Removal instructions for software that redirects to keywordssearching.com

What kind of website is keywordssearching.com?

Keywordssearching.com is the address of a fake search engine. Websites of this kind are usually promoted (via redirects) by browser hijackers. This software modifies browser settings for this purpose. Furthermore, both illegitimate search engines and browser-hijacking software typically collect user data.

How do browser hijackers promote keywordssearching.com?

Browser hijackers assign the addresses of endorsed sites as browsers' default search engines, new tab/window URLs, and homepages. It is noteworthy that this software often uses persistence-ensuring techniques to complicate its removal.

To elaborate on the effect of these modifications, with a hijacker promoting keywordssearching.com installed: new browser tabs/windows opened and Web searches performed via the URL bar – would result in redirects to this website.

In most cases, fake search engines cannot provide search results, so they redirect to legitimate Internet search websites (e.g., Bing, Yahoo, Google, etc.). In the seldom instances when an illegitimate search engine is able to generate search results – they are inaccurate and tend to include sponsored, deceptive, and potentially harmful content.

Furthermore, fake search engines and browser-hijacking software usually spy on users' browsing activity. Targeted information may include: searched queries, visited URLs, viewed pages, IP addresses, Internet cookies, usernames/passwords, personally identifiable details, finance-related data, and so on. The collected information can then be sold to third-parties or otherwise abused for profit.

In summary, browser hijackers can cause system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even lead to identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	keywordssearching.com browser hijacker
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab
Affected Browser Settings	Homepage, new tab URL, default search engine
Detection Names	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	52.84.125.124
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).
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.

Fake search engine and browser hijacker examples

We have analyzed thousands of illegitimate search engines and browser hijackers; trendysearches.com, isearch.start.fyi, searchmenow.gg, bestsearch.ai – are just some examples of the former, and Volume Extra, Lookup for Wikipedia, Motivational Quotes, Wingman Clock – of the latter.

These websites and software seldom appear suspicious, they tend to look ordinary and innocuous. Users are lured with promises of various advantageous features, which are usually nonoperational. However, it must be stressed that even if a site or a piece of software works as advertised – that is not proof of either legitimacy or safety.

How did keywordssearching.com promoting software install on my computer?

Browser hijackers are endorsed through various untrustworthy download sources, e.g., scam pages, freeware and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, etc. However, this software can also have "official" promotional webpages.

Most visitors to hijacker-endorsing sites enter them via redirects generated by websites using rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs, spam browser notifications, intrusive ads, or installed adware.

Browser-hijacking software can also be bundled (packed together) with ordinary programs. The risk of inadvertently allowing bundled content into the system is increased by downloading from dubious sources and rushing through installation processes (e.g., ignoring terms, skipping steps and sections, using "Easy/Quick" settings, etc.).

Intrusive advertisements proliferate browser hijackers as well. Once clicked on, some of the adverts can execute scripts to perform downloads/installations without user permission.

How to avoid installation of browser hijackers?

We highly recommend researching software and downloading only from official/verified channels. Additionally, installation processes must be approached with caution. Therefore, we advise reading terms, studying possible options, using "Easy/Express" settings, and opting out of supplementary apps, extensions, tools, etc.

Another recommendation is to be vigilant when browsing since fake and malicious content usually appears legitimate and harmless. For example, while intrusive ads can look ordinary – they redirect to highly questionable websites (e.g., gambling, pornography, adult dating, etc.).

In case of encounters with such adverts/redirects, check the device and immediately remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with browser hijackers, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

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 keywordssearching.com?
• STEP 1. Uninstall unwanted applications using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove keywordssearching.com browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 3. Remove keywordssearching.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 4. Remove keywordssearching.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 5. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Keywordssearching.com redirect 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, select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Keywordssearching.com redirect 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 "Extensions" and click "Manage Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Change your homepage:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable the malicious extension (if present), look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.keywordssearching.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 "keywordssearching.com", when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Delete".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the keywordssearching.com browser hijacker, 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 plugins from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, click on the three dots and then click "Remove".

Change your homepage:

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Settings", in the opened window disable malicious extension (if present), remove hxxp://keywordssearching.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 "Accept the Risk and Continue".

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 keywordssearching.com browser hijacker 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 keywordssearching.com browser hijacker, 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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the purpose of forcing users to visit keywordssearching.com website?

Redirects to websites like keywordssearching.com are caused because cyber criminals (e.g., developers of fake search engines and browser hijackers, etc.) generate revenue through them.

Is visiting keywordssearching.com a threat to my privacy?

Most likely, yes. Sites like keywordssearching.com typically gather visitor data.

How did a browser hijacker infiltrate my computer?

Browser hijackers are most commonly distributed via deceptive promotional webpages, bundled installation setups, dubious download channels (e.g., freeware and free file-hosting websites, P2P sharing networks, etc.), online scams, spam browser notifications, and intrusive ads.

Will Combo Cleaner help me remove browser hijackers?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan devices and eliminate all the browser-hijacking apps installed. It is noteworthy that manual removal (unaided by security software) might not be a perfect solution, especially when multiple browser hijackers have infiltrated the system. In these instances, after one is removed – the others may simply reinstall it. Furthermore, removal-related settings might be unmodifiable with this software installed. Hence, it is paramount to remove browser hijackers thoroughly and all at once.

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