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Safesear.ch Hijacker – Removal Instructions

by   |  September 15, 2015  |  0 Comments   ad-supported application, adware, browser hijacker, PUP

Name Safesear.ch
Type Browser Hijacker
Short Description Safesear.ch hijacker may be ad-supported.
Symptoms Displaying of advertised content. Changed home page.
Distribution Method Bundling, redirects, etc.
Detection tool Download Malware Removal Tool, to See If Your System Has Been Affected By Safesear.ch

safesearSafesear.ch may be brought by yet another browser hijacker that is meant to take over your computer and display annoying adverts based on tracking technologies on your computer. More so, it is believed to slow the computer down and situate objects in the Microsoft Windows Registry Editor that may make it harder to uninstall manually. Experts strongly advise taking advantage of reputable and updated anti-malware programs to remove this threat thoroughly from your computer.

Safesear.ch – How Did I Become Affected?

One way to be affected by this hijacker is by downloading a free program from a third-party software providing the website. Some sites offer application bundling as a marketing service and provide them with free ‘extras’. More to it than that, this particular search engine may become your new tab and home page if you have been redirected to a suspicious site, promising to improve your browsing experience. You may have also had the option to download it in the form of a plugin to watch an online video. This is very common for social network spam bots who advertise such suspicious extensions via posts.

Safesear.ch – What Does It Do?

As far as we have discovered, this particular search engine provides results from search.yahoo.com, i.e. it does not have its search database. It does not insert cookies on your computer, but there is a possibility that the browser hijacker that may have set it as your homepage does. One of the clues that point out to this is that the connection to the search engine is not encrypted:

safesear.ch-connection

Experts believe that this particular search engine is used by browser hijackers to induce ad-supported search results or for black SEO. I may also track the user’s search keystrokes to display targeted ads.

All of the advertisements and redirects caused by a safesear.ch browser hijacker lead to other third-party sites. They also mention sharing user information with certain trusted ones in their privacy policy:

privacy policy

The reason this app is unsafe is those very third parties and the damages they can cause to the user PC. They may infect it with malware using different methods and strategies to download it onto a device, making it utterly defenceless. Also, such sites are strongly believed to have the possibility to scam users out of their money by obtaining financial data, or subscribing users to expensive SMS services and expensive customer support calls.

Removing Safesear.ch

To remove Safesear.ch browser hijacker by hand, make sure that you follow the step-by-step removal manual below. It is an advisable mean for manual removal. Also, another important advice is to ensure you have the necessary equipment for removal. This includes a reliable anti-malware tool that is regularly updated and won’t let you down when there are new possible intrusions in your systems. And it is advisable always to keep up to date with the latest methods of infection from malware since this environment is constantly changing.

Step 1: Remove/Uninstall Safesear.ch in Windows

Here is a method in few easy steps to remove that program. No matter if you are using Windows 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 get left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, mistakes 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:

  • Hold the Windows Logo Button and “R” on your keyboard. A Pop-up window will appear (fig.1).

    • uninstall-virus-fig1

  • In the field type in “appwiz.cpl” and press ENTER (fig.2).

    • uninstall-virus-fig2

  • This will open a window with all the programs installed on the PC.
    Select the program that you want to remove, and press “Uninstall” (fig.3).

    • uninstall-virus-fig3

    Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall Safesear.ch.

    Step 2: Remove Safesear.ch from your browser

    Remove a toolbar from Mozilla FirefoxRemove a toolbar from Google Chrome Remove a toolbar from Internet Explorer Remove a toolbar from Safari
    Start Mozilla Firefox Open the menu window

    uninstall-fig4

    Select the “Add-ons” icon from the menu

    uninstall-fig5

    Select Safesear.ch and click “Remove”

    uninstall-fig6

    After Safesear.ch is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red “X” in the top right corner and start it again.

    Start Google Chrome and Open the drop menu

    uninstall-fig7

  • Move the cursor over “Tools” and then from the extended menu choose “Extensions“

    • uninstall-fig8

  • From the opened “Extensions” menu locate Safesear.ch and click on the garbage bin icon on the right of it.

    • uninstall-fig9

  • After Safesear.ch is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red “X” in the top right corner and start it again.

