Search.privacyassistant.net Redirect

What is search.privacyassistant.net?

Developers present search.privacyassistant.net as an Internet search engine that generates improved search results and, therefore, enhances users' Internet browsing experience. Judging on appearance alone, search.privacyassistant.net may appear legitimate and useful, however, this site gathers various information relating to users' Internet browsing activity.

Furthermore, developers promote this website using deceptive download/installation set-ups that hijack web browsers and modify various options without consent.

Rogue set-ups target Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox. Following infiltration, set-ups assign the new tab URL, default search engine, and homepage options to search.privacyassistant.net.

Set-ups then stealthily install a number of "helper objects" (third party applications and/or browser plug-ins) to reassign the aforementioned options when attempts are made to change them.

Therefore, returning browsers to their previous states becomes impossible and users are forced to visit search.privacyassistant.net when they open a new browser tab or simply search via the URL bar. These redirects significantly diminish the Internet browsing experience.

Another downside is information tracking - search.privacyassistant.net and helper objects continually record various user-system information relating to browsing activity.

The collected data (IP addresses, URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, etc.) might contain personal details that developers share with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who generate revenue by misusing private data. Therefore, information tracking can lead to serious privacy issues or even identity theft.

If you encounter unwanted redirects to search.privacyassistant.net, uninstall all suspicious applications/browser plug-ins and never visit this rogue site again. There are dozens of fake Internet search engines virtually identical to search.privacyassistant.net including, for example, launchpage.org, better-search.net, and zhinku.info.

All claim to enhance the Internet browsing experience by generating improved search results, however, these claims are merely attempts to give the impression of legitimacy. The only purpose of fake search engines is to generate revenue for the developers - they provide no value for regular users, cause unwanted redirects, and continually record various user-system information.

How did search.privacyassistant.net install on my computer?

As mentioned above, developers promote search.privacyassistant.net by employing deceptive download/installation set-ups. This deceptive marketing method is called "bundling" - stealth installation of third party applications with regular software/apps. Developers know that users often rush the download/installation processes and skip steps.

Therefore, information regarding modification of browser settings is hidden within the "Custom/Advanced" settings. By skipping this section, users inadvertently grant set-ups permission to modify various browser options.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

There are two simple steps you should take to prevent this situation. Firstly, never rush when downloading and installing software. Select the "Custom/Advanced" settings and closely analyze each step. Secondly, decline offers to download/install additional applications and never allow set-ups to modify options irrelevant to installation. The key to computer safety is caution.

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Quick menu:

• What is search.privacyassistant.net?
• STEP 1. Uninstall search.privacyassistant.net application using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove search.privacyassistant.net redirect from Internet Explorer.
• STEP 3. Remove search.privacyassistant.net browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove search.privacyassistant.net homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 5. Remove search.privacyassistant.net redirect from Safari.
• STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

search.privacyassistant.net browser hijacker removal:

Windows 11 users:

Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.

Windows 10 users:

Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.

Windows 7 users:

Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.

macOS (OSX) users:

Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.

In the uninstall programs window: look for any recently-installed suspicious applications, select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted programs that cause browser redirects to the search.privacyassistant.net website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

search.privacyassistant.net browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove browser redirects:

Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Change your homepage:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Internet Options", in the opened window, remove hxxp://search.privacyassistant.net and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you launch Internet Explorer. You can also enter about: blank to open a blank page when you start Internet Explorer.

Change your default search engine:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". In the opened window, select "Search Providers", set "Google", "Bing", or any other preferred search engine as your default and then remove "privacyassistant".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.privacyassistant.net browser hijacker, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.

Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.

In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.

Click the Reset button.

Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious add-ons, select these entries and click the trash can icon.

Change your homepage:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, click "set pages", hover your mouse over hxxp://search.privacyassistant.net and click the x symbol. Now, you can add your preferred website as your homepage.

Change your default search engine:

To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search" section, click "Manage Search Engines...", remove "privacyassistant" and add or select your preferred domain.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.privacyassistant.net browser hijacker, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.

After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click "Extensions" and remove all recently-installed browser plug-ins.

Change your homepage:

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Options", in the opened window, remove hxxp://search.privacyassistant.net and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.

Change your default search engine:

In the URL address bar, type about:config and press Enter.
Click "I'll be careful, I promise!".
In the search filter at the top, type: "privacyassistant.net"
Right-click on the found preferences and select "Reset" to restore default values.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with search.privacyassistant.net browser hijacker removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.

Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.

Select Troubleshooting Information.

In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.

Remove malicious extensions from Safari:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click Safari menu, then select Preferences...

In the preferences window select the Extensions tab. Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions and uninstall them.

In the preferences window select General tab and make sure that your homepage is set to a preferred URL, if its altered by a browser hijacker - change it.

In the preferences window select Search tab and make sure that your preferred Internet search engine is selected.

Optional method:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...

In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.

Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate any recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.

Change your homepage and new tab settings:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section look for the name of the browser hijacker and click "Disable".

Change your default Internet search engine:

To change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge: Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Privacy and services", scroll to bottom of the page and select "Address bar". In the "Search engines used in address bar" section look for the name of the unwanted Internet search engine, when located click the "Disable" button near it. Alternatively you can click on "Manage search engines", in the opened menu look for unwanted Internet search engine. Click on the puzzle icon near it and select "Disable".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.privacyassistant.net browser hijacker, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.

In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.

Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

• If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.

Summary:

A browser hijacker is a type of adware infection that modifies Internet browser settings by assigning the homepage and default Internet search engine settings to some other (unwanted) website URL. Commonly, this type of adware infiltrates operating systems through free software downloads. If your download is managed by a download client, ensure that you decline offers to install advertised toolbars or applications that seek to change your homepage and default Internet search engine settings.

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