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Remove TheConverterSearch Browser Hijacker (Virus Removal Guide)

September 9, 2020 By Norbert Webb Leave a Comment

What is TheConverterSearch?

Contents

  • What is TheConverterSearch?
  • How TheConverterSearch operates
    • Threat Summary
  • How did I get it on my computer?
  • How to avoid installing unwanted software?
  • How to remove TheConverterSearch

TheConverterSearch is a type of unwanted browser extension, categorized as a browser hijacker. It typically operates by infiltrating victim’s computer system and making changes to the browser settings, in this case, endorsing a fake search engine – theconvertersearch.com. Moreover, this type of malware, especially in this case, extracts sensitive information from your browser, such as browsing history, using habits etc. This information is later sold to advertising networks. This means, that your private information is being gathered without your consent to sell it to third parties and make profit. As a result of its deceitful activity methods it is also considered by experts to be a PUA (Potentially Unwanted Application).

In this guide, we will explain how this browser hijacker works and how can you remove it easily.

How TheConverterSearch operates

TheConverterSearch works just as other types of browser hijackers. The main goal of this software is to take your default web browser, whether it is Mozilla, Chrome, Edge etc. and make certain changes to it. The adjustments usually affect your homepage address, default search engine and new tab URLs, typically swapping default setting with those promoting their fake search engine – theconvertersearch.com. For example, everyday usage of your default browser becomes practically unbearable, since every new tab and every search initiates the same fraudulent engine.

remove theconvertersearch browser hijacker
Appearance of hijacked web browser.

In other words, every time user tries to search something on the internet, the browser redirects to the same counterfeit address. Typically, this software is unable to provide any search results, so they redirect to legitimate search engines, in this case, Yahoo (search.yahoo.com). As a result, this hijacker might be identified as Yahoo redirect virus.

Moreover, this hijacker is designed to block the access to browser settings to prevent user from removing it. Therefore, the only way to restore default settings and enjoy hijacker-free internet surfing experience, is to terminate it completely from your system – altering browser settings just will not do the trick.

theconvertersearch redirects to yahoo search results
The affected Chrome browser automatically redirects to Yahoo search results.

As previously mentioned, TheConverterSearch possesses data collecting capabilities, such as saving user’s browsing habits (URLs, IP addresses, search history etc.) and other sensitive information like location, which in most cases, is personally identifiable. Apart from the obvious violation of user’s right to surf the internet unimpeded (which might be irritating as it is), this is a serious threat to your personal information, since it is shared with various advertisement networks to make profit.

Threat Summary

NameTheConverterSearch
TypeBrowser hijacker, search redirect, unwanted new tab
Browser extension installedTheConverterSearch
Promoted domaintheconvertersearch.com, portal.theconvertersearch.com, feed.theconvertersearch.com
IP address104.28.26.68
ActivityReplaces default search engine and new tab settings. User experiences redirects to new search engine while searching via URL tab or opens a new tab in web browser. Redirects to Yahoo search results.
DangerBrowsing activity tracking, unwanted redirects, excessive advertising
RemovalRemove unwanted programs using trustworthy anti-malware. To repair virus damage on Windows OS, download RESTORO.

How did I get it on my computer?

Usually, these types of PUAs have official websites, they might be advertised in pop-ups, emails or elsewhere. The ads promise beneficial features which are included in the software, but it is an extremely rare case for them to work. In fact, this applies next to all PUAs, since keeping the promise of those features and assuring user’s security is not a priority for TheConverterSearch developers.

The main thing they try to achieve is your personal information which is later converted to profit. PUAs also spread through so called ‘software bundling’. In essence, it is a type of advertising practice when unwanted software is attached to a program which is downloaded by an ordinary user. For example, TheConverterSearch might be connected alongside a free media player, game, or video editing software.

Those users, who tend to skip through installation process suffer the most – one missed checkbox and it might ruin their internet surfing experience. Intrusive ads also spread PUAs – when clicked on, they might install software and make changes on your computer.

