Search Goose is a potentially unwanted program (PUP) being utilize for the purpose of redirecting web users to several kinds of unusual pages relating to frauds, phishing, and malware sites.Online users browser application could end up on web sites they do not commonly visit including online gambling sites, adult oriented pages, survey sites, and similar. It all happened because Search Goose was developed to initiate traffic referral scheme where its authors are getting paid for each visit.
Search Goose infection
If you wonder how Search Goose was able to obtain access on the computer on its own, it has several sneaky methods to get in even without the authorization. One of the most applied techniques to distribute Search Goose is by incorporating it to freeware, which is technically called “bundling“. The free software is then hosted on several file-downloading sites while using deceptive context to charm web users and sway them to download and install the free software. Unknown to user, the setup process would include Search Goose so it gets onboard easily and discreetly. Its sudden presence on internet browser application is the main reason why computer users supposed the scenario as virus infection.
Searchgoose.com hijacker
In theory, Search Goose is not a computer virus. Computer security analysts prefer to place it under the category of PUP. In the first place, Search Goose is not contagious. After its successful installation on the browser, Search Goose remains as internet program extension but acts dominantly in taking over the browser functions. It assigns Searchgoose.com as the default homepage, new tab, and search engine. Thus, Searchgoose.com processes the online searches and so far, it does not look good. Before it reveals the actual search outcome, it redirects to several questionable servers that seems suspicious.
Search Goose may also cause browsing distraction due to excessive display of advertisements that overlays the view of web users. Layers or pop-up ads and push notifications would show up on the screen. Unfortunately, some of these ads may land the browser page to harmful sites that were designed to automatically download malware on visitor’s computer. Therefore, we suggest removal of Search Goose at once. For full instructions, please see the next segment. Also included are virus and malware scanners to help find and delete concealed harmful objects associated to Search Goose hijacker.
Search Goose Removal Procedure
Below is a systematic instruction that is very useful in getting rid of the potentially unwanted program (PUP) from compromised Windows computer. Aside from removing the malicious browser extension, this guide is also helpful in deleting Searchgoose.com hijacker and pop-ups.
In order to totally eliminate the threat, it is vital to follow the process in exact manner.
Step 1 : Delete Search Goose Browser Extension
Most adware and unwanted programs are using a program called browser extension to be able to take over the settings of internet applications. Therefore, we highly recommend to check and remove the extension that is closely related to Search Goose.
Remove Search Goose Extension from Google Chrome
1. Open Google Chrome browser.
2. Type chrome://extensions/ in the address bar and press Enter on keyboard.
3. Find Search Goose or relevant entry like Searchgoose.com and remove it from Google Chrome browser.
Uninstall Search Goose Extension from Mozilla Firefox
1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. Type about:addons in the address bar and press Enter on keyboard.
3. Choose Extensions on sidebar menu.
4. Look for object that is pertaining to Search Goose and remove it from the browser.
After deleting the malicious browser extension, it is expected that Searchgoose.com is also gone from the homepage.
Remove Search Goose Add-ons from Internet Explorer and Edge Browser
1. Open Internet Explorer program.
2. Go to top Menu and click Tools. Then, select Manage Add-ons from the drop-down list.
3. Look for and Remove or Disable entries of Search Goose from Toolbars and Extension. Additionally, delete Searchgoose.com from Search Providers section.
4. Close the window and restart Internet Explorer.
If Search Goose is still present on the IE browser and there are still homepage and pop-ups originating from Searchgoose.com, another option is to remove the adware from Windows Control Panel.
5. Press Windows Key + R and then, type appwiz.cpl command.
6. Program and Features window will open. Arrange the list in chronological manner with recently installed applications on top. To do this, click on 'Installed On' column.
7. Select Search Goose or recently installed unwanted entry. Then, click on Uninstall to remove it from Windows system.
Step 2 : Scan the computer with Sophos Antivirus
To remove Search Goose automatically, checking the computer with this powerful malware scanner recommended. This security application does not just uncover known threats like viruses or malware, it is also effective in discovering browser hijacker that assigns Searchgoose.com as the homepage URL.
