Remove Defendsearch.com Browser Hijacker

by Gergana Ivanova | March 6, 2018 | 0 Comments browser hijacker, removal guide

Threat Summary Defendsearch.com – Spread Techniques Defendsearch.com – More Details Remove Defendsearch.com Browser Hijacker

In this article, you will find how to remove defendsearch.com from your browser and Windows system. The step-by-step removal at the end of the article is all you need to get rid of defendsearch.com hijacker once and forever.

In case that the suspicious search engine Defend Search appears during your browsing sessions without your prior consent, there is chance that you have an installed adware program on your PC. As a result, the dubious domain defendsearch.com may be set as browser homepage, new tab page and its search engine as a default one. In addition, lots of intrusive advertisements may be sent to your browser. If you are concerned about your privacy be advised to remove this nasty hijacker from the affected browser and system as soon as possible. Otherwise, you allow defendsearch.com to collect sensitive details about you and your online behavior from the browser.

Threat Summary

Name	Defendsearch.com
Type	Browser Hijacker, PUP
Short Description	You are redirected to the suspicious website Defendsearch.com during browsing sessions.
Symptoms	Many redirects and advertisements can occur during browsing sessions. Defendsearch.com pushes various offers on its main page.
Distribution Method	Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join Our Forum to Discuss Defendsearch.com.

Defendsearch.com – Spread Techniques

For the distribution of defendsearch.com hijacker may be utilized various shady techniques. Among the most common spread ways are compromised freeware installers, suspicious web pages, browser add-ons and malwertising campaigns.

Many free apps come with extras that infiltrate the system without your knowledge. These nasty additional components can be injected into the installers of different programs that you are able to download for free from various websites. However, the information usually remains hidden in the Advanced/Custom configuration options as most of the users prefer to follow the regular installation steps. Thus, a way to prevent the installation of some potentially unwanted programs like adware and browser hijackers you need to read carefully all what the installer states and choose the Advanced/Custom options. There you are likely to find out whether the installer incorporates some extras or not and deselect the unwanted.

Defendsearch.com website may also be pushed by dubious browser add-ons installed in the affected browser. Their installation may happen after a visit to a corrupted web page.

The Defendsearch.com hijacker can affect commonly used web browsers like Goolge Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Edge and Safari.

Defendsearch.com – More Details

Once the suspicious program infiltrates your system it causes all these annoying redirects to the Defendsearch.com website. And you may see the domain during your regular browsing sessions. The domain may be set as homepage and new tab page while its default search may be your new default one:

The infection may be the reason why you see lots of advertisements in the browser. As a result, it may become sluggish and crash at times. All these ads generate revenue to Defendsearch.com owners by advertising model pay-per-click. However, you should be very careful with all the pop-ups, pop-unders, new tab pages, videos, images and links to sponsored content as a visit of the wrong web page may deliver severe malware infection on your PC.

Another undesirable consequence of using the services of Defendsearch.com hijacker is that it can steal valuable data from the affected browser and then use it for business and advertising purposes. In case that you want to prevent privacy-related issues, you should remove Defendsearch.com and all files associated with the infection entirely from the infected device. To do this follow the step-by-step guide below.

Remove Defendsearch.com Browser Hijacker

Below are listed all the steps that will help you to remove defendsearch.com hijacker completely from an affected browser. The guide includes steps that reveal how to remove the nasty program associated with the hijacker from your Windows system as well. You can choose whether to follow a manual or an automatic removal. Once you complete the manual removal some leftovers may remain on the system so you need to check out whether your PC is safe or not. With a scan of an advanced anti-malware tool, you will be able to locate all harmful files and remove them completely from the PC.

Gergana Ivanova

Highly motivated writer with 5+ years of experience writing for ransomware, malware, adware, PUPs, and other cybersecurity-related issues. As a writer, I strive to create content that is based on thorough technical research. I find joy in the process of creating articles that are easy to understand, informative, and useful. Follow me on Twitter (@IRGergana) for the latest in the field of computer, mobile, and online security.

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Guide 1: How to Remove Defendsearch.com from Windows.
Guide 2: Get rid of Defendsearch.com on Mac OS X.
Guide 3: Remove Defendsearch.com in Google Chrome.

