What is Search.searchlye.com?
When was it the last time you got attacked by a browser hijacker? Search.searchlye.com is one of those rather fishy programs that may look like regular search engines, but the truth is that they are there to provide custom commercial content, hoping you will interact with it. While there is nothing malicious about browser hijackers at the core level, computer security experts maintain that it is for the best to remove Search.searchlye.com and other similar programs from your system before they manage to expose you to something dangerous. Hence, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this description for the manual removal instructions.
Where does Search.searchlye.com come from?
This browser hijacker comes from a big family of similar intruders, and it is practically identical to Search.yourmapscenter.com, Search.yourclassifiedscenter.com, Search.yourinterestscenter.com, and many others. At the same time, it also means that this new browser hijacker employs the same distribution principles as its predecessors. Hence, Search.searchlye.com does not enter your system surreptitiously. You are the one who installs this browser hijacker, although you may not be aware of that.
This usually happens because such applications come bundled with freeware. Users often download freeware from file-sharing websites. It looks like a good option because freeware is, well, free. However, file-sharing websites tend to offer various freeware applications bundled in one package with third-party installers. Usually, you can choose which programs you want to install and which features you want to leave behind during the installation. Unfortunately, quite a few users go through the installation process automatically without checking all the steps. So do not be surprised if Search.searchlye.com and a few other unwanted applications manage to slither into your system. The only good thing is that, as mentioned, these programs are not immediate security threats, and you have enough time to take care of them.
What does Search.searchlye.com do?
Another good thing about this browser hijacker is that we know exactly what it is going to do. Browser hijackers are not rocket science. They are there to make money, and they do that by promoting third-party content. To get that content to you, Search.searchlye.com will change your browser’s settings. It modifies your homepage and even affects your search results. It does not mean that this browser hijacker changes your search results completely. It simply adds certain links among the general results, and it looks like they offer you something you have always been looking for.
You will probably have this impression because Search.searchlye.com will employ tracking cookies to collect information on what websites you frequent and what you usually search for when you browse the web. Consequently, when the browser hijacker collects information on that, it will be able to offer custom links with the content you may prefer. If that is really the case, the chances that you will click these customized links will be really high, and this is exactly what the browser hijacker wants. It may not be interested in providing you with the most relevant, but it will sure love your clicks because this is how Search.searchlye.com and other browser hijackers make money.
This is also where the main security risks related to this browser hijacker arise. As mentioned, the hijacker merely aims to make a financial profit by advertising third-party content. Since it does not screen that content and does not check where it comes from, sometimes Search.searchlye.com might accidentally end up promoting dangerous third-party links that redirect you to dangerous websites. For the most part, those are sites that engage in online marketing, but sometimes you might also encounter malware distribution websites. If that happens, you could be only one click away from a dangerous infection.
How do I remove Search.searchlye.com?
Due to such risks and simply because the hijacker in question is extremely annoying, it is for the best to remove Search.searchlye.com from your system today. Deleting a browser hijacker is not complicated, and you can do it on your own. Simply follow the instructions that you will find below, and after that, scan your computer with the SpyHunter free scanner. If you remember, this browser hijacker could have entered your system together with many other unwanted programs, so you most definitely have to check for them, too.
Manual Search.searchlye.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.
- Select Modify and change your homepage address. Click OK.
Firefox
- Press Win+R and type %AppData%. Click OK.
- Go to Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\[Unique User ID].
- Use Notepad to open the prefs.js file.
- Remove the user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "Search.searchlye.com"); string.
- Save changes and close the file.
Chrome
- Press Win+R and type %LocalAppData%. Click OK.
- Open Google\Chrome\User Data\Default.
- Delete the Preferences, Secure Preferences, and Web Data files.
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