Search.tapufind.com

Search.tapufind.com might replace your homepage or change your new tab page, so it is not a surprise the threat was categorized as a browser hijacker. If you unexpectedly encountered it yourself, we recommend being cautious because it was discovered it could provide users with untrustworthy search results. For instance, among the results, you may notice suspicious pop-up ads, banners, sponsored links, or other ads coming from unknown sources. Our researchers say, interacting with such content might cause trouble, and the best way to avoid it is to pick a safer website for your homepage or new tab page. If you think removing the browser hijacker would be for the best too, we offer you the deletion instructions placed at the end of this page. On the other hand, if you would rather learn more about Search.tapufind.com before erasing it, you could read our article first.

Those of you who received Search.tapufind.com without even realizing it, probably the most critical question is how this browser hijacker was able to settle in. As our researchers say, the application could be spread through doubtful file-sharing websites. To be more accurate, it may not be promoted or listed on such web pages on its own, but it might be spread via bundled setup files of other unreliable software like potentially unwanted programs, adware, etc. This is why it is so vital to pick carefully not just the programs you want to install, but also the webpages from which you download them.

Clearly, torrent websites or sites spreading questionable freeware are not the most reliable sources, and if you do not want to download tools that could harm the system or endanger your privacy, it would be best to stay away from them. It is always a lot safer to download programs from their official web pages, although threats can have their official sites as well and because of this, it is crucial to make sure a reliable company develops the chosen tool. One more thing we could suggest is protecting the computer with a trustworthy antimalware tool as if it is active and up to date it might be able to recognize potential threats and stop them from settling on your system.

Search.tapufind.com is a bit different from other applications because it does not create any new data on the system it enters. Instead, the browser hijacker may make alterations to files belonging to the hijacked browser. To our knowledge, the application can affect the Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Internet Explorer browsers. As said before, the affected browser should load the threat’s search engine when the user opens it or creates a new tab.

Our researchers tested Search.tapufind.com, and while doing this they learned it could gather information, for example, “the type of the user's device and technical information pertaining to the user's device, language preferences, time stamps, clicks and visited pages, search logs,” etc., to show users third-party advertising content as the software’s Privacy Policy from which we took the first quote also says the listed information might be used: “To improve our Service and recommend content based on your preferences.”

The mentioned statements indicated there is a chance the browser hijacker could provide targeted advertising content. Moreover, Search.tapufind.com End User License Agreement claims the application’s creators take no responsibility if anything goes wrong while surfing the Internet with the presented search engine or interacting with ads displayed by it. Thus, it might also be that no one reviews third-party advertising content and some of it could be malicious, for example, it would lead to web pages infected with malware, showing fake lotteries or surveys, etc. Under such circumstances, we advise against Search.tapufind.com usage, and if you do not want to take any chances with it, we will help you remove this browser hijacker with the deletion steps added at the end of this paragraph. Less experienced users could use a reliable antimalware tool instead if they find the manual deletion a bit too complicated.

Eliminate Search.tapufind.com

Internet Explorer

1. Click Win+R.
2. Insert Regedit and press OK.
3. Find the exact path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
4. Locate a value name called Start page.
5. Right-click it and press Modify.
6. Instead of http://Search.tapufind.com place a link you prefer and press OK.
7. Leave Registry Editor.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Tap Win+E.
2. Navigate to this unique location: C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{unique user ID}
3. Find a file called prefs.js.
4. Launch it with Notepad.
5. Look for this line: user_pref(“browser.startup.homepage”, “http://Search.tapufind.com”).
6. Instead of http://Search.tapufind.com place a link you like.
7. Press Ctrl+S and close the document.

Google Chrome

1. Click Win+E.
2. Go to: C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
3. Search for files called:
   Preferences
   Secure Preferences
   Web Data
4. Right-click each file and tap Delete.
5. Leave File Explorer.
6. Empty Recycle bin.