Guide 4: Erase Defendsearch.com from Mozilla Firefox.
Guide 5: Uninstall Defendsearch.com from Microsoft Edge.
Guide 6: Remove Defendsearch.com from Safari.
Guide 7: Eliminate Defendsearch.com from Internet Explorer.
Guide 8: Disable Defendsearch.com Push Notifications in Your Browsers.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

How to Remove Defendsearch.com from Windows.

Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Defendsearch.com

OFFER

Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!

We Recommend To Scan Your PC with SpyHunter

Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter's malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter's EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria

1. Hold Windows key() + R

2. The "Run" Window will appear. In it, type "msconfig" and click OK.

3. Go to the "Boot" tab. There select "Safe Boot" and then click "Apply" and "OK".

Tip: Make sure to reverse those changes by unticking Safe Boot after that, because your system will always boot in Safe Boot from now on.

4. When prompted, click on "Restart" to go into Safe Mode.

5. You can recognise Safe Mode by the words written on the corners of your screen.

Step 2: Uninstall Defendsearch.com and related software from Windows

Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:

1. Hold the Windows Logo Button and "R" on your keyboard. A Pop-up window will appear.

2. In the field type in "appwiz.cpl" and press ENTER.

3. This will open a window with all the programs installed on the PC. Select the program that you want to remove, and press "Uninstall"

Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.

Step 3: Clean any registries, created by Defendsearch.com on your computer.

The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by Defendsearch.com there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:

1. Open the Run Window again, type "regedit" and click OK.

2. When you open it, you can freely navigate to the Run and RunOnce keys, whose locations are shown above.

3. You can remove the value of the virus by right-clicking on it and removing it.

Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.

IMPORTANT!
Before starting "Step 4", please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.

Step 4: Scan for Defendsearch.com with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

1. Click on the "Download" button to proceed to SpyHunter's download page.

Download

Malware Removal Tool

It is recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter's EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.

2. After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.

3. After the update process has finished, click on the 'Malware/PC Scan' tab. A new window will appear. Click on 'Start Scan'.

4. After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the 'Next' button.

If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Get rid of Defendsearch.com from Mac OS X.

Step 1: Uninstall Defendsearch.com and remove related files and objects

OFFER

Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!

We Recommend To Scan Your Mac with SpyHunter for Mac

Keep in mind, that SpyHunter for Mac needs to purchased to remove the malware threats. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA and Privacy Policy

1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:

2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:

3. In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to Defendsearch.com:

Tip: To quit a process completely, choose the “Force Quit” option.

4. Click on the "Go" button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.

5. In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to Defendsearch.com. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash”.

6: Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference. Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to Defendsearch.com. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.

7: Remove any left-over files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:

Go to Finder.
In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.

In case you cannot remove Defendsearch.com via Step 1 above:

In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:

Disclaimer! If you are about to tamper with Library files on Mac, be sure to know the name of the virus file, because if you delete the wrong file, it may cause irreversible damage to your MacOS. Continue on your own responsibility!

1: Click on "Go" and Then "Go to Folder" as shown underneath:

2: Type in "/Library/LauchAgents/" and click Ok:

3: Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as Defendsearch.com. If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.

You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:

→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons

Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.

Step 2: Scan for and remove Defendsearch.com files from your Mac

When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Defendsearch.com, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.

Click the button below below to download SpyHunter for Mac and scan for Defendsearch.com:

Download

SpyHunter for Mac

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Remove Defendsearch.com from Google Chrome.

Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu

Step 2: Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"

Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.

Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Erase Defendsearch.com from Mozilla Firefox.

Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window

Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.

Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"

Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Uninstall Defendsearch.com from Microsoft Edge.

Step 1: Start Edge browser.

Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.

Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".

Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.

Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Remove Defendsearch.com from Safari.

Step 1: Start the Safari app.

Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.

Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".

Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.

Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.

Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.

A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the Defendsearch.com will be removed.

How to Reset Safari
IMPORTANT: Before resetting Safari make sure you back up all your saved passwords within the browser in case you forget them.

Start Safari and then click on the gear leaver icon.

Click the Reset Safari button and you will reset the browser.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Eliminate Defendsearch.com from Internet Explorer.

Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.

Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'

Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.

Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click 'Disable'. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click 'Disable'.

Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red 'X' button located at the top right corner and start it again.