A browser plugin called Search InfoToday is promoted online as being useful for tracking down parcels or shipments right from the homepage and new tab window. It offers a readily accessible text area for entering the tracking number and a carrier to quickly determine the whereabouts of the delivery. The issue is that Search InfoToday can be installed on any web browser, even for users who have no interest in package tracing. They don’t knowingly install the software, but it manages to bypass authentication and take control of the browser settings. Against the user’s wishes, it makes Searchinfotoday.com the default homepage and search engine.
Infiltration method of adware
Search InfoToday was able to penetrate the computer using methods that most adware are exploiting – software bundles, aggressive advertisements, and misleading promotions. Though, the most operational is propagating Search InfoToday via freeware bundles. Unknown to majority of computer users, most of the free downloadable file from the internet are carrying additional applications. For example, downloading free games or media players will also install Search InfoToday because it is part of the software installer.
The problem is that when a user uses the installer’s default technique, an additional program automatically starts up on their computer without their knowledge. Computer security experts advise running the setup through the Advanced or Custom approach because this is the typical manner in which adware is able to infiltrate the system. Computer users will be able to see all the unnecessary apps clearly and decide whether to install them or not in this way.
Searchinfotoday.com takes over configuration and overrides settings for the homepage, new tab, and search tool as soon as it is integrated into the internet browser application. Additionally, malicious script is injected as a browser helper object, which can do the following things:
Exhibit Advertisements – Displaying advertisements and making money for its developers are both part of the payload of Search InfoToday. Immediately following the installation of this browser extension, pop-up advertisements, redirection, and push notifications will begin deluging the browser screen.
Track Browsing Data – Adware and potentially unwanted programs (PUP) are almost universally adept at monitoring web users’ online activities. Basic and private data, such as search terms, websites visited, IP addresses, usernames, and passwords, can be recorded by Search InfoToday.
Install Relevant Adware – Search InfoToday may send browser pages to websites that automate the download and installation of adware that is related to it and can be Discovertoday.co, Digupinfo.com, or Smartreadz.com.
We advise getting rid of this adware as soon as possible because we are aware of the dangers of having Search InfoToday installed on your internet browser. The following section outlines the steps to eliminate the threat.
Search InfoToday 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 browser hijacker and pop-ups.
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 browser hijacker like Search InfoToday 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 Search InfoToday, 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 Search InfoToday hijacker including all malicious objects from the computer.
Free features of Combo Cleaner for Windows includes 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 : Delete Search InfoToday 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 InfoToday.
Remove Search InfoToday 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 InfoToday or relevant entry and remove it from Google Chrome browser.
Uninstall Search InfoToday 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 InfoToday and remove it from the browser.
After deleting the malicious browser extension, it is expected that Search InfoToday is also gone from the homepage.
Remove Search InfoToday 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 InfoToday from Toolbars and Extension. Additionally, delete unwanted entry from Search Providers section.
4. Close the window and restart Internet Explorer.
If Search InfoToday is still present on the IE browser and there are still unwanted homepage and pop-ups, 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 InfoToday 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 InfoToday automatically, scanning the computer with this powerful anti-virus tool is recommended. This scanner does not just uncover known threats like viruses or malware, it is also effective in discovering browser hijacker like Search InfoToday 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 Search InfoToday.
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 InfoToday and other suspicious entities. Be sure to remove all identified threats.
The above procedures should have totally eliminated the Search InfoToday browser hijacker. However, if you found that there are still remnants of the threat, 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 InfoToday 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 hijacking, redirects, and 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 InfoToday.
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 InfoToday. It will also check for suspicious entries on browser settings that is associated with the hijacker.
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 Search InfoToday. 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 InfoToday. 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 InfoToday. 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 InfoToday.
5. Close the existing tab and restart Google Chrome. That should have removed Search InfoToday 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 InfoToday. 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 InfoToday 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 InfoToday and other unknown objects. If you prefer to carry out the procedure manually, please add-on removal from Internet Explorer.
Get rid of Searchinfotoday.com Pop-ups (Notification)
Most of the time, browser hijackers are combined with intrusive pop-up ads originating from the source website Searchinfotoday.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 Searchinfotoday.com are extra ordinary as it exceeds the normal display volume and they are certainly annoying.
Normally, Searchinfotoday.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 Searchinfotoday.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 Searchinfotoday.com.
3. Click the ellipses (3 dots) beside Searchinfotoday.com list to reveal the options.
4. Click on Block or Remove to stop Searchinfotoday.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 Searchinfotoday.com entry and change the Status to Block.
5. Click on Save Changes and restart Mozilla Firefox and check if Searchinfotoday.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 Searchinfotoday.com.
6. You may choose to Deny or Remove it from the notification list.
7. You may now restart Safari browser and see if Searchinfotoday.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 Searchinfotoday.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.
