How to remove Search Defender Live

What is Search Defender Live?

Identical to Search Defender Prime, Search Defender Live is an app which supposedly makes web browsing more secure. It is virtually identical to Search Defender Prime: it change browser settings and gathers various browsing data. Note, however, that they both promote a different fake search engine.

Apps of this type are categorized as browser hijackers and potentially unwanted applications (PUAs). In most cases, people download and install PUAs unintentionally.

Search Defender Live promotes searchdefenderlive.com (a fake search engine) by assigning it as the address of the default search engine, homepage, and new tab. In summary, people who have Search Defender Live installed on their browsers are forced to visit this address when they open a browser, new tab, or enter a search query into the URL bar.

Generally, browser hijackers prevent users from undoing these settings. The only way to undo or change them is to uninstall the browser hijacker (in this case, Search Defender Live). Typically, fake search engines such as searchdefenderlive.com are useless - they generate no unique results and simply provide results generated by other, often legitimate, search engines.

Note that searchdefenderlive.com provides results generated by Yahoo by enforcing redirects to search.yahoo.com. Most browser hijackers also collect information relating to users' browsing activity. For example, IP addresses, entered search queries, geolocations, and addresses of visited websites.

In some cases, PUAs collect personal, sensitive details. Developers share the data with third parties who misuse it to generate revenue. Some of the gathered data might be shared with cyber criminals. Browser hijackers can thus cause problems with browsing safety, online privacy, or even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Search Defender Live
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab.
Browser Extension(s)	Search Defender Live
Supposed Functionality	This app supposedly makes web browsing safer.
Promoted URL	searchdefenderlive.com
Serving IP Address (searchdefenderlive.com)	104.27.179.127
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.

Even if advertised as useful and legitimate, browser hijackers (and other PUAs) do not deliver any real value.

They are designed only to help developers to generate revenue by promoting fake search engines and collecting various data. We strongly recommend against using any browser hijackers and/or fake search engines. Some examples of other browser hijackers are Recall Alerts, Inmate Search, and Website Security Checker.

How did Search Defender Live install on my computer?

One of the most popular ways to trick people into downloading and/or installing unwanted apps is to include them into the set-ups of other software. Typically, developers do not properly disclose information about these additionally-included apps and hide it in "Custom", "Advanced", and other similar settings.

People who download and install software without checking the settings often allow PUAs to be downloaded and/or installed. This unwanted software distribution method is known as "bundling". PUAs can also infiltrate when users click deceptive ads, which then run scripts designed cause download/installation of various unwanted applications.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Download all applications/programs from official websites. Do not use dubious web pages, Peer-to-Peer networks such as torrent clients or eMule, third party downloaders, installers, or other such tools to download or install software. Check "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar settings of download or installation setups.

Dismiss any offers to download or install unwanted software. Do not click intrusive ads, especially those shown on dubious pages. People who click them are usually redirected to untrustworthy sites or the cause download/installation of various unwanted software.

Check the list of installed applications (add-ons, plug-ins, extensions) on the browser and remove all unknown, unwanted apps immediately.

The same should be applied to unwanted programs installed on the operating. If your computer is already infected with Search Defender Live, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

Website promoting Search Defender Live browser hijacker:

Search Defender asks permission to access data on Chrome:

Search Defender asks permission to access data on Firefox:

Search Defender Live redirects users to search.yahoo.com (GIF):

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Quick menu:

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

Search Defender Live 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, "Search Defender Live"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

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

Search Defender Live 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://searchdefenderlive.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 "Search Defender Live".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the searchdefenderlive.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 "Search Defender Live" 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 "Search Defender Live", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.searchdefenderlive.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 "searchdefenderlive.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 searchdefenderlive.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 "Search Defender Live", 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 "Search Defender Live", remove hxxp://searchdefenderlive.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: "searchdefenderlive.com"
Right-click on the found preferences and select "Reset" to restore default values.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with searchdefenderlive.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 searchdefenderlive.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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