What is Search.searchtmp.com?
Without a doubt, browser hijackers are annoying, dangerous infections that everyone should remove after detection, and Search.searchtmp.com is one such hijacker. The objective of this infection is to enter your computer without authorization and replace your browser’s current homepage/new tab page with its address. This is done to redirect web traffic and subject you to commercial advertisements presented in Search.searchtmp.com’s search results. Our malware analysts say that the ads come from unknown sources that constantly change, so you should not trust them since they might promote unreliable content. In this short description, we will go over the most important issues regarding this hijacker including functionality, distribution and removal methods. So if your computer has become infected this hijacker, then, please continue reading.
How does Search.searchtmp.com work?
In actuality, most small-time search engines use search engines of IT giants such as Google and Microsoft to present their “unique” search results. Search.searchtmp.com redirects all search queries to Yahoo.com, which is known to use Google’s and Microsoft Bing’s search results. Therefore, this browser hijacker offers nothing unique to the end-user experience. It does, however, feature several links to popular websites, such as Facebook.com, Amazon.com, and Youtube.com, among others, but they are gimmicks because you can create custom bookmarks on your web browser.
Our malware researchers are of the opinion that this hijacker is part of a web monetization scheme that includes other browser hijackers, such as Search.yourpackagesnow.com, Search.yourmapscenter.com, and Search.youremailnow.com. All of these hijackers/search engines are believed to have come from the same group of developers. So we believe that Search.searchtmp.com will promote various partner websites which can be illegitimate. We think that in the worst case scenario this hijacker can promote malicious software such as adware and spyware or scam websites.
Apart from subjecting you to potentially malicious content, Search.searchtmp.com will also collect information about you. This information includes but is not limited to browser type, operating system type, as well as “Internet Protocol (IP) address and information about the version of any software comprising a portion of the Services that you use” as stated in the privacy policy. Also, it will gather information such as your geographic location and the domain name of your Internet service provider (ISP.) So the information this hijacker collects automatically is quite extensive but of non-personal nature. This information may be shared with third parties, but for the most part, it is used to customize the ad campaign and tailor it to unique users.
Where does Search.searchtmp.com come from?
The reason we think promoting unreliable content is plausible is because of the fact that this so-called “search engine” comes from a developer known as SaferBrowser. This secretive developer is responsible for releasing many browser hijackers and the methods used to disseminate them are often deceitful. Our malware analysts believe that Search.searchtmp.com, in particular, is disseminated using malicious installers that inject it into the computer automatically without the user’s knowledge or consent. It does not come with a dedicated browser extension, so the whole hijacking process is carried out by the installer. Also, this hijacker is getting popular, especially in the US, which makes up 95 % of all visits followed by Peru with 3.3 % and the UK with 1.1 %. Now, if you want to get rid of this hijacker from your computer, then we invite you to consult our removal guide.
How do I remove Search.searchtmp.com?
If you have decided to delete Search.searchtmp.com, then there are two ways you can approach this. You can go to your web browser’s settings and replace the homepage/new tab page, but this method is not foolproof. So we also suggest that you consider our alternative removal guide. If that does not work, then we recommend using our featured antimalware tool called SpyHunter. Again Search.searchtmp.com is considered as a malicious search engine due to its shady promotions so do not hesitate to get rid of it.
Remove via browser settings
Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Launch the browser.
- Press the Alt+T keys and select Internet Options.
- Open the Advanced tab and click Reset.
- Tick the checkbox.
- Click Reset and click Close.
Google Chrome
- Launch the browser and press Alt+F.
- Click More tools and open Extensions.
- Locate the extension and click Remove.
Mozilla Firefox
- Launch the browser.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+A.
- Select Extensions.
- Find the app and click Remove.
Change the homepage address via alternative method
Google Chrome
- Press Windows+E keys and enter C:\Users\{ your username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default in the address box.
- Delete Preferences, Secure Preferences and Web Data files.
Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Press Windows+R keys.
- Enter regedit in the box and click OK.
- Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
- Find Start Page on the right side of the window and double-click it.
- Change the Value Data from http://search.searchtmp.com to your desired homepage address.
Mozilla Firefox
- Press Windows+E keys and enter C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{Unique mozilla user ID} in the address box.
- Find prefs.js and open it with Notepad and remove the user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://search.searchtmp.com/");
- Close and save changes.
tested removal of Search.searchtmp.com*
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