Private Net Search offers endless ways to protect your privacy while surfing the web. This tool asserts to direct your online search to their secured and encrypted network. Thus, search result it delivers is not tracked. Private Net Search seems to be a valuable tool but we see danger because it appears to be associated with some adware.
Often times, Private Net Search spreads on the internet via bundled programs. It may come with free tools, games, software updates, media players, and so on. Freeware and shareware are the most accountable for the deployment of Private Net Search. Therefore, beware of such programs particularly those that are offered on infamous websites.
In addition, installing Private Net Search on the computer can cause certain annoyances. For example, this program will alter your homepage without permission. Instead of your preferred one, it will reveal an unwanted search engine called Home.privatenetsearch.com. All of these changes are made possible with the installation of Private Net Search extension. So far, it is only compatible with Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers.
Presence of Private Net Search and its functionalities are still questionable. It is still unproven if the program can really keep your online browsing private. In fact, Private Net Search is also guilty of such privacy violations. Moreover, it can display various advertisements that can lead your browser to dubious sites.
Never tolerate such illicit activities by Private Net Search. Remove this program from your browser and computer as soon as possible before it can add more harm. Also, remember that Private Net Search may come with other adware that are already causing danger to your system. Below, you will find effective ways to uninstall Private Net Search. Scanning the computer with suggested tools will help you find and delete unknown adware.
Private Net Search Removal Procedure
Below is a systematic instruction that is very useful in getting rid of the Adware from compromised Windows computer. Aside from removing the malicious browser extension, this guide is also helpful in deleting pop-ups and redirects.
In order to totally eliminate the threat, it is vital to follow the process in exact manner.
Quick Fix - Scan the PC with Combo Cleaner for Windows
Combo Cleaner is a trusted PC security and optimization tool equipped with powerful virus and malware detection engine. This program can get rid of adware like Private Net Search through this procedure.
1. Download the application from the following page:
2. Save the file to your preferred location.
3. Double-click the downloaded file CCSetup.exe and install with the default settings.
4. At the end of the setup process, click Finish to run Combo Cleaner.
5. The tool will update the signature file, please wait for this process to complete.
6. To begin checking for threats like Private Net Search, click on the Start Scan button. Wait for this scan to finish.
7. At the end of the scan process, click on Remove all threats to delete Private Net Search adware including all malicious objects from the computer.
Free features of Combo Cleaner for Windows include Disk Cleaner, Big Files finder, Duplicate files finder, and Uninstaller. To use antivirus, privacy scanner, and to delete identified threats, users have to upgrade to a premium version.
Please continue with the succeeding removal procedures if your are comfortable to manually get rid of the threat and malicious items linked with it.
Step 1 : Turn Off Sync on Google Chrome
1. Open Google Chrome browser.
2. In the address bar please type the following: chrome://settings/syncSetup
3. On Settings page, click the Turn off button to disable syncing Chrome settings between devices.
If in case that you don't want to stop syncing other sections like Apps, Bookmarks, History, Theme, and so on, please click on Manager what you sync. Next, select Customize sync. To successfully remove Private Net Search, you may disable only Apps and Extensions data. Please restart Google Chrome browser.
Step 2 : Delete Private Net Search or Suspicious 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 Private Net Search. If it is not present, look for and delete any suspicious browser extension.
Remove Private Net Search Extension from Google Chrome
1. Open Google Chrome browser.
2. Type chrome://extensions/ in the address bar and press Enter on keyboard.
3. Find Private Net Search or relevant entry and remove it from Google Chrome browser.
Uninstall Private Net Search 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 Private Net Search and remove it from the browser.
After deleting the malicious browser extension, it is expected that pop-ups and other troubles are gone from the browser.
Remove Private Net Search from Windows (Internet Explorer or Edge Browser)
1. Press Windows Key + R and then, type appwiz.cpl command.
2. 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.
3. Select Private Net Search or recently installed unwanted entry. Then, click on Uninstall to remove it from Windows system.
If Private Net Search is still present on the IE browser and there are still homepage and pop-ups, another option is to remove the adware from the browser settings.
4. Open Internet Explorer program.
5. Go to top Menu and click Tools. Then, select Manage Add-ons from the drop-down list.
6. Look for and Remove or Disable entries of Private Net Search from Toolbars and Extension. Additionally, delete the same object from Search Providers section.
7. Close the window and restart Internet Explorer.
Step 3 : Scan the computer with Sophos Antivirus
To remove Private Net Search automatically, scanning the computer with this powerful virus and malware removal tool is recommended. This scanner does not just uncover known threats like viruses or malware, it is also effective in discovering adware like Private Net Search.
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 adware like Private Net Search.
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 Private Net Search and other suspicious entities. Be sure to remove all identified threats.
The above procedures should have totally eliminated the Private Net Search adware. However, if you found that there are still remnants of the threat, please proceed to the succeeding procedures below.
Step 4 : 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 Private Net Search 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 annoying 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 Private Net Search.
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 Private Net Search. It will also check for suspicious entries on browser settings.
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 Private Net Search. If the adware 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 Private Net Search. 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 Private Net Search. 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 Private Net Search.
5. Close the existing tab and restart Google Chrome. That should have removed Private Net Search extension and associated objects.
Reset Mozilla Firefox to Default
This section describes how to remove unwanted extension from Firefox that may be related to Private Net Search. 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. Private Net Search 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 Private Net Search and other unknown objects. If you prefer to carry out the procedure manually, please add-on removal from Internet Explorer.
