Searchitdown.com

If Searchitdown.com recently appeared on your browser and you are not sure if it is worth to keep it, we strongly advise reading this article. The application is categorized as a browser hijacker, because it can modify default preferences, such as homepage. The biggest problem is that this search engine might promote various third-party products or services through pop-up, banner, and other types of advertisements. Clicking such ads could result in redirection and the website you enter may promote similar hijackers, adware, potentially unwanted programs, or even malicious software. Thus, our specialists think that it is better to stay away from threats like Searchitdown.com. If you choose to remove it from your browser, check the deletion instructions at the end of this article.

Searchitdown.com is not an application that would settle in the system by creating folders and placing its data on program files or any other directories on the computer. Instead, it finds particular browser data and alters it to set the search engine as the user’s default homepage. To give you an example, we can tell you that it affects Mozilla Firefox by modifying the code in a file called prefs.js. It is located in the C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{Unique Mozilla user ID} directory and if you open it as a Notepad document, it is possible to review the code. The application is also compatible with Google Chrome and Internet Explorer. To hijack these browsers, the threat similarly affects particular data belonging to them.

After the application makes Searchitdown.com as your homepage, it should gather some information about your browsing habits and provide with third-party advertisements. For example, it could collect the following data: addresses of websites you visit, clicked ads, time spent on particular sites, search keywords, purchased goods, and so on. According to the software’s Privacy Policy, such information could be used to “provide you personalized content, including through the delivery of targeted interest-based advertisements from us or our partners” and so on.

The bad news is that the displayed ads could contain links to malicious web pages. Some of them might even redirect to sites with malware, such as ransomware, viruses, etc. Furthermore, third-party sites may also have different Privacy Policy statements. There might be web pages that could gather sensitive data and share it with any interested parties without the user’s permission. This is why we recommend learning about third-party website’s policy on privacy matters before interacting with available content. This goes not only for suspicious web pages promoted by Searchitdown.com but for other unreliable websites you may encounter while browsing too.

Besides the application’s downsides, we would also like to explain to you how it may be distributed. Our researchers are almost completely sure that this threat should be spread through untrustworthy web pages promoted on pop-up ads. The website might even exaggerate the search engine’s description in order to convince you to download it. To avoid questionable software we advise you to search for even more information, e.g. expert reviews, ratings, and so on. As for the ads that might promote Searchitdown.com they may be displayed by adware applications, potentially unwanted programs, and so on. It means that there could be more suspicious software and if you want to secure the computer, it could be wise to erase them.

All things considered, Searchitdown.com is a questionable search engine that users might install accidentally. Naturally, we do not think it is worth to be kept on the browser, at least not when there are more trustworthy alternatives, e.g. Google, Yahoo, and other. Thus, we prepared a removal guide to help you fix or erase the browser hijacker’s modified data and eliminate it. The instructions are available below, but if they look too complicated, you can always install a reliable antimalware tool. It scanning feature can help users detect and delete not only the hijacker but also other possible threats. Lastly, we want you to know that if you need more help with the removal or have questions related to the application, you can write us through social media or leave a comment below.

Erase Searchitdown.com from browsers

Internet Explorer

1. Press Win+R, type Regedit, and click Enter to open the Windows Registry.
2. Navigate to the given path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
3. Find a value name called Start Page, right-click it and click Modify.
4. Delete given value data (http://Searchitdown.com) and press OK.
5. Close the Windows Registry.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Launch your Explorer.
2. Go to the following directory C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{Unique Mozilla user ID}
3. Find a file named as prefs.js and open it as a Notepad document.
4. Locate and remove the following line user_pref(“browser.startup.homepage”, “Searchitdown.com”).
5. Press Ctrl+S and close the document.

Google Chrome

1. Open the Explorer and find this location: C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
2. Search for files named as Preferences, Secure Preferences, and Web Data.
3. Right-click them one by one and choose Delete.