Search.smartshopping.com Redirect
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is search.smartshopping.com?
Search.smartshopping.com is presented as a legitimate Internet search website, however, be aware that this site is promoted using deceptive software installers that stealthily modify Internet browsers' settings. Furthermore, this site continually tracks Internet browsing activity.
The rogue installers mostly target Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox. After the default search engine, homepage and new tab URL settings are assigned to search.smartshopping.com, a number of third party applications/browser add-ons are installed to prevent users from reverting these changes.
This behavior significantly diminishes Internet browsing - when users open new browser tabs or attempt to search via the URL bar, they are continually redirected to search.smartshopping.com.
Note that this site generates dubious search results that might lead to infectious web pages and, thus, attempts to search the Internet via search.smartshopping.com can result in further adware or malware infections.
Users' Internet browsing activity is continually monitored, since this browser hijacker gathers various types of data including IP addresses, website URLs visited, search queries, pages viewed, and other similar information that may contain personal details.
These details are shared with third parties who misuse personal data to generate revenue, Thus, the presence of an information-tracking app on your system can lead to serious privacy issues or even identity theft. For this reason, you are strongly advised to uninstall this PUP.
Search.smartshopping.com has similar behavior to other browser-hijacking apps designed to generate revenue. For instance, yourcurrentnewsnow.com, exciterewards.com, mygridsearch.com, and mystart.com also track Internet browsing activity and cause unwanted browser redirects.
Rather than providing the functionality promised, browser-hijacking apps are designed to generate revenue for the developers - users receive no real value.
How did search.smartshopping.com install on my computer?
As mentioned above, search.smartshopping.com is promoted using a deceptive software marketing method called 'bundling' - stealth installation of potentially unwanted programs with the chosen software/apps. The developers hide bogus applications within the 'Custom' or 'Advanced' settings, since they are aware that many users skip this section.
Users who rush the download and installation processes often inadvertently install PUPs. The developers are concerned only with the amount of revenue generated (which is dependent on the number of apps distributed) and, thus, they do not properly disclose installation of rogue applications.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
This situation can be prevented by closely analyzing each step of the software download and installation processes. Choose the 'Custom' or 'Advanced' settings, rather than 'Quick' or 'Typical', otherwise bundled applications will remain concealed and you will be unable to cancel them. Bear in mind that bundled software is mostly rogue - never install it.
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Quick menu:
- What is search.smartshopping.com?
- STEP 1. Uninstall search.smartshopping.com application using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove search.smartshopping.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
- STEP 3. Remove search.smartshopping.com browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove search.smartshopping.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 5. Remove search.smartshopping.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
Search.smartshopping.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". At time of testing search.smartshopping.com redirect was caused by a program named 'ActSys'.
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted programs that cause browser redirects to the search.smartshopping.com website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Search.smartshopping.com 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.smartshopping.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 "smartshopping".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.smartshopping.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 "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious 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, click "set pages", hover your mouse over SmartShopping Search 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 "smartshopping" and add or select your preferred domain.
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.smartshopping.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 all 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://search.smartshopping.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: "smartshopping"
Right-click on the found preferences and select "Reset" to restore default values.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with search.smartshopping.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, click Safari menu, and select Preferences....
In the opened window click Extensions, locate any recently installed suspicious extension, select it and click Uninstall.
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 upper-right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and click "Remove" below their names.
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.smartshopping.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:
Commonly, adware or potentially unwanted applications infiltrate Internet browsers through free software downloads. Note that the safest source for downloading free software is via developers' websites only. To avoid installation of adware, be very attentive when downloading and installing free software. When installing previously-downloaded free programs, choose the custom or advanced installation options – this step will reveal any potentially unwanted applications listed for installation together with your chosen free program.
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