Search Swapper is known to be a potentially unwanted program that spreads rapidly over the Internet. Adware like this are deployed using freeware. Method called bundling is used by Search Swapper author to install their program alongside shareware. By adding their code onto free software, computer users will not get a hint that several unwanted programs are being installed on the system.
Search Swapper is endorsed as a tool to help you switch between search engines instantly. But the true purpose of this program is to generate profit by displaying various ads once it is installed on the computer. It mainly attacks Google Chrome browser both for Macintosh and Microsoft systems. Adjustments are made on browser program so that Search Swapper will load as an extension. In that effect, changes on default settings are obvious. Home page and start-up page will reveal unknown search engine. New tabs may also show the same symptoms. Browser redirects may also be in effect during the presence of Search Swapper adware.
No matter how you reset browser settings to default value, Search Swapper will still reign on Internet browser program. It will carry on with its operation and issue excessive advertisements like pop-ups, banners, and links. Above all, Search Swapper exposes your online data to attacker. The adware may record your browsing activities like surfing habit, web site visited, key words, and other online credentials.
Removing Search Swapper is vital when presence is observed on your computer. As mentioned, if resetting your browser to default settings is not effective, we highly suggest that you scan the system with anti-virus and anti-malware tools. Complete guide to remove Search Swapper is presented on this page.
Search Swapper 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 Search Swapper 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 Swapper, 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 Swapper 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 Search Swapper, you may disable only Apps and Extensions data. Please restart Google Chrome browser.
Step 2 : Delete Search Swapper 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 Search Swapper. If it is not present, look for and delete any suspicious browser extension.
Remove Search Swapper 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 Swapper or relevant entry and remove it from Google Chrome browser.
Uninstall Search Swapper 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 Swapper 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 Search Swapper 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 Search Swapper or recently installed unwanted entry. Then, click on Uninstall to remove it from Windows system.
If Search Swapper 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 Search Swapper 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 Search Swapper 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 Search Swapper.
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 Search Swapper.
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 Swapper and other suspicious entities. Be sure to remove all identified threats.
The above procedures should have totally eliminated the Search Swapper 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 Search Swapper 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 Search Swapper.
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 Swapper. 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 Search Swapper. 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 Search Swapper. 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 Swapper. 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 Swapper.
5. Close the existing tab and restart Google Chrome. That should have removed Search Swapper 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 Swapper. 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 Swapper 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 Swapper and other unknown objects. If you prefer to carry out the procedure manually, please add-on removal from Internet Explorer.
