SearchTheConverter

You might have been convinced that SearchTheConverter is a search tool that you can use in a beneficial manner. However, we have to burst this bubble for you. Yes, you can use this extension to search the web, but if you think that it is safe to do that, you are mistaken. This extension was created for the sole purpose of promoting third-party links, and so it is fair to identify it as an advertising tool. Obviously, not all advertising tools are inherently malicious, but when you encounter an extension that conceals advertising using an allegedly useful search service, you have to stop and think. If you have done that already, and if you are determined to remove SearchTheConverter, we have a guide ready to help you. If you do not understand why trusting this extension could, potentially, be dangerous, or why deleting it requires consideration, please keep reading.

According to our research team, SearchTheConverter is a clone of a bunch of suspicious extensions, some of which include PDFSearchio, SearchConverters, StreamBrosSearch, and BestPDFSearch. Most of these extensions have been presented via the Chrome Web Store at some point, and when we analyzed the PUP, it was still available via this trusted app store. So, did you download the suspicious extension from chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/searchtheconverter/emkofdmkojfmdidciddpppahbkklfcbl? If you have, how were you introduced to this installer? Were you redirected to it by a suspicious ad? Were you redirected to it via install.searchtheconverter.com, get.searchtheconverter.com, or some other suspicious website? If you know exactly where this PUP (potentially unwanted program) has come from, most likely, you also know if anything else entered your system along with it. If you are not sure, do not hesitate to install a trusted malware scanner, and you will learn immediately if you need to delete anything else. This is especially important to do if you have used a bundled downloader to acquire the PUP.

The creator of SearchTheConverter must have created portal.searchtheconverter.com as well. The search dialog box presents the same search tool that the extension does. However, the portal page also offers a free converter. If this page was introduced to the users of SearchTheConverter, we are sure that more would keep it installed. After all, the tool offers free conversion services, which are always in high demand. However, the PUP makes only one change after it is installed, and it is made to the default search provider of Google Chrome. It is changed to feed.searchtheconverter.com, and you cannot trust it. You cannot trust it because it redirects to Yahoo Search, and although you might think that this search engine is trustworthy, know that the PUP adjusts what you see. Yes, normal results that correspond to your search queries should show up, but the PUP also injects third-party links. If you interact with the results carelessly, you might end up interacting with unpredictable content, and we cannot know what could come out of that. In the worst-case scenario, you could face misleading and dangerous content.

So, are the services offered by SearchTheConverter desirable, useful, and trustworthy? We do not think that they are, but you have to come to a conclusion about that on your own. If you decide that you want to remove the potentially unwanted program from your Google Chrome browser, you have to answer a few other questions. First of all, are there any other threats that you need to remove? Second, will your system be protected against malware and PUPs afterward? If you choose to delete SearchTheConverter manually, you will need to think about additional threats and system’s security separately. However, if you employ a legitimate anti-malware tool, it will erase threats and secure your system simultaneously. Not all anti-malware tools are equal, and not all are able to identify and delete PUPs. Without a doubt, you need to choose a tool that you can trust and that can serve you beneficially in the future. If you are having a hard time choosing the right tool for you, do not hesitate to contact us for advice.

SearchTheConverter Removal

Open Google Chrome.
Tap Alt and F keys on the keyboard to open the Chrome menu.
Click More tools to access more options.
Open the Extensions menu.
Click the Remove button placed next to the PUP.
Go back to the More tools menu and click Clear browsing data.
In the Advanced section, pick the time range you want.
Choose boxes you want and then click Clear data.