Searchwarden.com is a browser hijacker. It is also a hoax search engine that uses an unknown search provider that doesn’t live to the expectation of web users. Thus, if Searchwarden.com was able to replace your current search tool, your online searching activities will be negatively affected. Obtaining accurate, fast, and useful search results may not be possible as long as Searchwarden.com is in charge of the browser program’s search functions.
Infiltration by Searchwarden.com
Downloading and installing freeware from doubtful sources can instate Searchwarden.com on the browser without the computer user’s knowledge. Makers of this questionable tool can discreetly combine the unwanted Search Warden browser extension to different freeware or shareware. They will host this malicious bundled app to different file servers and sites that computer users often downloads attractive software. Obviously, once the setup is run, Searchwarden.com can freely penetrate the system and make its ways up to the target internet browser applications.
Other means of spread techniques where computer users can accidentally acquire Searchwarden.com includes the deceitful pop-up advertisements. The ads directly promote Searchwarden.com as a valuable search tool and because there is a click-bait embedded in the pop-up ad, the suspicious program will instantly get installed on the browser when a web user accidentally clicks on it. Apart from direct marketing, there is also an indirect approach where Searchwarden.com installer file is embedded to fake software update. Same thing with the first infiltration method, the browser hijacker also gets installed secretly if web users download the supposed software update.
Risks of Searchwarden.com Hijacker
Files that may come along with Searchwarden.com can alter the settings of internet browser program. It will override the current preferences of web users and instill a forcible one. It makes unwanted changes on the homepage and search tool that intends to redirect browser pages to a number of malicious sites. Unfortunately, Searchwarden.com is connected to different online pages that are known carriers of threats including adware and malware.
It would be also a disturbance to web users when this infiltration causes an increase in ad display like aggressive pop-ups and persistent browser redirects. The only way to stop this annoyances would be to eradicate Searchwarden.com using the guide below. As instructed, you must find Search Warden browser extension and delete it from the browser program.
Procedures to Remove Searchwarden.com from Mac
This section contains comprehensive guide for Mac users. It will help you remove malicious browser hijacker from internet application.
Procedures on this page are written in a manner that can be easily understand and execute by Mac users.
Quick Fix - Scan the System with Combo Cleaner
Combo Cleaner is a trusted Mac utility application with complete antivirus and optimization features. It is useful in dealing with adware, malware, and PUP's. Moreover, it can get rid of malicious browser hijacker like Searchwarden.com. You may need to purchase full version if you require to maximize its premium features.
1. Download the tool from the following page:
2. Double-click the downloaded file and proceed with the installation.
3. In the opened window, drag and drop the Combo Cleaner icon onto your Applications folder icon.
4. Open your Launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon.
5. Wait until antivirus downloads it's latest virus definition updates and click on "Start Combo Scan" to start removing Searchwarden.com.
6. Free features of Combo Cleaner include Disk Cleaner, Big Files finder, Duplicate files finder, and Uninstaller. To use antivirus and privacy scanner, users have to upgrade to a premium version.
Proceed with the rest of the removal steps if you are comfortable in manually removing malicious objects associated with the threat.
Step 1 : Delete Searchwarden.com from Mac Applications
1. Go to Finder.
2. On the menu, click Go and then, select Applications from the list to open Applications Folder.
3. Find Searchwarden.com or any unwanted program.
4. Drag Searchwarden.com to Trash Bin to delete the application from Mac.
5. Right-click on Trash icon and click on Empty Trash.
Step 2 : Remove Browser Extensions that belongs to Searchwarden.com
1. Locate the add-on or extension that is relevant to the hijacker. To do this, please follow the following depending on affected browser.
Safari - Choose Preferences from the Safari menu, then click the Extensions icon. This will open a window showing all installed extensions.
Chrome - Select Preferences from the Chrome menu, and then click the Extensions link found on the left pane.
Firefox - Choose Add-ons from the Menu. Look at both the Extensions and Plug-ins lists when it opens a new window.
2. Once you have located Searchwarden.com or any suspicious items, click on Remove or Uninstall, to get rid of it.
3. Close the browser and proceed to the next steps.
Step 3 : Delete Malicious Files that have installed Searchwarden.com
1. Select and copy the string below to your Clipboard by pressing Command + C on your keyboard.
~/Library/LaunchAgents
2. Go to your Finder. From the menu bar please select Go > Go to Folder...
3. Press Command + V on your keyboard to paste the copied string. Press Return to go to the said folder.
4. You will now see a folder named LaunchAgents. Take note of the following files inside the folder:
- unknown.download.plist
- unknown.ltvbit.plist
- unknown.update.plist
- com.unknown
The term unknown is just a representation of the actual malware name. It is normally an unfamiliar file name such as the following:
- Search Warden, Search Guard
If you cannot find the specified file, please look for any unfamiliar or suspicious entries. It may be the one causing Searchwarden.com to be present on your Mac. Arranging all items to see the most latest ones may also help you identify recently installed unfamiliar files. Please press Option + Command + 4 on your keyboard to arrange the application list in chronological order.
Important: Take note of all the suspicious files as you may also delete the same item on another folder as we go on.