How to avoid installing unwanted software?

Generally, our specialists recommend researching any software before downloading or installing it. You need to make sure that a site is recognized as safe and verified. Unofficial hosting sites, peer to peer file sharing networks and other third-party downloads are generally categorized as unsafe and potentially harmful to your computer. When installing software, it is crucial to read terms and attentively follow every step of the installation.  Use the “Custom/Advanced” feature to look for any unwanted features or software and pay close attention.

Intrusive ads, for example, might seem harmless at first sight, but often they redirect to various untrustworthy sites which might jeopardize your device’s safety. Whenever you click on an intrusive ad or download software from a questionable source, you should pay attention to your PC’s behavior and use anti-malware software to run thorough scan as soon as possible. PUAs such as TheConverterSearch might be a real headache, and the longer you wait, the more harm will be done to your privacy.

How to remove TheConverterSearch

If your computer is infected, it is critical that you start taking steps to terminate unwanted software from your computer immediately to prevent further damage. To do that, our specialists recommend using trustworthy anti-malware program which would be capable of successfully completing this kind of task.

Of course, there are a lot of different choices, but we highly recommend using RESTORO, since it will make the process of removing spyware shorter and simpler. Follow the steps given below to remove TheConverterSearch from your computer.

OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND

Our team recommends removing malware using a professional antivirus software and then using the following tool to repair virus damage to Windows system files:

REPAIR VIRUS DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER

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DOWNLOAD RESTORO

RESTORO provides a free scan that helps to identify hardware, security and stability issues and presents a comprehensive report which can help you to locate and fix detected issues manually. It is a great PC repair software to use after you remove malware with professional antivirus. The full version of software will fix detected issues and repair virus damage caused to your Windows OS files automatically.

RESTORO uses AVIRA scanning engine to detect existing spyware and malware. If any are found, the software will eliminate them.

Read full review here.

GeeksAdvice.com editors select recommended products based on their effectiveness. We may earn a commission from affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. Learn more.

TheConverterSearch browser hijacker Removal Tutorial

To remove the unwanted program from your computer, use these instructions below to uninstall associated programs or apps from your Windows or Mac computer. Then scroll down for instructions how to clean each affected web browser individually.

Remove TheConverterSearch browser hijacker from Windows

Windows 10/8.1/8 users

Click on the Windows logo to open Windows menu. In search, type control panel and select the matching result. Then go to Programs and Features.How to launch Programs and Features in Windows 10,8.1,8

 

Windows 7 users

First, open Windows menu by clicking on the icon in the lower left corner of the screen. Then go to Control Panel and find section called Programs. Click on the Uninstall a program option under it.How to open uninstall a program in Windows 7

 

Windows XP users

In Windows XP, click Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs.How to reach add or remove programs in Windows XP

Uninstall unwanted programs

Once in Programs and Features, look through the list of installed programs. You can click on Installed on tab to sort the programs by their installation date.

Right-click on suspicious programs you can't remember installing and choose Uninstall. Follow instructions provided by the Uninstall Wizard, click Next and finally Finish to uninstall the unwanted program from your PC.
how to uninstall unwanted programs from PC

Remove TheConverterSearch browser hijacker from Mac

  1. Click on Finder.
  2. Go to Applications folder.
  3. Look for suspicious applications you can't remember installing. Right-click them and select Move to Trash.uninstall unwanted apps from mac
  4. After moving all suspicious apps to Trash, right-click the Trash bin in Mac's Dock and select Empty Trash.
To remove Mac threats automatically, we strongly recommend using robust and well-reviewed antivirus solution INTEGO.
AUTOMATIC REMOVAL

See Full Review

Remove using INTEGO ANTIVIRUS for Mac (includes scanning for iOS devices). The one-of-a-kind security suite provides VirusBarrier X9 real-time protection against Mac and Windows-based malware, removes existing threats and scans for malware in popular e-mail clients. Includes NetBarrier X9, an intelligent firewall for home, work and public connections.

