How to remove Shield My Searches browser hijacker

What is Shield My Searches?

Shield My Searches supposedly increases browsing security, however, it actually promotes search.shieldmysearches.com (by changing browser settings) and collects data. I.e., this application is a browser hijacker, which promotes the address of a fake search engine and operates as an information tracking tool.

Since users usually download and install browser hijackers inadvertently, apps of this type are classified as potentially unwanted applications (PUAs).

Generally, browser hijackers promote fake search engines by assigning their addresses as the default search engine, homepage, and new tab URL. Shield My Searches sets them to search.shieldmysearches.com. This browser hijacker loads search.shieldmysearches.com when users open a browser, new tab and enter search queries into the URL bar.

Note that these search engines can display misleading results. To remove search.shieldmysearches.com from browser settings, Shield My Searches must be uninstalled (browser hijackers usually do not allow modification of these settings as long as they are installed on the browser and/or computer).

Furthermore, PUAs such as Shield My Searches commonly gather browsing data. In most cases, they collect data such as IP addresses, geolocations, entered search queries, addresses of visited websites, etc. Some browser hijackers record personal, sensitive information.

Developers often sell collected information to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue in other ways.

Users who have browsers hijacked by programs such as Shield My Searches can experience problems relating to browsing safety, privacy, or they might even become victims identity theft. Therefore, you are advised to uninstall all browser hijackers immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	Shield My Searches
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab.
Browser Extension(s)	Shield My Searches
Supposed Functionality	This app supposedly improves web browsing safety.
Promoted URL	search.shieldmysearches.com
Serving IP Address (search.shieldmysearches.com)	66.81.205.234
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.

Some examples of other apps that are classified as browser hijackers are Weather Waves, Stream Facts and Search For Directions.

Most (if not all) are advertised as legitimate, useful apps that supposedly deliver various features, improve the browsing experience safety, or other value, however, it is more likely that they will cause problems rather than being useful. Therefore, never download or install browser hijackers or other PUAs.

How did Shield My Searches install on my computer?

People often download and install browser hijackers or other PUAs through the set-ups of other software. PUAs are often included in various download and installation set-ups. Related information can usually can be found in settings such as "Custom", "Advanced" and so on.

Unfortunately, many people fail to check and change these settings, thereby allowing PUAs to be downloaded and installed together with other, regular software. This marketing method is known as "bundling".

Additionally, unwanted downloads and installations can be caused by clicking deceptive advertisements: if clicked, some ads run scripts that lead to these unwanted downloads and installations.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Do not download files or programs using unofficial pages, Peer-to-Peer networks such as torrent clients, eMule, third party downloaders or other such tools. Also avoid third party installers. All software should be downloaded from official websites and using direct download links.

Furthermore, do not perform any download or installation without checking settings such as "Custom" and "Advanced" - dismiss offers to download or install additional software. Do not click ads displayed on dubious pages relating to gambling, adult dating, pornography, and others, since this can cause redirects to untrusted websites and unwanted downloads/installations.

If the browser opens dubious web pages or displays ads regularly, uninstall all unwanted, suspicious apps (extensions, plug-ins, add-ons).

Also apply this to programs of this kind that are installed on the operating system. If your computer is already infected with Shield My Searches, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

Shield My Searches download page opened with Mozilla Firefox:

 

Shield My Searches download page opened with Google Chrome:

Notification stating that Shield My Searches can read and change various data:

IMPORTANT NOTE! Shield My Searches download page asks to enable web browser notifications.

Therefore, before commencing, perform these steps:

Google Chrome (PC):

• Click the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen
• Select "Settings", scroll down to the bottom and click "Advanced"
• Scroll down to the "Privacy and security" section, select "Content settings" and then "Notifications"
• Click three dots on the right hand side of each suspicious URL and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)

Google Chrome (Android):

• Click on the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and click "Settings"
• Scroll down, click on "Site settings" and then "Notifications"
• In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and click on them one-by-one
• Select "Notifications" in the "Permissions" section and set the toggle button to "OFF"

Mozilla Firefox:

• Click the Menu button (three bars) on the right upper corner of the screen
• Select "Options" and click on "Privacy & Security" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen
• Scroll down to the "Permissions" section and click the "Settings" button next to "Notifications"
• In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs, click the drop-down menu and select "Block"

Internet Explorer:

• Click the Gear button on the right upper corner of the IE window
• Select "Internet options"
• Select the "Privacy" tab and click "Settings" under "Pop-up Blocker" section
• Select suspicious URLs under and remove them one by one by clicking the "Remove" button

Microsoft Edge:

• Click the menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the Edge window
• Scroll down, find and click "Settings"
• Scroll down again and click "View advanced settings"
• Click "Manage" under "Website permissions"
• Click the switch under each suspicious website

Safari (Mac):

• Click "Safari" button on the left upper corner of the screen and select "Preferences..."
• Select the "Websites" tab and then select "Notifications" section on the left pane
• Check for suspicious URLs and apply the "Deny" option for each

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Quick menu:

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

Shield My Searches 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, "Shield My Searches"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

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

Shield My Searches 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.shieldmysearches.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 "Shield My Searches".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.shieldmysearches.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 "Shield My Searches" 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 "Shield My Searches", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.search.shieldmysearches.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 "search.shieldmysearches.com", 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 search.shieldmysearches.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 "Shield My Searches", 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 "Shield My Searches", remove hxxp://search.shieldmysearches.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: "extensionControlled"
Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the button.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with search.shieldmysearches.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 search.shieldmysearches.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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