What is ConverterSearchHD?
If you have downloaded IStreamSearch recently, you should be able to just remove this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and forget about it. However, if it has been around for a while now, it is possible that you have already interacted with the search tool introduced by it, and that could cause different kinds of issues. Our Anti-Spyware-101.com experts have recently analyzed this suspicious extension in an internal lab, and we have a few tidbits of information that should help you understand and evaluate it better. It is important to note that this PUP is not unique. In fact, it has an uncountable number of clones, some of which include MovieSearches, ConverterSearchNow, NewVideoSearch, and AllRadioSearch. We always analyze and review all of them separately, but because they are clones, the same information and tips apply in every case. In this report, we show how to delete IStreamSearch, but note that you can use the same guide to get rid of all clones.
How does IStreamSearch work?
It is possible that you downloaded IStreamSearch bundled with something else. Perhaps that “something else” was a desirable, attractive piece of software. Unfortunately, bundles are usually used to spread malware, and so you have to be cautious. If you have been exposed to bundles, do not hesitate to scan your operating system with a legitimate malware scanner. It will help you figure out if there is anything else that you need to delete along with the PUP. It is also possible that you installed IStreamSearch on its own from chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/istreamsearch/opfleddepnbchppinbpehkeiigicjdgd. The Chrome Web Store is trusted by most Chrome users, but it is still strange that more than 10,000 users (at the time of research) had installed this PUP. Perhaps they were pushed into doing that against their will? Whatever the case might be, this extension is not useful, and removing it is the only thing that makes sense. Even the official description on the Chrome Web Store states that it is a “single purpose extension,” which is not enticing in any way. The thing is that this PUP cannot offer anything.
Once IStreamSearch is installed, feed.istreamsearch.com replaces the default search provider. Some people might think that using this search tool is a good idea because it redirects to Yahoo Search, but, in fact, this is our top reason to delete it. The results you see at search.yahoo.com might look normal, but they are not. The PUP modifies them to assist unknown third parties. Unpredictable third-party links can be placed next to normal results, and users might click them without thinking. Unfortunately, if the involved parties are unreliable – and that is a possibility – their links could route to scam pages, malware websites, age-inappropriate content, fake shopping sites, etc. Ultimately, IStreamSearch cannot offer an enhanced Yahoo Search experience, and so we recommend that you delete it without hesitation. If you have interacted with the sponsored content, remember that you might need to take security measures to protect yourself. That depends on what kinds of sites you might have visited and what you did on them.
How to delete IStreamSearch
We recommend removing IStreamSearch, and we are sure that the reasons for that are already obvious by now. This potentially unwanted program offers nothing for you, but it can support undisclosed third parties, whose links can be included in the shown search results. The PUP exploits Yahoo Search to push suspicious sponsored content, and that can confuse some users. In general, we are sure that everyone is better off without this PUP. If you have found that it was installed with other pieces of software, and if you want to take better care of your system overall, we advise implementing anti-malware software. It will automatically delete IStreamSearch and everything else that is unreliable or dangerous. If you want to go on manually, use the guide below, and do not skip the steps that show how to clear browsing data because you want to get rid of all data-tracking elements.
Removal Instructions
- Launch Google Chrome.
- Enter chrome://extensions into the address bar.
- Find the PUP and click Remove.
- Enter chrome://settings/clearBrowserData into the address bar.
- Click the Advanced tab at the top.
- Select a time range, mark the boxes, and click Clear data.
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