SearchThatUp(.)com is the main page and search engine of a browser hijacker software. The ClientConnect Ltd. has developed that software, which is the company that made Trovi Search and some other browser hijackers. This hijacker can show you targeted third-party content and advertisements as you browse the internet. SearchThatUp(.)com will replace your current homepage, the new tab setting and the default search engine of your browsers.
To remove the hijacker and all its files, you should read the whole article carefully.
Threat Summary
| Name | SearchThatUp(.)com |
| Type | Browser Hijacker, PUP |
| Short Description | Every browser on your computer could be affected. The hijacker might redirect you and will filter all of your searches. |
| Symptoms | Browser settings which can be altered are the homepage, search engine and new tab. You could see sponsored third-party content and advertisements. |
| Distribution Method | Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages |
| Detection Tool |
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| User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss SearchThatUp(.)com. |
SearchThatUp(.)com – Distribution Ways
SearchThatUp(.)com has a few ways distribution. Third-party installations seem to be the main way for its distribution. Freeware and bundle software setups might have installed the hijacker onto your PC. Those setups could have additional components set for installation, by default. Before you realize, the hijacker might have changed lots of settings on your browsers. Preventing such unwanted programs with browser hijacking capabilities from installing is doable if you find Custom or Advanced options, from where to deselect components.
SearchThatUp(.)com might be distributed in other ways. One of them is through advertisements, like banners and pop-ups displaying on dubious websites. The hijacker could also distribute with the aid of redirecting links hosted on these sites. The owners of the websites may be in an affiliate program or partnered up with SearchThatUp(.)com. The following browsers could be affected: Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari and Mozilla Firefox.
SearchThatUp(.)com – A Closer Look
SearchThatUp(.)com is the search engine and main domain of the browser hijacker that has the same name. ClientConnect Ltd. is its developer of this and many other similar Trovi Search hijackers. You can take a closer look at how the web page looks like from the screenshot below:
The SearchThatUp(.)com web page is composed of a search bar, and a couple of links to its Privacy Policy, End User License Agreement (EULA) and the like. That exact web page will appear every time you launch your browsers on their homepage when you open a new tab or try to search for something. Except your default search settings, other ones might be changed as well.
If any software tied to SearchThatUp(.)com is inside your computer machine or browser applications, you will see that all of the above mentioned changes to settings will be present across your browsers. Software related to the website services can enter through programs, which are bundled. Extensions and additive apps, plus with software with hijacking capabilities can spread advertisements and redirects to sites you browse. You could end up on websites with targeted content, hosted by third parties. The third parties could be affiliates of SearchThatUp(.)com.
From the above picture, it becomes clear that SearchThatUp(.)com is a fake search engine that redirects to other legitimate search engines. In this case is that of Bing. There might even be advertisements displayed in some results and in-text links that can redirect you. Do not be fooled, as the hijacker only links to the search results page of a reputable search engine to gain your trust.
Every bit of information you enter into any search bar of SearchThatUp(.)com will go through its servers, collect and store it. Cookies and other such related technologies can obtain more information, too. Be wary with what kind of information you input in your searches, especially if it is personal. Read the article to the end, to find out how much information is acquired by SearchThatUp(.)com and what is done with it.
SearchThatUp(.)com – Privacy Policy
The Privacy Policy of the SearchThatUp(.)com website is found on that same domain and is very descriptive. At the end, it is stated that the hijacker belongs to the company ClientConnect Ltd. which has developed Trovi Search hijackers in the past. From reading the policy, it becomes clear that personally and non-personally identifying information is acquired. All information that is obtained may be disclosed and sold to third-parties, such as partners or affiliates of the company.
You can see the Privacy Policy from the image here:
The policy breaks the data collection into certain types of information:
Technical Information
- Your browser type
- Type, name and version of Operating System
- Type, name and version of other software
- Your ISP (Internet Service Provider)
- Your physical location
- Your Internet protocol (IP) address
- Anonymous user identifiers
- Device configuration and identifiers
- The version, configuration and settings of their Software
Usage Information
- Your use and interaction with your device
- When and how you use their software
- How you use your internet browser and internet search related applications
- The web pages you visit and the content you see
- Your interactions with offerings and advertisements that you view
- Your search queries
- The time and date of your searches
Social Networks Information
- Your interactions on social networks via their software
- Friends or contact lists
- Notes
- Updates
- Photos
Registration Related Information
- Information you provide when you register for their software
- Your name
- Home or work addresses
- Your E-mail address
- Telephone and fax numbers
- Your birth date
- Your gender
Support Related Information
- Your email address
- Your name
- Any information voluntarily submitted by you
Information that may be collected by the site “unintentionally”
- Social security numbers
- Credit card numbers
- Login information
You should also read the following quote from the Policy, about third-party content:
Certain Software & Services may include and/or enable you to add Content to them. The Content may be in the form of apps, buttons, gadgets, links to third party advertisements, websites, products and services (including search services) as well as additional means that are provided to you by third parties
Using any services or software associated with SearchThatUp(.)com is automatically considered that you grant your permission for the collection of your information. In the policy is also written that cookies are used for data gathering as well as similar technologies.
Remove SearchThatUp(.)com Effectively from Your PC
To remove SearchThatUp(.)com manually from your computer, follow the step-by-step removal instructions provided down here. In case the manual removal does not get rid of the hijacker and all its files completely, you should search for and remove any leftovers with an advanced anti-malware tool. Such software can keep your computer secure in the future.
- Guide 1: How to Remove SearchThatUp(.)com from Windows.
