iSportTV Search Plus browser hijacker removal instructions

What is iSportTV Search Plus?

iSportTV Search Plus is a browser hijacker endorsed for enhancing the browsing experience. It supposedly provides various search tools and sports-related content, however, it makes unauthorized changes to browser settings and promotes a fake search engine (sport.searchalgo.com).

Additionally, it monitors browsing activity and gathers private data. Due to most users installing iSportTV Search Plus inadvertently, it is classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA).

Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and other popular browsers are common targets of browser hijackers. These applications operate by assigning the addresses of their fake web searchers as the homepage, default search engine, and new tab/window URL.

Therefore, each new tab/window opened and each search made via the URL bar redirects to the fake search engine. iSportTV Search Plus promotes sport.searchalgo.com in this manner. Most of these fake search tools are unable to generate unique results, and therefore redirect to (or cause redirection chains ending with) a legitimate search engine.

This is the case with sport.searchalgo.com, which redirects to search.yahoo.com. While these changes may seem insignificant, they can seriously diminish the browsing experience. Any changes users attempt to make to the hijacked browser are automatically reset (if indeed access to the settings is allowed at all).

This makes recovery of the affected browser impossible, without the removal of the browser hijacker. As mentioned, iSportTV Search Plus also has data tracking capabilities. By monitoring browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.), it collects users' personal information (IP addresses, geolocations, and other details).

This sensitive data is then sold to third parties and might end up being used for criminal purposes. In summary, unwanted applications can cause browser and system infiltration/infections and lead to serious privacy issues (even identity theft). To ensure device and user safety, remove all dubious apps and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	iSportTV Search Plus.
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab.
Detection Names	DrWeb (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal).
Browser Extension(s)	iSportTV Search Plus.
Promoted URL	sport.searchalgo.com
Serving IP Address (sport.searchalgo.com)	50.97.59.92
Affected Browser Settings	Homepage, new tab URL, default search engine.
Symptoms	Manipulated Internet browser settings (homepage, default Internet search engine, new tab settings). Users are forced to visit the hijacker's website and search the Internet using their search engines.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers.
Damage	Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Browser hijackers are often quite similar, and those applications released by the same developers tend to be identical. mixSportTV Search Plus, nJoyMovies Search Plus, and iGames Search are a few examples of apps similar to iSportTV Search Plus.

In general, PUAs share certain traits. They often seem legitimate and tempt users to install by offering various features/functions. Despite how useful these offers may sound, the advertised features are rarely operational. PUAs have just one goal: to generate revenue for the designers.

Regular users receive no value. Rather than delivering any features, these apps hijack browsers, cause redirects to untrustworthy and malicious websites, run intrusive ad campaigns (pop-ups, banners, coupons, surveys, etc.), and track data.

How did iSportTV Search Plus install on my computer?

At the time of research, iSportTV Search Plus was available to download from the Chrome Web Store. Some PUAs also have "official" download web pages, however, the most common method of PUA proliferation is through the download/install set-ups of other programs.

This deceptive marketing method of pre-packing regular software with unwanted or malicious content is called "bundling".

Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps, using pre-set options, etc.) increases the risk of bundled programs infiltrating the device, thereby endangering it with potential system infections. Intrusive advertisements can also proliferate PUAs. Once clicked, these ads can execute scripts designed to download/install PUAs without users' consent.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

You are advised to research apps, tools, features, etc. to verify their legitimacy, before downloading/installing. Only trustworthy and verified download sources should be used. Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, unofficial and free file-hosting websites, third party downloaders and similar channels are classed as untrustworthy.

Do not use them, as they are more likely to offer deceptive or bundled software. When downloading/installing, read the terms, explore possible all options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and do not allow supplementary content onto devices.

Intrusive ads typically seem legitimate and harmless, however, they can redirect to dubious sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, etc.). If you encounter ads/redirects of this type, inspect the system and remove all suspicious applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins without delay.

If your computer is already infected with iSportTV Search Plus, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

iSportTV Search Plus browser hijacker asking for various permissions:

iSportTV Search Plus browser hijacker on the Chrome Web Store:

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

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

iSportTV Search Plus 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 (for example, "iSportTV Search Plus"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications that cause browser redirects to the sport.searchalgo.com website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

iSportTV Search Plus 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://sport.searchalgo.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 "iSportTV Search Plus".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the sport.searchalgo.com redirect, 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 "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate "iSportTV Search Plus" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.

Change your homepage:

Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable "iSportTV Search Plus", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.sport.searchalgo.com) below the “Open a specific or set of pages” option. If present, click on the three vertical dots icon and select “Remove”.

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 engine" section, click "Manage search engines...", in the opened list look for "sport.searchalgo.com", and when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Remove from list".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the sport.searchalgo.com redirect, 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 on "Extensions" and remove "iSportTV Search Plus", as well as all other 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 disable "iSportTV Search Plus", remove hxxp://sport.searchalgo.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: "searchalgo"
Right-click on the found preferences and select "Reset" to restore default values.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with sport.searchalgo.com redirect 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 sport.searchalgo.com redirect, 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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