Searchlock.com Redirect

What is searchlock.com?

According to the developers, searchlock.com (or results.searchlock.com) is a 'high-experience' Internet search engine that improves web browsing by generating improved results. Judging on appearance alone, searchlock.com barely differs from Google, Yahoo, Bing, and other reputable search engines.

Therefore, many users believe that searchlock.com is also legitimate and useful. In fact, criminals promote this website by employing various download/installation set-ups that hijack web browsers and modify options. In addition, this rogue site continually tracks users' Internet browsing activity by collecting various user-system information.

Deceptive set-ups target Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox, stealthily modifying the default search engine, homepage, and new tab URL options by assigning them to searchlock.com.

Following successful modification, set-ups install a number of "helper objects" (third party applications and/or browser extensions) to reassign the aforementioned options when attempts are made to change them.

Therefore, users are unable to return browsers to their previous state and are forced to visit searchlock.com when they open a new browser tab or search via the URL bar. This significantly diminishes the web browsing experience.

Furthermore, browsing activity is continually monitored, since helper objects and searchlock.com continually record various user-system information that might be personally identifiable including, for example, IP addresses, URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, etc.

Developers share this information with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue. Therefore, information tracking can result in serious privacy issues or even identity theft. If you encounter unwanted redirects to searchlock.com, uninstall all suspicious applications and browser plug-ins. Never return to this site.

Research reveals dozens of fake search engines virtually identical to searchlock.com. The list includes home.bitmotion-tab.com, searchdimension.com, and http-search.com. All offer improved search results, however, claims to enhance the web browsing experience are merely attempts to give the impression of legitimacy.

The only purpose fake search engines is to generate revenue for the developers, whilst regular users receive no value. They cause unwanted redirects and continually record various user-system information.

How did searchlock.com install on my computer?

To promote searchlock.com, developers use a deceptive marketing method called "bundling" and hide details of browser modifications within the "Custom" or "Advanced" options of the download/installation processes.

Rushing these procedures and skipping steps inadvertently grants set-ups permission to modify various browser options. This behavior can lead to high-risk computer infections and/or serious privacy issues.

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 "Custom/Advanced" settings and closely analyze each step. Secondly, decline offers to download/install additional applications and cancel those already included. Bundled apps are often malicious. They should never be installed.

Deceptive pop-up ad promoting installation of SearchLock browser hijacker:

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Quick menu:

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

searchlock.com 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 searchlock.com website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

searchlock.com 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://searchlock.com 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 "searchlock".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the searchlock.com 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 SearchLock Protects Your Privacy... 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 "SearchLock" and add or select your preferred domain.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the searchlock.com 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://searchlock.com 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: "searchlock.com"
Right-click on the found preferences and select "Reset" to restore default values.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with searchlock.com 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 searchlock.com 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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