5. Drag all suspicious files that you may find to Trash.
6. Please restart the computer.
7. Open another folder using the same method as above. Copy and Paste the following string to easily locate the folder.
~/Library/Application Support
8. Look for any suspicious items that are similar to the ones in Step 4. Drag them to the Trash.
9. Repeat the process on the following non-hidden folders (without ~):
/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
/Library/Application Support
/Library/Preferences
Optional : For locked files that cannot be removed, do the following:
1. Go to Launchpad, Utilities folder, open Activity Monitor.
2. Select the process you want to quit.
3. Click on Force Quit button.
4. You may now delete or remove locked files that belongs to Searchwarden.com homepage hijacker.
Step 4 : Double-check with MBAM Tool for Mac
1. Download Malwarebytes Anti-malware for Mac from the link below.
2. Run Malwarebytes Anti-malware for Mac. It will check for updates and download if most recent version is available. This is necessary in finding recent malware threats including Searchwarden.com.
3. If it prompts to close all running web browser, please do so. Thus, we advise you to PRINT this guide for your reference before going offline.
4. Once it opens the user interface, please click on Scan button to start scanning your Mac computer.
5. After the scan, Malwarebytes Anti-malware for Mac will display a list of identified threats, Searchwarden.com is surely part of it. Be sure to select all items in the list. Then, click Remove button to clean the computer.
Step 5 : Remove Searchwarden.com from Homepage and Search
Safari
- Open your Safari browser.
- Go to Safari Menu located on upper left hand corner, and then select Preferences.
- Under General tab, navigate to Default Search Engine section and select Google or any valid search engine.
- Next, be sure that "New Windows Open With" field is set to Homepage.
- Lastly, remove Searchwarden.com from the Homepage field. Replace it with your preferred URL to be set as your default homepage.
Google Chrome
- Open Chrome browser.
- Type the following on the address bar and press Enter on keyboard : chrome://settings/
- Look for 'On Startup' area.
- Select 'Open a specific page or set of pages'.
- Click on More Actions and select Edit.
- Enter the desired web address as your home page, replacing Searchwarden.com. Click Save.
- To set default search engine, go to Search Engine area.
- Click on 'Manage search engines...' button.
- Go to questionable Search Engine. Click on More Actions and Click 'Remove from list'.
- Go back to Search Engine area and choose valid entry from Search engine used in the address bar.
Mozilla Firefox
- Run Mozilla Firefox browser.
- Type the following on the address bar and hit Enter on keyboard : about:preferences
- On Startup area, select 'Show your home page' under 'When Firefox starts' field.
- Under Home Page field, type the desired URL to replace Searchwarden.com settings.
- To configure default search engine, select Search on left sidebar to display settings.
- Under Default Search Engine list, please select one.
- On the same page, you have an option to Remove unwanted search engine.
Step 6 : Delete Searchwarden.com Login Items
Some browser hijacker may also install login item into compromised account under System Preferences. This object automatically runs Searchwarden.com during user log in.
1. Go to Apple menu and choose System Preferences.
2. Select Users & Groups from the preferences window.
3. You may need to Unlock this area in order to make changes. Click on the Lock icon on lower left corner of the window.
4. Next, select user account that runs Searchwarden.com.
5. Click on Login Items tab.
6. Select Searchwarden.com or any suspicious entries from the list and click on the minus [-] button and confirm your actions. Please see image below for reference.
Optional : If unable to change browser settings, execute these steps:
Some user complains that there is no way to change browser settings because it is grayed out by Searchwarden.com. In such situation, it is important to check if there is unwanted profile. Please do the following:
1. Quit any running applications and launch System Preferences from your Dock.
2. Under System Preferences, click Profiles.
3. Select , Searchwarden.com or any relevant profile from the left pane. See image below.
4. At the bottom of this window, click minus [-] button to delete the account. Please refer to image above.
5. Close the Profiles window and open the affected browser to change all settings associated with Searchwarden.com.
Searchwarden.com Removal Procedure for PC
Below is a systematic instruction that is very useful in getting rid of the potentially unwanted program (PUP) from compromised computer.
In order to totally eliminate the threat, it is vital to follow the process in exact manner.
Quick Fix - Scan the computer with Sophos Virus Removal Tool
To remove Searchwarden.com automatically, scanning the computer with this powerful malware and virus removal app is recommended. This scanner does not just uncover known threats like viruses or malware, it is also effective in discovering browser hijacker like Searchwarden.com that slows down online browsing activities.
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 Searchwarden.com.
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 Searchwarden.com and other suspicious entities. Be sure to remove all identified threats.
The above procedures should have totally eliminated the browser hijacker. However, if you still find that there are still remnants of Searchwarden.com on internet application, please proceed to manual removal of associated objects as outlined below.
Step 1 : Delete 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 Searchwarden.com.
Remove Searchwarden.com Extension from Google Chrome
1. Open Google Chrome browser.
2. Type chrome://extensions/ in the address bar and press Enter on keyboard.
3. Find Searchwarden.com or relevant entry and remove it from Google Chrome.
Uninstall Searchwarden.com Extension from 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 Searchwarden.com and remove it from the browser.
Remove Searchwarden.com 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 Searchwarden.com from Toolbars and Extension and Search Providers section.
4. Close the window and restart Internet Explorer.
If Searchwarden.com is still present on the IE browser, 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 Searchwarden.com or recently installed unwanted entry. Then, click on Uninstall to remove it from Windows system.
Step 2 : 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 Searchwarden.com on the browser that was not deleted during the preceding steps. This tool will scan the computer and check for presence of malicious applications.
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 Searchwarden.com.
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 Searchwarden.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.
