Google Chrome browser extension named SearchSmart is considered one of the many unwanted programs that belong to the family of adware. This time, it misleads computer users by claiming to provide fast, easy, and convenient search results. It can sneak onto the computer while taking advantage of free programs currently offered on various websites. Once user executes the freeware where it is bundled, SearchSmart immediately modifies certain settings on Google Chrome. Most affected is the homepage, which will present a new homepage and supersede the preferred settings of the user.
SearchSmart is a search hijacker
In addition, SearchSmart overrules the default search engine. When searching the web, this adware redirects all inquiries to an alternative search provider called WebCrawler, where customized search outcomes include paid links and other promotional materials. Adware makers intend to confuse web users so that they may not distinguish result links from paid links. As such, users may unintentionally click on links that can generate profit via a pay-per-click scheme.
Ads by SearchSmart
As you can see, the existence of SearchSmart is merely to gain revenue online. Although it is promoted as a tool that enhances the online browsing experience, whether you are looking for localized results or not, the real intention is to present advertisements. This deceiving money-making scheme by SearchSmart keeps annoying so many users who have the extension on their browser. Therefore, these victims are in need of a quick and effective solution to get rid of the adware. For this reason, we are publishing the most efficient way to remove SearchSmart from the browser as well as computer systems. Our procedures will not only take out the Adware. Much more, we aspire to remove suspicious freeware that established SearchSmart. Please follow the guide in exact order to ensure the complete removal of all malicious programs from the computer.
SearchSmart Removal Procedure
In this section, we will provide effective guidelines to get rid of the threat from an infected computer. To automatically remove SearchSmart, you may download the recommended scanner. For comprehensive instructions, please execute the manual step-by-step procedures.
Instant Removal : Scan the computer with antivirus program
Combo Cleaner is a trusted computer security and optimization tool equipped with a powerful virus and malware detection engine. This program can get rid of SearchSmart browser hijacker and similar threats, whether it has infected PC, Mac, Android, or iOS.
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 database file; please wait for this process to complete.
6. To begin checking for threats like SearchSmart, 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 SearchSmart, including all harmful objects from the computer.
To fully optimize the features of antivirus and privacy scanners, users may have to upgrade to the premium version.
Please continue with the succeeding removal procedures if you are comfortable manually getting rid of the adware and malicious items linked to it.
Manual Removal : Steps to get rid of SearchSmart
The steps below will guide you to manually remove SearchSmart without having to purchase a recommended virus scanner. We have tested the procedures; hence, the attackers may make modifications overtime. As a result, terms, names, and images in the guide may differ from what users are seeing recently.
The procedure may require you to close the browser or restart the computer; therefore, we are suggesting to Bookmark or Print this page.Step 1 : Turn Off Sync on Google Chrome
At this point, it is crucial to turn off Google Sync to prevent SearchSmart from restoring if in case it has exploited this feature. Follow the procedures below to sign out and turn off sync.
1. Open Google Chrome application.
2. On top address bar, please type the following:
chrome://settings/syncSetup
3. Once you are in the Sync and Google Services, click on the Turn Off button.
4. If it prompts for the confirmation, click on Turn Off once again.
5. The process will turn off the sync and logout the Google account as well. Please restart Google Chrome browser and proceed with the remaining steps.
Step 2 : Remove the malicious Extension from interent browser
Most adware and unwanted programs use an application called a "browser extension" to be able to take over the settings of internet applications. Therefore, we highly recommend checking and removing the extension that is closely related to SearchSmart. If it is not present, look for and delete any suspicious browser extension.
Google Chrome
For Google Chrome Browser
1. Open the Google Chrome browser.
2. Input the strings below in the address bar and press Enter on the keyboard:
chrome://extensions
3. Look for SearchSmart or a relevant entry and remove it from Google Chrome.
Microsoft Edge
For Microsoft Edge Browser
1. On your keyboard, press Windows Key + R. Type the appwiz.cpl command and click OK.
2. The Program and Features window will open. Arrange the list in a chronological manner, with recently installed applications on top. To do this, click on the 'Installed On' column.
3. Select SearchSmart or a recently installed suspicious entry from the list.
4. Click on Uninstall to remove it from the Windows system.
If SearchSmart is still present on the browser and unwanted homepage and pop-ups persist, another option is to remove the hijacker from the browser settings.
5. Open the Microsoft Edge program.
6. Input the following string in the address bar and press Enter on the keyboard:
edge://extensions/
7. Look for and Remove or Disable entries for SearchSmart from the Installed Extensions area.
8. You may now close the window and restart the Microsoft Edge browser.
Mozilla Firefox
For Mozilla Firefox Browser
1. Open the Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. Type or copy and paste the strings below in the address bar and press Enter on the keyboard:
about:addons
3. Click on Extensions from the sidebar menu.
4. Look for an entry that pertains to SearchSmart and Disable or Remove it from the browser using the options button.
Opera
For Opera Browser
1. Open the Opera internet browser program.
2. In the address bar, type or copy and paste the text below. Press Enter on your keyboard.
opera://extensions
3. Find the malicious extension and then, click on Remove button to delete it from the Opera browser.
Step 3 : Scan the computer with Sophos Home Antivirus
To remove SearchSmart 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 SearchSmart.
