searchmaster.net is a browser hijacker, what this term means is that we’re dealing with a program that hijacks your browser’s settings to set its own. The website you see over and over coming from searchmaster.net whenever you open you browser or perform a search is but the proof of the infection. This usually happens when you execute a program you downloaded from the web, usually hidden there was a program that makes sure several of your browser settings are changed, including your default homepage and default search engine. Other elements might also be changed by searchmaster.net such as the error page and the welcome page in any new tab, furthermore shortcuts can also be added.
The goal behind all of these is to direct your browsing towards searchmaster.net all the time because this allows the program editor to achieve thousands of visits as thousands of users are being infected. Plus, by placing ads disguised as results in the results page and therefore tempting users to click on them, they make money. In order to stop you from rolling back these changes, searchmaster.net sets in motion several measures making it impossible to get rid of.
However, the free tools we recommend in the following guide will help you remove not only searchmaster.net but also any other infection that might also be present in your system.
How to remove searchmaster.net ?
Remove searchmaster.net with AdwCleaner
AdwCleaner is a program that searches for and deletes Adware, Toolbars, Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUP), and browser Hijackers from your system. If you use AdwCleaner you can very easily get rid of many of these types of programs for a better user experience on your system and while browsing the internet.
- Download AdwCleaner (Official link and direct-download) :
Download AdwCleaner - Select AdwCleaner.exe with right mouse click and Run as Administrator.
- If User Account Control asks you to allow AdwCleaner.exe to make changes to your computer, press Yes to continue.
- Start scanning your computer for any malicious threats by selecting the Scan button, please wait.
- If AdwCleaner is done, it will display a list of malicious items detected, If you have nothing to uncheck, continue to the removal process and select the Clean button.
- Reboot your computer.
Remove searchmaster.net with MalwareBytes Anti-Malware
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is an important security program for any computer user to have installed on their computer. It is light-weight, fast, and best of all, excellent at removing the latest infections like searchmaster.net.
- Download MalwareBytes Anti-Malware :
Premium Version Free Version (without Real-time protection) - Double-click mbam-setup-consumer.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
- Once installed, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will automatically start and you will see a message stating that you should update the program, and that a scan has never been run on your system. To start a system scan you can click on the Fix Now button.
- Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now check for updates, and if there are any, you will need to click on the Update Now button.
- Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer for searchmaster.net.
- When the scan is done, you will now be presented with a screen showing you the malware infections that Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware has detected. To remove the malicious programs that Malwarebytes Anti-malware has found, click on the Quarantine All button, and then click on the Apply Now button.
- Reboot your computer if prompted.
Remove searchmaster.net with ZHPCleaner
ZHPCleaner is a program that searches for and deletes Adware, Toolbars, Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUP), and browser Hijackers from your computer. By using ZHPCleaner you can easily remove many of these types of programs for a better user experience on your computer and while browsing the web.
- If Avast is installed on you computer you have to disable it during the process.
- You can download AdwCleaner utility from the below button :
Download ZHPCleaner - Select ZHPCleaner.exe with right mouse click and Run as Administrator.
- Accept the user agreement.
- Click on the Scanner button.
- After the scan has finished, click on the Repair button.
- Reboot your computer.
Reset default homepage (if necessary)
- Open Google Chrome then go to the three stripes in the right top corner
- Select Settings
- Go to the header: On Startup
- Click on the blue link: Set Pages behind Open a specific page or set of pages
- Remove the actual homepage by clicking the X icon.
- Enter a new homepage of your choice in textbox "Enter Url..."
- Go to the header: Search
- Click on the button: Manage search engines
- Select Google.com from the list, hover over it and click blue button Make Defaults
- Hover over searchmaster.net and click the X to remove it from the list.
- Open Mozilla Firefox and at the top of the Firefox window, click the Firefox button, then select Options
- Click on the General tab.
- Replace the homepage with one of your choice and click on OK.
- Open Internet Explorer
- Click on the gear icon
, in the upper right part of your browser, then click again on Internet Options.. - Click on the General tab.
- Replace the homepage with one of your choice, for example: google.com
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