Chrome Firefox MS Edge Safari Internet Explorer

Remove TheConverterSearch browser hijacker from Google Chrome

Remove suspicious Chrome extensions

  1. Open Chrome and type chrome://extensions into address bar and press Enter.
  2. Here, look for suspicious extensions, and Remove them.
  3. Don't forget to confirm by pressing Remove in the confirmation pop-up.
    Remove suspicious chrome extensions

Change Start Page settings

  1. In Chrome address bar, type chrome://settings and press Enter.
  2. Scroll down to the On startup section. Check for suspicious extensions controlling these settings, and Disable them.
  3. Additionally, you can set browser to Open a specific page or set of pages via these settings. Simply choose this option, click Add a new page, enter your preferred URL (f.e. www.google.com) and press Add.change hijacked start page in chrome

Change default search settings

  1. In Chrome URL bar, type chrome://settings/searchEngines and press Enter. Make sure you type searchEngines, not searchengines. Additionally, you can go to chrome://settings and find Manage search engines option.
  2. First, look at the list of search engines and find the one you want to set as default. Click the three dots next to it and select Make Default.
  3. Finally, look through the list and eliminate suspicious entries. Right-click the three dots and select Remove from the list.change default search engine in chrome

Remove push notifications from Chrome

If you want to get rid of the annoying ads and so-called push-notifications viruses, you must identify their components and clean your browser. You can easily remove ads from Chrome by following these steps:

  1. In Google Chrome, press on Menu (upward arrow) in the top-right corner of the window.
  2. Select Settings.remove push notifications from chrome steps 1 2
  3. Go to Privacy and Security > Site Settings.
    remove push notifications from chrome step 3
  4. Open Notifications.
    remove push notifications from chrome step 4
  5. Here, go to the Allow list and identify suspicious URLs. You can either Block or Remove by pressing on the three vertical dots on the right side of the URL. However, we suggest the Block option, so the site won't ask you to enable the notifications if you ever visit it again.
    remove push notifications from google chrome step 5

Reset Google Chrome browser

  1. The final option is to reset Google Chrome. Type chrome://settings in the URL bar, press Enter  and then scroll down until you see Advanced option. Click it and scroll to the bottom of the settings.
  2. Click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  3. Click Restore settings to confirm.
    how to reset google chrome
Chrome Firefox MS Edge Safari Internet Explorer

Remove TheConverterSearch browser hijacker from Mozilla Firefox

Remove unwanted add-ons from Firefox

  1. Open Firefox and type about:addons in the URL bar. Press Enter.
  2. Now, click on Extensions (in the left section).
  3. Click Remove next to every suspicious browser add-on that you can't remember installing.
    Remove suspicious extensions from Firefox

Change Firefox Homepage

  1. In Firefox address bar, type about:preferences and hit Enter.
  2. Look at the left and click the Home tab.
  3. Here, delete the suspicious URL and type or paste in the URL of a website you'd like to set as your homepage.
    change firefox homepage altered by the unwanted program

Alter preferences in Firefox

  1. Type about:config in Firefox address bar and hit Enter.
  2. Click I accept the risk! to continue.
  3. Here, type in the URL which has taken over your browser without your knowledge. Right-click each value that includes it and choose Reset.
    remove firefox preferences associated with the unwanted program

Remove annoying push notifications from Firefox

Suspicious sites that ask to enable push notifications gain access to Mozilla's settings and can deliver intrusive advertisements when browsing the Internet. Therefore, you should remove access to your browser by following these simple steps:

  1. In Mozilla Firefox, click on Menu (the three horizontal bars) on the top-right corner of the window, then choose Options.disable firefox push notifications step 1
  2. Click on Privacy and Security, then scroll down to Permissions section.
  3. Here, find Notifications and click Settings button next to it.
    disable firefox push notifications step 2
  4. Identify all unknown URLs and choose to Block them. Click Save Changes afterward.
    disable push notifications in firefox step 3

