Search.searchwwf.com

When you downloaded a freeware application from a file-sharing site, you clearly did not expect to find Search.searchwwf.com on your browser. This program will modify your settings without your permission, changing your homepage and your default search engine. Everything is done in order to generate a financial profit, and if you fail to remove Search.searchwwf.com immediately, you could eventually face severe computer security issues.

In this description, we will tell you more about this browser hijacker and what you could do to avoid similar intruders in the future. Please be sure to scan your computer with a security tool because you may have more unwanted applications installed.

Why do we divert here to other potential threats if the main focus of this description is Search.searchwwf.com? The thing is that the browser hijacker will not arrive alone. It does not have direct distribution source, so users cannot download the infection at will. Of course, it does not mean that the hijacker enters your system surreptitiously, but the point is that users seldom are aware they install more than one application when they download software from file-sharing sites. This is where we encounter a crucial point for browser hijacker distribution: file-sharing sites.

If you were to download programs from official websites, the chances of getting infected with Search.searchwwf.com would decrease significantly. After all, third-party sites do not review what kind of installers they host, so you are left to your own devices when you download a software bundle, full of potentially unwanted and harmful applications. What’s more, it is necessary to read all the steps in the installation wizard, too. Sometimes even installers from official websites may contain additional apps (although it is very likely that Search.searchwwf.com would be one of them), so please do not skip the installation steps because you might save yourself the trouble of dealing with unfamiliar programs later on.

As far as the origins of Search.searchwwf.com are concerned, we may not know the names of the developers, but we do know that this browser hijacker comes from the same group as Search.yourmapscenter.com, Search.youremailnow.com, Search.yourclassifiedscenter.com, and many other applications. It would not be too far-fetched to say that these programs are all identical, and they only enter your computer to make some money. Luckily, browser hijackers cannot steal your financial information directly, but there are still quite a few risks you should consider before you run a web search via Search.searchwwf.com.

You may say that there is nothing wrong with Search.searchwwf.com because it uses the Yahoo! Search engine, but that is one of the most obvious signs that the browser hijacker cannot be trusted. After all, it cannot provide you with original search service, and so it must rely on the Yahoo! Search to display the search results. Most of these results will be modified according to your likes and preference. The browser hijacker can do it because it monitors your online activity. This way, you can generate custom commercial content and embed it into the modified search results or other advertising space.

In a sense, commercial ads are more annoying than dangerous, but browser hijackers can be easily exploited by cyber criminals to promote and distribute their malicious content. Of course, we are not trying to say that Search.searchwwf.com intends to infect you with malware. As mentioned, the main reason the browser hijacker is on your computer is money. But there is still a chance that the program will redirect you to dangerous sites because it does not review the third-party content that is embedded and promoted through it. Thus, the program can become a perfect medium for malware distribution without even meaning to.

How do you get rid of Search.searchwwf.com? You can follow the instructions for separate browsers below to delete the browser hijacker. Please note that the instructions are only for this program, so whatever other applications you have installed, you will have to remove them separately.

If you want to delete all the potential threats at once, you should invest in a security tool that would detect and terminate the applications automatically. What’s more, an antispyware program of your choice would protect your system from other intruders in the future. If you need any tips with that, please drop us a comment.

How to Remove Search.searchwwf.com

Internet Explorer

1. Press Win+R and type regedit into the Open box. Click OK.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main.
3. On the right pane, right-click the Start Page value.
4. Choose Modify and edit your startup page address. Click OK.
5. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{0633EE93-D776-472f-A0FF-E1416B8B2E3A}.
6. On the right, right-click and change these values:
   FaviconURL
   FaviconURLFallback
   TopResultURL
   URL

Firefox

1. Press Win+R and enter %AppData%. Click OK.
2. Go to Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\[User ID].
3. Find and open the prefs.js file.
4. Delete the following string: user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://Search.searchwwf.com ");
5. Save changes and exit the file.

Chrome

1. Press Win+R and type %LocalAppData% into the Open box.
2. Click OK and go to Google\Chrome\User Data\Default.
3. Locate and delete the Preferences, Secure Preferences, and Web Data files.