How to remove the Power Search browser hijacker

What is Power Search?

The Power Search app is categorized as a browser hijacker. There are two main reasons for this classification: it promotes a fake search engine by changing browser settings and gathers browsing data. Browser hijackers are termed 'potentially unwanted applications' (PUAs), since people often download and install them inadvertently.

After installation, browser hijackers change settings such as address of the homepage, default search engine and new tab (they might also adjust other settings). Power Search assigns the addresses to srchpowerwindow.info, the URL of a fake search engine, which does not generate any unique results.

Depending on their geolocations, srchpowerwindow.info redirects users to google.com or bing.com. I.e., it delivers search results that are generated by the Google or Bing search engines. It is possible that srchpowerwindow.info might deliver results generated by Yahoo (search.yahoo.com) as well. 

most browser hijackers prevent users from changing the aforementioned settings. Therefore, users are forced to visit the address of a fake search engine (in this case, srchpowerwindow.info) when they open a browser, new tab or enter search queries into the URL bar.

In most cases, it is impossible to remove the address of fake search engines from the settings without first having to uninstall the browser hijacker. Furthermore, apps such as Power Search promote addresses of fake search engines and also gather browsing data (or even more sensitive information).

Typically, they target data such as users' IP addresses, geolocations, addresses of opened/visited sites, entered search queries, and so on. Developers use the data to generate revenue by selling it to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals), who misuse it for the same purpose.

In any case, it is not safe to use or have browser hijackers installed, since this might lead to identity theft, problems relating to browsing safety, privacy, and so on.

Threat Summary:

Name	Power Search
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab.
Browser Extension(s)	Power Search
Supposed Functionality	This app supposedly improves the web browsing experience.
Promoted URL	srchpowerwindow.info
Serving IP Address (srchpowerwindow.info)	34.237.110.206
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.

Typically, browser hijackers are advertised as apps that are supposedly useful and deliver various features. In fact, they do not function as promoted.

They are useless and designed only to help developers to generate revenue by gathering data and promoting fake search engines. Do not trust any browser hijackers and remove them from your system immediately. Examples of other browser hijackers are My Login Hub, Newfinder APP and ConvertMyFile Search.

How did Power Search install on my computer?

In some cases, PUAs can be downloaded and/or installed through deceptive ads. If clicked, these run scripts designed to cause unwanted downloads and/or installations. This can also happen during download/installation of other software. I.e., when PUAs are included into the download and/or installation set-ups.

This distribution method of PUAs is called "bundling". Frequently, information about apps that are additionally-included in set-ups is hidden in settings such as "Custom", "Advanced", etc. People who fail to check these settings and leave them unchanged often allow PUAs to be downloaded and installed with regular software.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Download software from official and trustworthy websites and avoid using various third party downloaders, installers, Peer-to-Peer networks, dubious pages and other similar channels to download or install software. Install software properly: do not skip setup steps without checking "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar settings.

Opt-out of offers download or install any unwanted software, and only then finish the setup. Note that, if clicked, many intrusive ads redirect users to untrustworthy and/or potentially malicious websites. These ads are usually displayed on dubious web pages relating to gambling, adult dating, pornography etc.

Ads of this type should not be trusted or clicked. If you encounter these ads or unwanted redirects regularly, check your browser for unwanted, dubious extensions, plug-ins or add-ons and remove them. The same applies to programs of this kind installed on the computer (operating system).

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

Power Search browser hijacker asks permission to read and change data:

 

Srchpowerwindow.info redirecting users to Google (GIF):

 

Srchpowerwindow.info redirecting users to Yahoo (GIF):

Website promoting Power Search browser hijacker:

Another website used to promote Power Search browser hijacker:

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

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

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

Power Search 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://srchpowerwindow.info 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 "Power Search".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the srchpowerwindow.info 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 "Power Search" 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 "Power Search", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.srchpowerwindow.info) 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 "srchpowerwindow.info", 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 srchpowerwindow.info 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 "Power Search", 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 "Power Search", remove hxxp://srchpowerwindow.info 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: "extensionControlled"
Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the button.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with srchpowerwindow.info 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 srchpowerwindow.info 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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