Cleanserp.net

According to our computer security specialists, Cleanserp.net should be classified as a browser hijacker. It is an unreliable search tool that might appear on the system after downloading a potentially unwanted program called unTabs or other questionable software. Cleanserp.net is not a malicious threat, but there is a possibility it could show you suspicious advertising content, and since it does not offer any advanced tools that other search engines could not provide, we do not think it is worth to take any chances with it. In other words, our researchers recommend using a more trustworthy search engine for any user who cares about his system's safety. In case you require some help with the browser hijacker’s removal, there will be deletion instructions at the end of the text to guide you through the application’s removal process.

As it was pointed out earlier in the text, Cleanserp.net could travel with a browser extension and a potentially unwanted program called unTabs. However, the plugin was offered only for Google Chrome users, and this browser hijacker might be compatible with Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox too. Thus, the question is how else could this threat be distributed? Perhaps, one of the most popular ways to spread such applications is to bundle them with other unreliable software. Usually, such installers reach users through torrent or other P2P file-sharing networks. Having this in mind it would be smarter to stay away from such file-sharing web pages in the future; that is if you do not want to download more doubtful programs accidentally. Another way to maintain your system secure is to have updated antimalware software. An old tool might be of no use as it could be unable to recognize newer threats, so if you decide to invest in such software make sure it is always up to date.

The minute this browser hijacker enters the system the affected browsing application might start loading Cleanserp.net instead of your usual homepage. Provided you start using the tool to search the Internet you should notice it uses a custom Google search engine. This means all the main results matching the used keyword could be gathered by google.com while the advertising content among the results might be placed by the hijacker. It means they may promote products and services belonging to the application’s third-party associates. The problem is the threat’s creators do not guarantee third-party content’s safety, so some of the ads could be possibly dangerous. For instance, they may promote other browser hijackers, adware, potentially unwanted programs or other threats, scam websites, web pages that might have malicious content, and so on.

Another reason we would advise you not to trust Cleanserp.net is because it does not provide a lot of information about itself. The application has the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use documents, but a number of statements they offer is rather small. For example, below the main tool’s search box there is a statement saying “The search engine that respects your privacy.” Even though the software’s creators shortly explains what kind of information related to the user they may gather or how it might be used, they say nothing about whether such data could be shared with the third party. Also, they repeatedly promise to protect the collected information, but none of the statements explain what measures will be taken to do so. Not to mention, there is no End User License Agreement document that could tell us more about third-party ads, explain if the search engine can update itself or download any new applications, and so on.

As you can see, there are still quite a lot of details about Cleanserp.net that remain to be unknown. Naturally, it would be advisable to use a more reputable search tool; preferably a search engine providing all essential details about its creators, its working manner, and third-party partners. Therefore, all things considered, we believe you should not hesitate to remove this browser hijacker if you do not wish to take any risks. Just as promised the deletion instructions will await you at the end of this paragraph. After completing these steps, it might be a good idea to scan the system with a reliable antimalware tool and check if there are any other threats to the system. In case there are, you could erase them all at once by clicking the deletion button.

Eliminate Cleanserp.net

Internet Explorer

1. Press Win+R.
2. Type Regedit and click Enter.
3. Go to this given location: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
4. Search for a value name called Start Page.
5. Right-click it and choose Modify.
6. Replace http://cleanserp.net with a reliable link and select OK.
7. Leave the Registry Editor.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Press Win+E.
2. Look for this given path: C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{Unique Mozilla user ID}
3. Find a file titled Prefs.js.
4. Launch it as a Notepad document.
5. Find the given code line: user_pref(“browser.startup.homepage”, “http://cleanserp.net”).
6. Replace http://cleanserp.net with a trustworthy link and click Ctrl+S.
7. Close the document.

Google Chrome

1. Press Win+E.
2. Look for this given path: C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
3. Search for data titled Preferences, Secure Preferences, and Web Data.
4. Right-click the mentioned files separately and select Delete.
5. Close the File Explorer.