What is Powermediatabsearch.com?
Powermediatabsearch.com is yet another browser hijacker that enters user’s computer with the intention to make as much money as possible. Luckily, browser hijackers cannot steal sensitive personal information, so they are not extreme security threats. Nevertheless, you should see to it that you remove Powermediatabsearch.com from your system immediately. Browser hijackers could be exploited by cyber criminals to access vulnerable systems, so you need to avoid that at all costs.
This description will tell you more about this intruder, but if you are merely interested in the removal process, you can scroll down to the manual removal instructions at the bottom of this article.
Where does Powermediatabsearch.com come from?
The browser hijacker actually belongs to a group of similar intruders, and other programs in the family include the likes of Search.searchlttrn.com, Search.yourpackagesnow.com, Search.yourmapscenter.com, and so on.
We always mention that having more than one program in the same group of infections is usually a good thing because then we can expect related applications to behave in a similar fashion. Also, the fact that there are a lot of browser hijackers in this group means that the people who create them do not spend a lot of time on the actual program. They rely on the sheer number to reach their goals.
Another thing about this program is that you probably install it on your PC yourself. Of course, you are not aware of that, but it is only natural because Powermediatabsearch.com and other browser hijackers tend to employ freeware bundling as the main distribution method. Our research suggests that this browser hijacker usually comes from file-sharing websites and such pages as filewon.com, filewin.com, descargar.es, malavida.es, etc.
It also means that it should be possible to avoid installing this browser hijacker if you were more careful about the programs you download and the sources you choose. On top of that, when a browser hijacker comes bundled with freeware, you have to look for other unwanted applications because they tend to travel in packs.
What does Powermediatabsearch.com do?
Thankfully, this browser hijacker does not present us with anything new. Upon the installation, the program will modify your default homepage on Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. Then the hijacker will make use of tracking techniques to monitor your online activity. It logs the websites you visit and your most frequently-used keywords. With that information, Powermediatabsearch.com can generate modified search results, hoping you would click them.
Now, why would the browser hijacker want you to click that commercial content? Remember the aim of the browser hijacker? The money? That is actually how this program makes a financial profit. Each time you click a click provided by this program, you generate a particular amount of money via the pay-per-click system. Normally, the sum is very small, so the hijacker needs to get as many clicks as possible.
The problem is that the program does not review the third-party content it embeds in its ads and modified search results. In a sense, anyone could embed their content in the advertising space provided by Powermediatabsearch.com. So if cyber criminals make use of this browser hijacker for malware distribution, you could get infected with serious security threats.
That is why computer security specialists maintain that it is important to get rid of all the unwanted programs at once, even if they do not look dangerous. And while you are at it, you should also scan your PC with a licensed antispyware tool.
How do I remove Powermediatabsearch.com?
You can delete the browser hijacker manually. Please note that the manual removal process for all browsers is different. You might find it too challenging if you have never done it before. If that happens, please be sure to acquire a powerful antispyware tool to remove the potential threats from your system automatically.
As mentioned, there might be more unwanted programs on-board, so you need to take care of them, too. This is where the security tool of your choice becomes handy, too. If you think you might need more help with that, please do not hesitate to leave us a comment. Our team is always ready to assist you, and your computer’s security should always be one of your top priorities.
Manual Powermediatabsearch.com Removal
Internet Explorer
- Press Win+R and type regedit. Click OK.
- Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main.
- On the right side, right-click the Start page value.
- Change your homepage address and click OK.
- Exit Registry editor.
Chrome
- Press Win+R and type %LocalAppData%. Click OK.
- Go to Google\Chrome\User Data\Default.
- Delete the Preferences, Secure Preferences, and Web Data files.
Firefox
- Press Win+R and type %AppData%. Click OK.
- Go to Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\[Unique User ID].
- Find the prefs.js file and open it with Notepad.
- Remove the following string: user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://Powermediatabsearch.com");
- Save changes and exit the file.
tested removal of Powermediatabsearch.com*
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