1. Please click on the link below to download the program.
2. After downloading, locate the file SophosInstall.exe in the Downloads folder.
3. Install by double-clicking on the file.
4. If it prompts "Do you want to allow this app to make changes on your device?" please click Yes.
5. Next, it will display the Terms and Conditions page. Click the Install button to begin.
6. Run the installation with the default settings. Please note that an internet connection is required in order to download important updates.
7. After finishing the installation, you must login to the dashboard. If you already have a Sophos account, please login. Otherwise, please enter your details and click on the Create Account button.
8. Once you are in the Sophos Home console, click the Scan button to start checking the computer for SearchSmart components.
9. Scanning may take a while; please wait for this process to finish.
10. After scanning the computer, Sophos Home will start cleaning or deleting files infected with SearchSmart.
11. You may now close Sophos Home. The computer is now free from SearchSmart, as well as associated malware and viruses.
The above procedures should have totally eliminated SearchSmart adware. However, if you find that there are still remnants of the virus, please proceed to the next steps 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 SearchSmart on the browser that were 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 SearchSmart.
3. Browse the location of the downloaded file and double-click on adwcleaner.exe to start running the tool.
4. If Windows displays a prompt saying, "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?" click Yes to proceed.
5. On the AdwCleaner dashboard, click on Settings.
6. While in the Settings window, please turn On the Reset Chrome Policies and Reset IE Policies.
7. Go back to the Dashboard and click the Scan Now button.
8. AdwCleaner searches the computer for malicious programs, extensions, plug-ins, adware, and any items that may be associated with SearchSmart.
9. Clean or Remove all suspicious and harmful items identified after the thorough scan.
10. AdwCleaner will then prompt an option to run another repair, which will reset Winsock and other settings. Please click the Run Basic Repair button.
11. A message will appear stating that "All processes will be closed..." Please click Continue.
12. After the cleanup procedure, rebooting the computer is required to finalize the removal of SearchSmart as well as other detected threats.
Check if your internet browser application is no longer being bothered by SearchSmart. If the adware still persists, please continue with the steps below to reset internet programs to their default homepage and search settings.
Step 5 : Restore the homepage and search settings
Google Chrome
For Google Chrome Browser
1. Open the Google Chrome browser. Type or copy and paste the following on the address bar. Then, press Enter on the keyboard:
chrome://settings
2. Go to the left sidebar and click On Startup.
3. Select "Open a specific page or set of pages" in the right panel.
4. Locate the unwanted Homepage URL, click on More Actions icon (3-dot), and select Remove or Edit.
5. If you choose Edit, enter the desired web address as your home page, replacing SearchSmart. Click Save.
6. To set the default search engine, go to the left sidebar, and this time, select Search Engine.
7. Click on the Manage search engines and site search button in the right panel.
8. Find the unwanted Search Engine in the list. Click on More Actions icon, and then click Delete.
9. Go back to the left side bar and click Search Engine.
10. In the right panel, choose a valid entry from the "Search engine used in the address bar."
You can now restart the Google Chrome browser to see if the unwanted homepage and search engine related to SearchSmart are gone.
Microsoft Edge
For Microsoft Edge Browser
1. Open the Microsoft Edge browser on your computer.
2. In the address bar, type or copy and paste the string below, then press Enter on the keyboard:
edge://settings/startHomeNTP
3. Go to the "When Edge Starts" area. Under the "Open these pages" section, click More Actions (3-dot).
4. Select Edit to open the Edit Page window.
5. Input your desired address to replace the homepage settings of SearchSmart.
6. Click the Save button. You may now restart Microsoft Edge browser.
Mozilla Firefox
For Mozilla Firefox Browser
1. Open the Mozilla Firefox browser on your computer.
2. Type or copy and paste the following on the address bar, then press Enter on the keyboard:
about:preferences
3. Click Home in the sidebar area.
4. Under "Homepage and new windows", you may choose Firefox Home (Default) or Custom URLs.
5. If you chose Custom URLs, input the desired URL to replace SearchSmart settings.
6. To configure the default search engine, select Search in the left sidebar to display the settings.
7. Under the "Default Search Engine" list, please select a legitimate one (i.e., Google).
8. Scroll down to "Search Shortcuts" and select an unwanted search engine.
9. Click on the Remove button to delete the unwanted search engine. You may now restart the Mozilla Firefox browser.
Opera
For Opera Browser
1. In the address bar of Opera browser, type or copy and paste the text below. Press Enter on your keyboard.
opera://settings/searchEngines
2. Scroll down to the "Search Engine" section and find your desired name (i.e. Google Search)
3. Click on the ellipses icon (3-dot) and select Make Default.
4. In the same section, click the ellipses icon of the unwanted search engine and select Delete to remove the malicious search engine from the Opera browser.
5. Go back to the Basic section and scroll down to the "On Startup" section.
6. Find the unwanted homepage address, click its ellipses icon (3-dot), and choose between Remove or Edit.
7. If you choose Edit, enter the desired web address as your homepage, replacing SearchSmart. Click Save.
System Compatibility Notice
We ensured that our method to get rid of SearchSmart is compatible with the majority of Microsoft operating systems (Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows 8, Windows 10, and Windows 11). To prevent complicated steps, the commands used in the instructions are common, useful, and tested. If you encounter any compatibility problems when following this tutorial, please message us or leave your comment below, and we will reply and make the required modifications.
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