Reset Mozilla Firefox

  1. In Firefox, type about:support in the address bar and press Enter.
  2. Click on Refresh Firefox...
  3. Click Refresh Firefox again to confirm.
    how to reset firefox browser
Chrome Firefox MS Edge Safari Internet Explorer

Remove TheConverterSearch browser hijacker from Microsoft Edge

Remove suspicious extensions:

  1. Open MS Edge browser and click on the three dots button in the top right corner, then click on Extensions.
    Open Microsoft Edge extensions settings
  2. Look through the list of installed extensions and find the ones you can't remember installing or simply suspicious-looking ones. Right-click on them and choose Uninstall. Then confirm by pressing Uninstall again.
    uninstall ms edge extensions

Change MS Edge Start Page and default search engine:

  1. Click on the three dots again and go to Settings. First, make sure that you choose to Open Microsoft Edge with A specific page or pages option. Then click the X next to suspicious URLs and type in the one you want to set as your homepage. Click the Save icon to confirm.
    change ms edge homepage
  2. Click on the three dots > Settings. Scroll down and click on Show Advanced Settings. Then scroll down until you find Change search engine button. Click it. Here, select the search engine you prefer using and click Set as default.
    Additionally, we recommend selecting and Removing suspicious search engines.
    change default search in ms edge

Turn off push notifications in Edge

If you keep receiving pop-up ads or other promotional content while browsing on Microsoft Edge, your browser might be corrupted by a potentially unwanted program (PUP). You have to clean it — follow these easy instructions:

  1. In Microsoft Edge, open Menu (three horizontal dots) in the top-right corner of the screen and click Settings;
    turn off website notification in microsoft edge step 1
  2. Click on Advanced settings.
  3. Scroll down to the Website permissions section. Here, click Manage permissions.
    remove push notifications virus from microsoft edge steps 2 3
  4. Find Notifications and Remove all suspicious websites.
    remove push notifications from microsoft edge step 4

Clear browsing data

  1. Click on the three dots in the top right corner again and click on Settings. Find Clear browsing data section and click Choose what to clear button.clear browsing data in ms edge step 1
  2. In the next window, select all options and click Clear.
    ms edge clear browsing data step 2
Chrome Firefox MS Edge Safari Internet Explorer

Remove TheConverterSearch browser hijacker from Safari

Uninstall suspicious Safari extensions

  1. Open Safari and click on Safari button in the top left corner. Select Preferences in the menu that appears on the screen.
    how to open safari preferences
  2. Now, go to Extensions tab. Look at the left to see all installed extensions, click on suspicious ones and hit that Uninstall button as shown in the picture. Confirm your choice by clicking Uninstall again. Repeat until you get rid of all unwanted extensions.how to uninstall unwanted safari extensions

Change Safari Homepage and default search engine

  1. In Preferences, open the General tab. Here, check what URL is set as your homepage. Delete it and type in whatever URL you want to set as your Safari Start Page.
  2. Next, go to the Search tab. Here, choose what Search engine you want to set as default.how to change safari homepage and search engine
  3. Next, click on Manage websites... then Remove all... and then Done.
    Manage quick website search in Safari

Remove push notifications on Safari

Some suspicious websites can try to corrupt your Safari by asking to enable push notifications. If you have accidentally agreed, your browser will be flooded with various intrusive advertisements and pop-ups. You can get rid of them by following this quick guide:

  1. Open Safari and click on Safari button in the top-left corner of the screen to select Preferences;
    remove push notifications from safari step 1
  2. Go to Websites tab and navigate to Notifications on the left side toolbar.
    remove push notifications from safari steps 2 3

Reset Safari

  1. Click on Safari > Clear History...
  2. Then choose to clear All history and hit Clear History button to confirm.how to reset safari
  3. Go to Safari > Preferences and then open Privacy tab. 
  4. Click Manage Website Data... then Remove All. To finish, click Done.clear website data from safari
  5. Finally, clear Safari cache. In Safari Menu, click Develop > Clear Cache.clear safari Cache
Chrome Firefox MS Edge Safari Internet Explorer

Remove TheConverterSearch browser hijacker from Internet Explorer

TIP: If you are still using IE, we strongly advise using Microsoft Edge or a different browser because Microsoft is no longer providing technical or security support for IE browser.