- Guide 2: Get rid of SearchThatUp(.)com on Mac OS X.
- Guide 3: Remove SearchThatUp(.)com in Google Chrome.
- Guide 4: Erase SearchThatUp(.)com from Mozilla Firefox.
- Guide 5: Uninstall SearchThatUp(.)com from Microsoft Edge.
- Guide 6: Remove SearchThatUp(.)com from Safari.
- Guide 7: Eliminate SearchThatUp(.)com from Internet Explorer.
- Guide 8: Disable SearchThatUp(.)com Push Notifications in Your Browsers.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups
About the SearchThatUp(.)com Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this SearchThatUp(.)com how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific, adware-related problem, and restore your browser and computer system.
How did we conduct the research on SearchThatUp(.)com?
Please note that our research is based on independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware, adware, and browser hijacker definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the SearchThatUp(.)com threat is backed with VirusTotal https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/upload.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.
References
1.Browser Redirect – What Is It?
2.Adware Is Malicious, and It Uses Advanced Techniques to Infect
3.The Thin Red Line Between Potentially Unwanted Programs and Malware
4.The Pay-Per-Install Affiliate Business – Making Millions out of Adware
5.Malicious Firefox Extensions Installed by 455,000 Users Blocked Updates
How to Remove SearchThatUp(.)com from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove SearchThatUp(.)com
Step 2: Uninstall SearchThatUp(.)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:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 3: Clean any registries, created by SearchThatUp(.)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 SearchThatUp(.)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.
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 SearchThatUp(.)com with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
1. Click on the "Download" button to proceed to SpyHunter's download page.
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.
Video Removal Guide for SearchThatUp(.)com (Windows).
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups
Get rid of SearchThatUp(.)com from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall SearchThatUp(.)com and remove related files and objects
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 SearchThatUp(.)com:
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 SearchThatUp(.)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 SearchThatUp(.)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 SearchThatUp(.)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:
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 SearchThatUp(.)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 SearchThatUp(.)com files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as SearchThatUp(.)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.
Video Removal Guide for SearchThatUp(.)com (Mac)
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups
Remove SearchThatUp(.)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 SearchThatUp(.)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 SearchThatUp(.)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 SearchThatUp(.)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 SearchThatUp(.)com will be removed.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups
Eliminate SearchThatUp(.)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.
Remove Push Notifications caused by SearchThatUp(.)com from Your Browsers.
Turn Off Push Notifications from Google Chrome
To disable any Push Notices from Google Chrome browser, please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Go to Settings in Chrome.
Step 2: In Settings, select “Advanced Settings”:
Step 3: Click “Content Settings”:
Step 4: Open “Notifications”:
Step 5: Click the three dots and choose Block, Edit or Remove options:
Remove Push Notifications on Firefox
Step 1: Go to Firefox Options.
Step 2: Go to “Settings”, type “notifications” in the search bar and click "Settings":
Step 3: Click “Remove” on any site you wish notifications gone and click “Save Changes”
Stop Push Notifications on Opera
Step 1: In Opera, press ALT+P to go to Settings.
Step 2: In Setting search, type “Content” to go to Content Settings.
Step 3: Open Notifications:
Step 4: Do the same as you did with Google Chrome (explained below):
Eliminate Push Notifications on Safari
Step 1: Open Safari Preferences.
Step 2: Choose the domain from where you like push pop-ups gone and change to "Deny" from "Allow".
SearchThatUp(.)com FAQ
What is SearchThatUp(.)com?
The SearchThatUp(.)com threat is adware or browser redirect virus. It may slow your computer down siginficantly and display advertisements. The main idea is for your information to likely get stolen or more ads to appear on your device.
The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your computer to visit risky or different types of websites that may generate them funds. This is why they do not even care what types of websites show up on the ads. This makes their unwanted software indirectly risky for your OS.
What are the symptoms of SearchThatUp(.)com?
There are several symptoms to look for when this particular threat and also unwanted apps in general are active:
Symptom #1: Your computer may become slow and has poor performance in general.
Symtpom #2: You have toolbars, add-ons or extensions on your web browsers that you don't remember adding.
Symptom #3: You see all types of ads, like ad-supported search results, pop-ups and redirects to randomly appear.
Symptom #4: You see installed apps on your Mac running automatically and you do not remember installing them.
Symptom #5: You see suspicious processes running in your Task Manager.
If you see one or more of those symptoms, then security experts reccomend that you check your computer for viruses.
What types of Unwanted Programs are there?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the threats that can currently affect your Mac can be the following types:
- Rogue Antivirus programs.
- Adware.
- Browser hijackers.
- Clickers.
- Fake optimizers.
What to do if I have a "virus" like SearchThatUp(.)com?
Do not panic! You can easily get rid of most adware or unwanted program threats by firstly isolating them and then removing them from your browser and computer. One reccomended way to do that is by using a reputable malware removal software that can take care of the removal automatically for you. There are many anti-malware apps out there that you can choose from. SpyHunter is one of the reccomended anti-malware apps, that can scan your computer for free and detect any viruses, tracking cookies and unwanted adware apps and eliminate them quickly. This saves time when compared to doing the removal manually.
How to secure my passwords and other data from SearchThatUp(.)com?
With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.
Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your e-mail passwords.
Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.
Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activiites with your card.
Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.
Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.
Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.
Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.
Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.
If you follow these reccomendations, your network and all devices will become significantly more secure against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
More tips you can find on our website, where you can also ask any questions and comment underneath the articles about your computer problems. We will try to respond as fast as possible.