    • Start Internet Explorer:

  • Click “‘Tools’ to open the drop menu and select ‘Manage Add-ons’

    • uninstall-fig10

  • In the ‘Manage Add-ons’ window, make sure that in the first window ‘Add-on Types’, the drop menu ‘Show’ is on ‘All add-ons’

    • uninstall-fig11

    Select Safesear.ch to remove, and then click ‘Disable’. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected toolbar, and some additional toolbars might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click ‘Disable’.

    uninstall-fig12

    After Safesear.ch has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red ‘X’ in the top right corner and start it again.

    Start Safari

    Open the drop menu by clicking on the sprocket icon in the top right corner.
    uninstall-fig13

    From the drop menu select ‘Preferences’
    In the new window select ‘Extensions’
    Click once on Safesear.ch
    Click ‘Uninstall’

    uninstall-fig14

    A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall Safesear.ch. Select ‘Uninstall’ again, and the Safesear.ch will be removed.

    In order to remove any associated objects that are left after uninstall and detect any other threats, you should:

    Step 3: Start Your PC in Safe Mode to Remove Safesear.ch.

    Removing Safesear.ch from Windows XP, Vista, 7 systems:

    1. Remove all CDs and DVDs, and then Restart your PC from the “Start” menu.
    2. Select one of the two options provided below:

    – For PCs with a single operating system: Press “F8” repeatedly after the first boot screen shows up during the restart of your computer. In case the Windows logo appears on the screen, you have to repeat the same task again.

    – For PCs with multiple operating systems: Тhe arrow keys will help you select the operating system you prefer to start in Safe Mode. Press “F8” just as described for a single operating system.

    3. As the “Advanced Boot Options” screen appears, select the Safe Mode option you want using the arrow keys. As you make your selection, press “Enter“.
    4. Log on to your computer using your administrator account

    While your computer is in Safe Mode, the words “Safe Mode” will appear in all four corners of your screen.

    Removing Safesear.ch from Windows 8, 8.1 and 10 systems:

    Substep 1:

    Open the Start Menu
    Windows-10-0 (1)

    Substep 2:

    Whilst holding down Shift button, click on Power and then click on Restart.

    Substep 3:

    After reboot, the aftermentioned menu will appear. From there you should choose Troubleshoot.
    Windows-10-1-257x300

    Substep 4:

    You will see the Troubleshoot menu. From this menu you can choose Advanced Options.
    Windows-10-2 (1)

    Substep 5:

    After the Advanced Options menu appears, click on Startup Settings.
    Windows-10-3 (1)

    Substep 6:

    Click on Restart.
    Windows-10-5 (1)

    Substep 7:

    A menu will appear upon reboot. You should choose Safe Mode by pressing its corresponding number and the machine will restart and boot into Safe Mode so you can scan for and remove Safesear.ch.

    Step 4: Remove Safesear.ch automatically by downloading an advanced anti-malware program.

    To clean your computer you should download an updated anti-malware program on a safe PC and then install it on the affected computer in offline mode. After that you should boot into safe mode and scan your computer to remove all Safesear.ch associated objects.

    NOTE! Substantial notification about the Safesear.ch threat: Manual removal of Safesear.ch requires interference with system files and registries. Thus, it can cause damage to your PC. Even if your computer skills are not at a professional level, don’t worry. You can do the removal yourself just in 5 minutes, using a malware removal tool.
    Avatar

    Berta Bilbao

    Berta is a dedicated malware researcher, dreaming for a more secure cyber space. Her fascination with IT security began a few years ago when a malware locked her out of her own computer.

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    Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer

    How to Remove Safesear.ch from Windows.

    Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Safesear.ch

    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 Safesear.ch 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 Safesear.ch 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 Safesear.ch 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 Safesear.ch with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

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

    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.

    SpyHunter5-update-2018

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

    SpyHunter5-Free-Scan-2018

    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.

    SpyHunter-5-Free-Scan-Next-2018

    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

    Get rid of Safesear.ch from Mac OS X.

    Step 1: Uninstall Safesear.ch 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 Safesear.ch:

    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 Safesear.ch. 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 Safesear.ch. 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 Safesear.ch 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 Safesear.ch. 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 Safesear.ch files from your Mac

    When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Safesear.ch, 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 Safesear.ch:


    Download

    SpyHunter for Mac


    Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer

    Remove Safesear.ch 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

    Erase Safesear.ch 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

    Uninstall Safesear.ch 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

    Remove Safesear.ch 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".

    stf-safari preferences

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

    stf-safari-extensions

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

    Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.

    stf-safari uninstall

    A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the Safesear.ch 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

    Eliminate Safesear.ch 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.

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