Are you unable to use your favorite search engine like Google, Bing, or Yahoo! because you keep getting uncontrollably redirected to some other site? Or maybe you have a strange search toolbar at the top of your browser that you are unable to get rid of? If you are experiencing either of these problems it is likely that your computer has been infected with what is colloquially called a “search engine virus.” These viruses are generally a type of adware or malware that infect your computer in order to bombard you with pop up ads or trick you into paying for fake antivirus software. Luckily they are usually relatively simple to remove with just a few steps.
Search Engine Virus Removal
1. The first thing you need to do is to install an anti-malware program on your computer if you do not have one already. There are many great free options for malware scanning and protection out there; two of the most popular programs are Spybot Search and Destroy and Ad-Aware.
2. Once you have the software installed, open the program and run a complete scan of all of the hard drives on your computer. These scans typically last somewhere from a few minutes to an hour. When it is done, the program should give you options for removing all of the harmful programs and files that it detected, follow the instructions to remove all of the threats.
3. Restart your computer and check to see if your problem has been resolved. If it has not, it is possible that the malware program has made some changes to files on your computer that were not detected by the anti-malware scan. These hidden changes can be very tricky and hard to discover. Check out this blog for details on how to check for and fix some of the most common occurrences. It provides detailed instructions and step-by-step solutions with pictures to show you how to restore any infected files.
4. Once the problem has been solved, be sure to leave your anti-malware program of choice on in its real time protection mode if it has one. This will help to prevent your computer from being infected with more malware/adware in the future.
Additional Help
If you were unable to fix your problem following these steps, it may be time to get some professional help. Use TalkLocal to get in contact with a reliable local computer technician within minutes. Just enter a description of your problem, availability and location and TalkLocal will connect you directly to someone who can help.
