How to remove the ConverterSearchNow browser hijacker

What is ConverterSearchNow?

ConverterSearchNow is a browser hijacker designed to make modifications to browser settings to promote convertersearchnow.com (a bogus search engine). Furthermore, ConverterSearchNow has data tracking capabilities, which are employed to monitor browsing activity and gather sensitive information extracted from it.

Since most users install ConverterSearchNow unintentionally, it is also classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA).

Browser hijackers mainly target Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and other popular browsers. This software operates by reassigning the homepage, default search engine and new tab/window URLs to the addresses of bogus search engines.

ConverterSearchNow also makes these alterations to browsers to promote convertersearchnow.com. Therefore, with this browser hijacker installed, each new browser tab/window opened and search query typed into the URL bar redirects to convertersearchnow.com.

Fake search engines are rarely capable of providing search results, and so they tend to redirect to (or cause redirection chains ending with) Google, Bing, Yahoo and other legitimate sites. This is the case with convertersearchnow.com, which redirects to Yahoo (search.yahoo.com). 

Browser hijackers can undo any changes users attempt to make and/or restrict/deny access to the settings outright. Therefore, recovering a hijacked browser is impossible without eliminating the software affecting it. As mentioned, most PUAs can track data.

They can record users' browsing habits (visited URLs, viewed pages, searched queries, etc.) and collect vulnerable data (IP addresses, geolocations and other details). The collected data is likely to include personally identifiable information. Browser hijacker developers monetize this information by sharing it with and/or selling it to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals).

To summarize, the presence of unwanted software can result in serious privacy issues, financial loss and even identity theft. To ensure device integrity and user safety, it is crucial to remove all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	ConverterSearchNow
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab.
Browser Extension(s)	ConverterSearchNow
Promoted URL	convertersearchnow.com
Serving IP Address (convertersearchnow.com)	104.31.68.196
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.

ConverterSearchHD, Jolly Web, PDFSearchz and StreamSearchs are some examples of other browser hijackers. They may seem legitimate and harmless, and users are enticed into download/installation with various "useful" functionality. The features are rarely operational, and this is typical of all PUAs.

The only purpose of these unwanted apps is to generate revenue for the developers - regular users receive no real value and can instead experience serious issues. PUAs hijack browsers, cause redirects, run intrusive advertisement campaigns and collect private information.

How did ConverterSearchNow install on my computer?

Some PUAs (including ConverterSearchNow) have "official" promotional web pages from which they can be downloaded. These applications can also be downloaded/installed with other software. This deceptive marketing technique of pre-packing regular programs with unwanted or malicious additions is called "bundling".

Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps and sections, etc.) increases the risk of inadvertently allowing bundled content into the system. PUAs are also proliferated by intrusive advertisements. Once clicked, they can execute scripts to make stealthy downloads/installations.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

You are strongly advised to research all software before download/installation and/or purchase. Use only official and verified download channels. Untrusted sources such as unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks and other third party downloaders commonly offer deceptive and bundled content.

When downloading/installing, read the terms, explore all available options, use the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings and opt-out of additional apps, tools, features, etc. Intrusive ads may seem normal and innocuous, however, they can redirect to various dubious sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, and so on).

If you experience these ads or redirects, check all devices and immediately remove all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with ConverterSearchNow, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

ConverterSearchNow browser hijacker asking for various permissions:

Website promoting ConverterSearchNow browser hijacker:

Appearance of ConverterSearchNow browser hijacker promoting convertersearchnow.com (GIF):

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

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

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

ConverterSearchNow browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove browser redirects:

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 "ConverterSearchNow" 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 "ConverterSearchNow", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.convertersearchnow.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 "convertersearchnow.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 convertersearchnow.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 "ConverterSearchNow", 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 "ConverterSearchNow", remove hxxp://convertersearchnow.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 convertersearchnow.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 convertersearchnow.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.

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://convertersearchnow.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 "ConverterSearchNow".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the convertersearchnow.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.

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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