1. Download Sophos Virus Removal Tool from the link below. Save the file on your computer where you can easily access it.
2. Once the download completes, browse the location of the file. Double-click to run the program and begin the install process.
3. On first windows of installation wizard, click Next to continue. Then, it will display the program’s License Agreement. You need to Accept the terms in order to proceed. If Windows prompts for User Account Control, please click Yes to proceed.
4. On succeeding windows, click Next or Continue to carry on with the installation. After completing the installation process, Launch Sophos Virus Removal Tool.
5. Internet connection is required when running this scanner in order to download important updates. Make sure that everything is up-to-date to effectively remove malicious program like Search Goose.
6. Click the button to carry out the Scan. This will check the system for presence of malicious objects, malware, and viruses. The tool reveals items that were found linked to Search Goose and other suspicious entities. Be sure to remove all identified threats.
The above procedures should have totally eliminated the Search Goose browser hijacker. However, if you found that there are still remnants of the threat and Searchgoose.com still exists on internet application, please proceed to manual removal of associated objects as outlined below.
Step 3 : Scan and Delete Adware with AdwCleaner
In addition to the procedure, we suggest scanning the computer with AdwCleaner tool. Possibly, there are some traces of Search Goose on the browser that was not deleted during the preceding steps. This tool will scan the computer and check for presence of malicious applications as well as invalid browser entries that produces Searchgoose.com pop-ups.
1. Follow the link below to download the tool called AdwCleaner.
2. When the download has completed, please close all running programs on the computer especially browsers affected by Search Goose.
3. Browse the location of the downloaded file and double-click on adwcleaner_Ver.exe to start running the tool. Then, click on Scan button.
4. AdwCleaner searches the computer for malicious programs, extensions, plug-ins, adware, and any items that may be associated to Search Goose. It will also check for suspicious entries on browser settings that is associated with Searchgoose.com.
5. Clean or Remove all suspicious and harmful items identified after the thorough scan.
6. After the cleanup procedure, rebooting the computer is required to finalize the removal of detected threats.
Check if your internet browser application is no longer being bothered by Searchgoose.com. If the browser hijacker still persists, please continue with the steps below to reset internet programs to default settings.
Optional : Reset Internet Browser Program
Cleaning your internet browser from clutter and unwanted add-on/extension is a must when dealing with Search Goose. The procedure below discuss on resetting various browsers to its default state.
Restore Google Chrome to Default Settings
Resetting Google Chrome to default settings is helpful in deleting hard-to-remove extension such as from Search Goose. This method is highly advisable to perform if you have difficulty in removing unwanted extension.
1. Open Google Chrome Internet browser.
2. On the address bar, type chrome://settings/reset and press Enter key.
3. Under Reset and clean up section, choose Restore settings to their original defaults.
4. Click Reset settings button to clear all entries of Search Goose.
5. Close the existing tab and restart Google Chrome. That should have removed Search Goose extension and associated objects.
Reset Mozilla Firefox to Default
This section describes how to remove unwanted extension from Firefox that may be related to Search Goose. This process can fix many browser issues by restoring Firefox to factory settings without affecting your essential information (bookmarks, browsing history, passwords, and Internet cookies) on the browser. If you desire to remove only specific extension, please see manual removal of add-on from Firefox.
1. Input the string about:support on Firefox web address and press Enter on keyboard.
2. You will now see the Troubleshooting Information page of Mozilla Firefox.
3. You will notice a section on upper-right corner of the screen stating Give Firefox a tune up. Click the Refresh Firefox button.
4. If confirmation window appears, click Refresh Firefox to continue.
5. Firefox browser will close and start the resetting process. When done, it will display a list of restored data. Search Goose should be gone by now. Click Finish to open a fresh version of Firefox.
