What is Websrch.net?
Websrch.net is a search engine that can be used by third-party applications to collect information on your web browsing habits. The program itself is not active on the Internet yet, but it could be employed later on by various freeware applications.
If eventually, you find that your browser’s settings were modified by Websrch.net, you should remove all the potentially harmful programs from your computer and reset your browser’s settings to default. The best way to determine how many unwanted programs you have is to scan your PC with a licensed antispyware tool and then delete all the potential threats automatically.
Where does Websrch.net come from?
It is hard to say who developed Websrch.net and how this search engine is used by other applications. As mentioned, the domain is not openly active on the web. It goes without saying that there is no direct distribution source for this search engine. As long as there is a program that can make use of the engine, it might enter your computer in a number of ways.
For instance, probably the most common way for a freeware application to enter your system is to arrive via a software package. Users often download such packages without realizing because they seldom understand the potential risks behind installing a program from a file-sharing page. However, each time you download something from such a website, there is always a risk that you will install more programs than you need.
Why does that happen? It happens because third-party installers bundle several applications together. Normally, it is possible to avoid unwanted applications if you follow the installation wizard closely. The wizard may have the option where you can choose to decline additional applications and features. Thus, it should be possible to avoid Websrch.net as well, but if you go through freeware installation blindly, then you will definitely lose that chance.
What does Websrch.net do?
The search engine itself does not do anything malicious. However, if it is used by a malevolent third party, it could expose you to a corrupted content. It is very likely that Websrch.net can display modified Google Search engine results. Normally, programs that engage in such practice collect information on user’s browsing habits, too. Thus, it is very likely that the program that uses Websrch.net also employs tracking cookies to see what websites you visit and what you usually search for when you are online.
Everything is done for commercial purposes. Websrch.net itself is used for online advertising. Whenever you interact with the content that is promoted by such programs, you help the people behind them make easy money. Consider this: Each time you click an outgoing link, you generate a financial profit via the pay-per-click system. Although the generated sum is not big, if there are a lot of users clicking those links, the profit grows.
Needless to say, such practice has its own risks. The main problem is that neither Websrch.net nor the program that uses this search engine can guarantee that the content you encounter is safe. Hence, if it gets exploited by cyber criminals, you might also get infected with malware. Albeit such a possibility is the worst-case scenario, and it is highly unlikely, the risk is still there, and you should not take it.
If you encounter unfamiliar content online through Websrch.net, you should close your browser’s window and then scan your PC with a licensed security tool. You might be surprised to find a lot of annoying and potentially harmful programs on-board.
How do I remove Websrch.net?
The best way to get rid of this search engine is to reset your browser settings to default and to check your shortcut target line settings. Also, it is important that you delete all the unfamiliar programs that might have added Websrch.net to your browser.
After manual removal, be sure to scan your PC with the SpyHunter free scanner. Sometimes freeware applications do not have entries in the list of installed programs, so it might not be possible to uninstall them via Control Panel. If that happens, a licensed antispyware tool is your best choice because it can help you terminate potential threats automatically. What’s more, it will also protect your PC from other threats in the future.
Manual Websrch.net Removal
Edit the Target Line
- Right-click your browser’s shortcut.
- Select Properties on the drop-down menu.
- Click the Shortcut tab.
- Locate the Target line.
- Delete everything that is OUTSIDE of the quotation marks.
- Click OK to save changes.
Reset Internet Explorer
- Press Alt+T and click Internet options.
- Open the Advanced tab and click Reset.
- Select the Delete personal settings and click Reset.
- Press Close.
Reset Chrome
- Press Alt+F and go to Settings.
- Scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down again and press Reset.
- Click Reset to confirm.
Reset Firefox
- Press Alt+H and go to Troubleshooting information.
- Click Refresh Firefox at the top right of the new tab.
- Press Refresh Firefox again and click Finish.
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