable anti-malware application all the time.

Manual removal of SearchQuest Ads

How to remove SearchQuest using Windows Control Panel

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

Delete SearchQuest from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the SearchQuest 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 SearchQuest 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 SearchQuest, 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 SearchQuest 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 SearchQuest. Click on the trash bin icon next to SearchQuest 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 SearchQuest, 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 SearchQuest 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 SearchQuest 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 SearchQuest, 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 SearchQuest 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 SearchQuest. Click on the "Remove" icon next to SearchQuest 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 SearchQuest from Safari (Mac OS X)

• Click on the Safari menu.
• Choose Preferences.
  
• Click on the Extensions Tab.
• Click on the Uninstall button near the SearchQuest. 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 SearchQuest, 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.

Manual removal