Restore Internet Explorer to Default Settings
1. Open Internet Explorer and navigate to top menu. Click Tools, and then Internet Options.
2. Select Advanced tab on Internet Options window.
3. On lower part of the window, under Reset Internet Explorer Settings area, click the Reset button. Please see image for reference.
Your data like favorites, bookmark, and history will remain in the browser. However, this process may delete add-ons by Search Goose and other unknown objects. If you prefer to carry out the procedure manually, please add-on removal from Internet Explorer.
Clear the Safari Internet Browser (Mac)
1. Open your Safari browser application.
2. In the Safari menu, click on Preferences from the drop-down list.
3. On Preferences window, please select the Privacy tab.
4. Click on Manage Website Data button.
5. Select unwanted entry like Search Goose and click the Remove button. If you choose to Remove All, you may be logout from most visited websites and online services. Therefore, we advise to remove suspicious item one at a time to prevent changing behavior towards your favorite websites.
6. If it prompts, please confirm your actions.
7. Next, we will need to clear the Cache. Back at the Safari Preferences window, choose Advanced tab.
8. Navigate to the bottom and activate Show Develop menu in menu bar.
9. Go to Safari menu, choose on Develop from the drop down list and click on on Empty Caches.
10. Next thing to do is to restore the Homepage to your preference and remove the one from Search Goose.
11. Back at the Safari Preferences window, click on General tab.
12. Under Homepage section, type your desired URL to be the default start-up page.
13. Lastly, make sure to have the right Search Engine.
14. Go back to Safari Preferences window and click on Search tab.
15. Select your desired Search tool under the Search engine section.
16. You may not restart Safari browser.
How to remove Searchgoose.com Pop-ups (Notification)
Most of the time, browser hijackers are combined with intrusive pop-up ads originating from the source website Searchgoose.com. It is taking advantage of push notification feature of popular internet programs like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or Edge. These pop-up ads from Searchgoose.com are extra ordinary as it exceeds the normal display volume and they are certainly annoying.
Normally, Searchgoose.com pop-ups will start to bombard internet browser screen with pop-ups if web user was deceived to click “Allow” button that triggers the said website to send push notification. To stop Searchgoose.com from showing the pop-ups, please execute the procedures below. Remember, these steps may only be successful after the removal of the main component or dubious browser extension.
Google Chrome
1. On Google Chrome browser, input the following in the address bar and press Enter:
chrome://settings/content/notifications
2. Navigate to the list under "Allow" section and look for Searchgoose.com.
3. Click the ellipses (3 dots) beside Searchgoose.com list to reveal the options.
4. Click on Block or Remove to stop Searchgoose.com from displaying pop-up ads on Google Chrome browser.
6. Please restart Google Chrome browser.
Mozilla Firefox
1. On Mozilla Firefox browser, type the following in the address bar and press Enter key:
about:preferences#privacy
2. Navigate below to Permission area and look for Notifications.
3. Click the Settings button aligned with the Notifications.
4. Look for Searchgoose.com entry and change the Status to Block.
5. Click on Save Changes and restart Mozilla Firefox and check if Searchgoose.com pop-up is gone.
Safari (Mac)
1. On top menu, click on Safari and then, select Preferences from the drop-down list.
2. Click on Websites tab to open its settings.
3. Select Notifications from the left sidebar.
4. On right panel, it will display a list of websites with "Allow" attribute.
5. Find and click on Searchgoose.com.
6. You may choose to Deny or Remove it from the notification list.
7. You may now restart Safari browser and see if Searchgoose.com pop-up is gone.
Microsoft Edge
1. Assuming that Edge browser is open, click on the ellipses (3 dots) on upper right corner to open the Settings. Alternatively, you can press Alt + X on the keyboard.
2. Select Settings from the drop-down list.
3. Click on Advanced.
4. Under Website Permissions area, click on Manage Permissions button.
4. Find and select Searchgoose.com from the list. Click on X button to stop it from showing pop-up ads or notifications.
5. You may now restart Edge browser.
