What is Search-Plus?
What happens when you open your browser, and suddenly your default homepage is changed to Search-Plus? It’s very likely that you’ve been infected by a browser hijacker. There’s no need to panic, though, because browser hijackers are not terribly malicious security threats. Sure they can be annoying and potentially harmful, but you can deal with them pretty fast.
Scroll down to the bottom for the manual removal instructions, and you will be able to remove Search-Plus from your browser immediately. Afterward, be sure to get yourself a licensed antispyware tool because you clearly need to run a full system scan.
Where does Search-Plus come from?
Browser hijackers do not have one particular website that would be responsible for distributing it. They might come bundled with freeware, or they could modify your browser’s settings through a redirect or a pop-up. In some cases, you might also agree to change your browser’s settings without even realizing it.
We usually imagine that the main cybersecurity threats are complicated malware programs like Trojans, ransomware, and so on, but browser hijackers and potentially unwanted programs are far more common, and a lot more annoying. Another thing is that we can always avoid the likes of Search-Plus if only we are careful about the websites we visit and the content we interact with. The problem here is that users often forget that and take their cybersecurity for granted. As a result, Search-Plus might be just one of the many potential threats that are currently present on your system, too.
To avoid such intruders, you should refrain from downloading software from file-sharing websites. If you often visit pages that display a lot of third-party advertisements, you should make sure that you close those ads without clicking anywhere on them. If you agree to install a certain program, you should read all the additional clauses about the installation because they might be trying to push you into installing more than one program. All in all, don’t leave your cybersecurity just to your antispyware program, you have to be responsible for the pages you visit, too.
What does Search-Plus do?
Since Search-Plus is a browser hijacker, it clearly modifies your browser’s settings. It happens to be compatible only with the Chrome browser, so if you use any other browser hijacker shouldn’t bother you. However, just because Search-Plus is not compatible with your browser, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have other unwanted programs installed. Might as well scan your system right now, just to be safe.
Anyway, when it comes to what Search-Plus does, it’s not surprising that it changes the default homepage and search engine settings. Both settings are changed to hsearch-plus.co. It might seem that this domain has nothing to do with Search-Plus, but when you open the site, the name says “Search-Plus.” It actually wouldn’t be surprising if this program was an underdeveloped version of some other app that will be released in the future. It might as well be a test run of some sort.
However, just because Search-Plus doesn’t seem to be perfect, it doesn’t mean that it cannot collect information on your web browsing habits. That’s what browser hijackers usually do. They hijacker your browser’s settings and then try to expose you to affiliated content. That content could be commercial or malicious, there are no clear boundaries to that. Search-Plus is more like a vessel for content distribution and promotion, and anyone who knows how to make use of that vessel could promote their content to you. This raises a lot of security concerns because, in the worst-case scenario, you could also be exposed to a malware distribution network, and we certainly don’t want that.
How do I remove Search-Plus?
As mentioned, there’s no need to panic because of this hijacker since it’s not that complicated to remove it. You can simply change your homepage and search engine settings manually, although it would be better to reset your browser altogether. Who knows what other unwanted apps and extensions are there? Why not simply start on a new slate?
If you want to get a better understanding of your overall cybersecurity status, you should run a full system scan with the SpyHunter free scanner. Then, you will be able to determine what other steps you should take to protect your PC from other threats.
Manual Search-Plus Removal
- Launch the Chrome browser.
- Press Alt + F and go to Settings.
- Scroll down to the bottom and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Press the Reset settings button.
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