SearchBetter.com Redirect

What is searchbetter.com?

The searchbetter.com website is developed by APN LLC, the same company that developed search.ask.com toolbar. The features offered by this website include quick access to various social networks, radio, news, weather forecasts, and so on. The developers distribute it as a 'bundle' together with regular free software.

Although this app is developed by a legitimate company and is not a virus nor malware, it behaves as a browser hijacker - assigning the homepage to searchbetter.com and default search engine to ask.com.

It also causes unwanted browser redirects and diminishes Internet browsing performance. Users are able to decline installation of this app, however, lack of attention when downloading and installing applications often causes unwilling installation of third party apps. Therefore, bundling is a popular method to distribute rogue applications.

At time of research, most freeware download websites monetized their traffic and free services by enforcing the use of small 'download programs' to download the desired software.

Download programs supposedly 'ease and speed up' the download process, and yet, their real purpose is to monetize these websites' traffic and free services by offering installation of third party software. According to the developers, their promoted apps are 'legitimate and virus-free', however, some are categorized as adware or malware.

Stealthily-installed apps usually collect various user information, display intrusive online ads, and cause unwanted browser redirects. The collected data may be personally identifiable, and the displayed ads can redirect to bogus websites. Therefore, having this type of application installed on your computer might cause further computer infections or even identity theft.

The searchbetter.com website is legitimate, however, it is distributed using the bundling method and is categorized as a potentially unwanted program (PUP). You are advised to uninstall this app immediately.

There are hundreds of browser hijacking apps including mysearch123.com, myinterestsxp.com, findwide.com, and iminent.com that might pose threats to regular users. They display fake search results and cause unwanted browser redirects that can lead to bogus websites, thereby causing high-risk computer infections.

Furthermore, they install together with small apps called 'helper objects', which prevent users from reverting changes made to Internet browsers. Therefore, users are unable to change their browser default search engine or homepage settings while the application is installed.

These apps provide no real value, and thus, if you are encouraged to install unrecognised/suspicious applications, do not never accept the offers. If your browser continually redirects you to the searchbetter.com website without your consent, the following guide will help you to eliminate this problem.

How did searchbetter.com install on my computer?

This website is distributed using the bundling method (stealth installation of additional programs together with the chosen software).

Many users rush the download and installation process of applications, and since third party software is often concealed within the 'Custom' or 'Advanced' options, this is an effective method for stealth installation. As developers aim to install applications without users' permission, they do not properly disclose these installations.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

If you are downloading software from freeware download websites, select the direct download link, rather than using a download manager (which is likely to include third party rogue software).

Download your desired applications from the official website if possible. Downloaded programs should be installed using the 'Custom' or 'Advanced' options - this will reveal any bundled apps listed for installation and allow you to decline them. Never rush the download and installation processes, since skipping these steps can lead to high-risk computer infections.

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Quick menu:

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

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

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

Searchbetter.com redirect 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 "Search App by Ask", "Movies Search App", and other recently-installed suspicious browser 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://searchbetter.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 "Ask Search".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the searchbetter.com 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 "Tools" and click on "Extensions". Locate "Ask App for iLivid", "Search Extension by Ask v2", "Movies App", and other recently installed browser plug-ins, 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, click "set pages", hover your mouse over hxxp://searchbetter.com and click the x symbol. Now, you can add your preferred website as your homepage.

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" section, click "Manage Search Engines...", remove "Ask Search" and add or select your preferred domain.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the searchbetter.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 plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click "Extensions" and remove "Movies Search App" (and 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://searchbetter.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: "searchbetter.com"
Right-click on the found preferences and select "Reset" to restore default values.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with searchbetter.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 searchbetter.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.

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