Yoga Search Extension

Sometimes potential computer security threats have more than one keyword and we have to address them all, to help users get rid of them. Yoga Search Extension is actually part of the EZSearch program that we have covered several months ago. The good news is that we know exactly how to remove Yoga Search Extension from your computer. The bad news is that this potentially unwanted program is still alive and thriving. It also means that it might come back again with the intention to make some more money using your web browsing habits. Hence, you need to be careful to avoid similar threats in the future.

It can be hard to categorize something like Yoga Search Extension because the application may exhibit adware, browser hijacker, and freeware features. However, our security team says that it is a potentially unwanted program. It means that the application is not a direct computer security threats, and it is not a malware infection. However, the program may have some features you might deem undesirable and perhaps even disturbing. Hence, if it was not your intention to have Yoga Search Extension on-board, it might be for the best if you removed this application from your computer.

Normally, potentially unwanted programs affect all main browsers, but if Yoga Search Extension is really part of the EZSearch, then the application will only work on the Chrome browser. This also makes it easier to remove it from your computer. Perhaps you installed this extension thinking it might give you some useful information on Yoga (and it might even do so!), but the other things that come with it are quite disturbing. Also, we believe that there is a chance you did not want this extension at all, and it slithered into your browser accidentally. That happens very often so it is not surprising at all.

It is very likely that you downloaded Yoga Search Extension in a software package from a file-sharing website. For instance, you might have been looking for a codec or some file converter and you found it at a file-sharing site. Downloading programs from such pages is not illegal, but you it is dangerous. Usually, third-party installers bundle several programs together, so if you go through the installation blindly, you are bound to find that eventually, you install more than one program on your computer. The easiest way to make sure that you do not get potential threats along with the program you want is to carefully check each step in the installation wizard.

Aside from adding the extension to your browser, Yoga Search Extension will also create a new shortcut called Google Chrome.lnk on your desktop. That is a fake shortcut, and if you click it, you will automatically load the extension. What’s more, the shortcut will also change your default search engine to search.yahoo.com. It means that all of your web searches will be redirected through this modified Yahoo! Search engine, and the program can monitor your web browsing habits.

Most of the time, this monitoring is carried out for commercial purposes. Since such applications are distributed for free, their developers need to cover the development costs somehow. As a result, potentially unwanted programs resort to third-party advertising. It means that through the modified search results or other means they display commercial content or sponsored links. This commercial content is usually generated according to the information Yoga Search Extension has collected about your web browsing habits. If the content is customized according to your likes and preferences, there is a better chance that you will click it. And, consequently, there is a better chance the application will make some money.

While such behavior is more annoying than dangerous, there are certain security issues that should be taken into consideration. For instance, Yoga Search Extension cannot guarantee that the third-party content you encounter will be absolutely safe. Some of the links might be embedded there by cyber criminals or other unreliable third parties. So it is clear that Yoga Search Extension might inadvertently expose you to something dangerous, and you have to avoid that.

Removing Yoga Search Extension manually might be a bit of a hassle because the program performs quite a few changes on your browser and your system. If you do not want to deal with the removal manually, you can always invest in a licensed security tool that will do the job for you automatically.

How to Remove Yoga Search Extension

1. Press Win+R and type %LocalAppData%. Click OK.
2. Go to Google\Chrome\User Data\Extensions.
3. Delete the ikmapcaeknfgfmjlibnhcbchfablckbp folder.
4. Press Win+R and type %Temp%. Click OK.
5. Delete the WS folder and press Win+R again.
6. Type regedit into the Open box and press OK.
7. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall.
8. Delete the EZSearch key under Uninstall.
9. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall.
10. Delete the EZSearch key under Uninstall.
11. Delete the WindowService entry from these keys:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Services
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
12. Delete the Google Chrome.lnk shortcut from your Desktop.