Remove suspicious extensions from IE

  1. Now, go back to Toolbars and Extensions.
  2. Below Show:, select All add-ons.
  3. Right-click suspicious extensions and choose Disable, or, if available - Remove. 
  4. If any pop-up appears, confirm your choice.
    disable or remove IE extensionsTip: If you can't find any suspicious extensions, most likely you have uninstalled them via Programs and Features already. This mostly applies to IE browser.

Change default search provider and remove suspicious ones

  1. Open Internet Explorer and click on the gear icon in the top right of the window.
  2. Then select Manage Add-ons. 
  3. Here, click on Search Providers tab.
  4. Here, we recommend setting Bing, Google or another trusted and well-known search provider as default. To do it, right-click the provider and choose Set as default.
  5. Now you can right-click suspicious search providers and choose Remove.
    how to change search provider in internet explorer

Change IE Home Page

  1. In Internet Explorer, click the gear icon in the top left corner.
  2. Choose Internet Options.
  3. Change Home Page URL to whatever page you want to use as your homepage.
  4. Click Apply.
  5. Click OK.how to change ie homepage

Block pop-up notifications on Internet Explorer

Suspicious websites can gain access to your Internet Explorer browser through push notifications. If you enable them even by accident, you will start receiving numerous annoying ads and other advertising content while browsing. The easiest way to remove push-notification viruses is by performing the following steps:

  1. In Internet Explorer, click on the Menu (the gear button) on the top-right corner of the window, then select Internet Options.
    disable puhs notifications virus in internet explorer
  2. Go to the Privacy tab;
  3. Look for Pop-up Blocker section and select Settings;
    remove push notifications from internet explorer steps 2 3
  4. Scroll through all URLs and you can Remove them one by one or all at the same time. Click Close.
    disable push notifications from internet explorer step 4

Reset Internet Explorer

  1. Click the gear icon in IE menu > Internet Options. Now click on Advanced tab.
  2. Under Reset Internet Explorer settings, click Reset...
  3. Click on the checkbox next to Delete personal settings.
  4. Click Reset.
  5. To finish, click Close.how to reset internet explorer easily

Alternative software recommendations

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

Removing spyware and malware is one step towards cybersecurity. To protect yourself against ever-evolving threats, we strongly recommend purchasing a Premium version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, which provides security based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Includes ransomware protection. See pricing options and protect yourself now.

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System Mechanic Ultimate Defense

If you're looking for an all-in-one system maintenance suite that has 7 core components providing powerful real-time protection, on-demand malware removal, system optimization, data recovery, password manager, online privacy protection and secure driver wiping technology. Therefore, due to its wide-range of capabilities, System Mechanic Ultimate Defense deserves Geek's Advice approval. Get it now for 50% off. You may also be interested in its full review.

Disclaimer. This site includes affiliate links. We may earn a small commission by recommending certain products, at no additional cost for you. We only choose quality software and services to recommend.

norbert webb author at geeksadvice.com
Norbert Webb

Norbert Webb is the head of Geek’s Advice team. He is the chief editor of the website who controls the quality of content published. The man also loves reading cybersecurity news, testing new software and sharing his insights on them. Norbert says that following his passion for information technology was one of the best decisions he has ever made. “I don’t feel like working while I’m doing something I love.” However, the geek has other interests, such as snowboarding and traveling.

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