Searchpage.com Redirect
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is searchpage.com?
Developers present searchpage.com as a "top-notch" Internet search engine that significantly enhances user's web browsing experience by generating improved search results. On initial inspection, searchpage.com seems completely appropriate and handy.
However, bear in mind that this website is promoted via SearchPage Tab - a potentially unwanted program (PUP) that stealthily infiltrates the system and modifies browsers' options without asking for user's permission. Furthermore, searchpage.com is designed to gather various data relating to user's web browsing activity.
Once infiltrated, SearchPage Tab modifies web browsers' (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox) new tab URL, default search engine, and homepage options by assigning to searchpage.com. These changes do not seem very significant. However, users must be informed that SearchPage Tab continues to reassign these settings each time users attempt to change.
For this reason, returning browsers to their previous state simply becomes impossible. Users are forced to visit searchpage.com website every time they open a new browsing tab and/or search the Internet via URL bar. Hence, web browsing quality significantly decreases. Another downside is information tracking.
Bear in mind that SearchPage Tab and searchpage.com continually monitor user's web browsing activity by recording Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, and other similar information that may contain personal details. After collecting this information, developers share it with third parties.
These persons (potentially, cyber criminals) aim to generate revenue, hence, they may eventually misuse users' personal details. By doing so, third parties may cause users serious privacy issues or even identity theft. For this reason, users are strongly advised to uninstall all potentially unwanted programs and never visit searchpage.com website again.
Name | SearchPage Tab browser hijacker |
Threat Type | Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab |
Symptoms | Manipulated Internet browser(s) settings (homepage, default Internet search engine, new tab settings). User's are forced to visit 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 browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to shady websites. |
Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Internet is full of fake search engines virtually identical to searchpage.com. List of examples includes (but not limits to) startme.today, euro-search.net, searchprivacy.co, and safeforsearch.net.
Every single fake search engine claims to enhance user's web browsing experience by providing various useful features (e.g., improved search results, shortcuts to popular websites, currency exchange rates, local weather forecast, etc.). In reality, however, these websites are completely useless for regular users.
Fake search engines are meant only to generate revenue for the developers. For this reason, they continually promoted other websites, deliver intrusive online ads, and collect various information. Third party websites are promoted by generating fake search results. Intrusive advertisements and fake search results may lead to malicious websites.
Moreover, displayed ads may also execute scripts designed to download/install malware and/or potentially unwanted programs.
For this reason, fake search engines pose direct threat to user's privacy and Internet browsing safety. Note that at the time of research searchpage.com was using Yahoo search engine, which means that it doesn't generate fake search results, nor displays advertisements.
How did searchpage.com install on my computer?
Potentially unwanted programs like SearchPage Tab are distributed using intrusive advertisements, as well as a deceptive marketing method called "bundling". For this reason, users often install PUPs inadvertently, without their consent. "Bundling" is an undercover installation of third party applications along with the regular ones. What developers do is hide bundled apps under "Custom/Advanced" options of download, or either installation processes. The problem is that users often recklessly rush these processes and skip most of the steps. Furthermore, users are likely to click on intrusive advertisements. By doing so, users simply expose the system to risk of various infections and put their very own privacy into threat.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
In order to prevent this situation users must be very cautious when browsing the Internet and downloading/installing software. To start with, users should avoid clicking on any advertisements at all cost. Research results show that crooks put a lot of time and effort into making intrusive ads look genuine.
For this reason, telling if adverts originate from the visited website or not becomes virtually impossible, which is why risk of clicking should not be taken.
Furthermore, it is very important to carefully analyze each download/installation step (using either "Custom", or "Advanced") settings. In addition, users should always (if possible) select direct download URL, instead of using any third party downloaders. The key to computer safety is caution.
Mac (OSX) users who are dealing with this browser hijacker should remove a Profile created by this hijacker. This profile blocks users access to change one’s homepage in Safari browser. To remove this rogue profile navigate to “System Preferences” click on “Profiles”, remove the profile created by SearchPage PUP. After this step continue with the removal guide.
SearchPage Tab browser hijacker installer set-up:
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is searchpage.com?
- STEP 1. Uninstall SearchPage Tab application using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove searchpage.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
- STEP 3. Remove SearchPage Tab browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove searchpage.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 5. Remove searchpage.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
SearchPage Tab 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, "SearchPage Tab"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted programs (which cause browser redirects to the searchpage.com website), scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
SearchPage Tab browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:
Video showing how to remove browser redirects (Windows OS):
Video showing how to remove browser redirects to searchpage.com using Combo Cleaner (Mac OS):
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 "SearchPage Tab" and other 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://searchpage.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 "SearchPage Tab".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the searchpage tab browser hijacker, 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 "SearchPage Tab" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, select these entries and click the trash can icon.
Change your homepage:
Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.searchpage.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 "searchpage" 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 searchpage tab 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". Click on "Extensions" and remove "SearchPage Tab", 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 remove hxxp://searchpage.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: "searchpage"
Right-click on the found preferences and select "Reset" to restore default values.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with searchpage tab 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 searchpage tab 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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