How to remove searchnukes.com browser hijacker

searchnukes.com is a dubious website pushed by a browser hijacker known as SearchNukes. The hijacker may be installed by users accidentally or it can be attached to popular free programs in what’s known as software bundling. The hijacker will take over the browser and try to redirect you to sponsored websites but it shouldn’t cause damage to your computer.

 

 

As soon as SearchNukes browser hijacker is installed, it will hijack your browser and change its settings. Specifically, it will set searchnukes.com as your homepage and new tabs. The site is pushing a fake search engine. These changes can affect all popular browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. You will not be able to undo the changes to your browser’s settings until you remove searchnukes.com browser hijacker from your computer.

Browser hijackers like searchnukes.com are not classified as dangerous infections. They generally do not cause harm to the computer directly. However, they do try to redirect users to sponsored websites. That is their main purpose. And they do that by forcing users to use questionable search engines that insert sponsored content into search results. Not all of those sites will be safe, some may expose users to scams and malware. Thus, browser hijackers are not completely harmless.

One important thing to note about browser hijackers is their intrusive data collection practices. The hijacker will track your browsing and collect certain data, including what sites you visit, what you search for, and your IP address. It’s not uncommon for this information to be shared with third parties. This program is completely useless to you so there’s no reason to tolerate any kind of data collection, let alone such intrusive collection.

Whenever you notice that a browser hijacker has taken over your browser, there’s no reason to put up with it. You can easily remove searchnukes.com browser hijacker both using an anti-virus program and manually. However, using an anti-virus program would be easier because the program would take care of everything. Once the hijacker is gone, your browser will go back to normal and you will be able to change your browser’s settings as usual.

How do browser hijackers install on a computer?

Users should be very careful when downloading copyrighted content for free. It’s no secret that pirating often leads to malware, particularly when pirating popular entertainment content, including movies, TV series, video games, etc. Not only is pirating content theft, but it’s also dangerous for the computer/data.

Infections like browser hijackers and adware can be disguised as legitimate and useful programs. They are often promoted on various free program download websites. To avoid installing infections like the SearchNukes browser hijacker, users always need to research programs before downloading them. Even a quick search with Google is often enough to determine whether a program is safe to download/install.

Browser hijackers are commonly installed via the free software bundling method. It’s a fairly straightforward method that involves infections being added to free programs as extra offers. These offers are authorized to be installed alongside the programs they’re attached to automatically. Explicit permission from users is not required. The offers are technically optional but users need to manually deselect them to prevent their installations. Commonly, users are not aware of these added offers because they are hidden in settings users don’t normally use. This causes many users to simply not notice the offers, allowing them to install. This makes software bundling a rather controversial installation method.

The additional offers are optional so if you pay attention when installing programs, you will be able to prevent unwanted installations. Make sure to use Advanced (Custom) settings instead of Default (Basic). The installation window recommends using Default settings because it’s quicker but if you do that, all added offers will be authorized to install alongside without your explicit permission. Advanced or Custom settings, on the other hand, make all added offers visible. You will also be given the option to deselect the offers you do not want. It’s always recommended to deselect all added offers as legitimate programs do not use this method to install. And programs that do are classified as potential threats by anti-virus programs.

Never allow additional offers to install because they will only take up space on your computer and cause issues. You will only fill your computer with junk that can be difficult to remove if you do not pay attention when installing programs. These junk programs (e.g. browser hijackers) can be frustrating to get rid of as well.

How to remove searchnukes.com browser hijacker

Because browser hijackers are not serious infections, they can be removed both manually and using anti-virus software. The latter is recommended because hijackers can be quite persistent so it’s easier to let a program do all the work. However, if you want to remove searchnukes.com manually, you should be able to do it fairly easily. You can use the instructions provided below if you need assistance.

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Quick Menu

Step 1. Uninstall searchnukes.com and related programs.

• Windows 8
• Windows 7
• Windows XP
• Mac OS

Remove searchnukes.com from Windows 8

Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen. Once Quick Access Menu shows up, select Control Panel choose Programs and Features and select to Uninstall a software.

Uninstall searchnukes.com from Windows 7

Click Start → Control Panel → Programs and Features → Uninstall a program.

Delete searchnukes.com from Windows XP

Click Start → Settings → Control Panel. Locate and click → Add or Remove Programs.

Remove searchnukes.com from Mac OS X

Click Go button at the top left of the screen and select Applications. Select applications folder and look for searchnukes.com or any other suspicious software. Now right click on every of such entries and select Move to Trash, then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.

Step 2. Delete searchnukes.com from your browsers

• Internet Explorer
• Chrome
• Firefox
• Safari

Terminate the unwanted extensions from Internet Explorer

1. Tap the Gear icon and go to Manage Add-ons.
2. Pick Toolbars and Extensions and eliminate all suspicious entries (other than Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Oracle or Adobe)
3. Leave the window.

Change Internet Explorer homepage if it was changed by virus:

1. Tap the gear icon (menu) on the top right corner of your browser and click Internet Options.
2. In General Tab remove malicious URL and enter preferable domain name. Press Apply to save changes.

Reset your browser

1. Click the Gear icon and move to Internet Options.
2. Open the Advanced tab and press Reset.
3. Choose Delete personal settings and pick Reset one more time.
4. Tap Close and leave your browser.
5. If you were unable to reset your browsers, employ a reputable anti-malware and scan your entire computer with it.

Erase searchnukes.com from Google Chrome

1. Access menu (top right corner of the window) and pick Settings.
2. Choose Extensions.
3. Eliminate the suspicious extensions from the list by clicking the Trash bin next to them.
4. If you are unsure which extensions to remove, you can disable them temporarily.

Reset Google Chrome homepage and default search engine if it was hijacker by virus

1. Press on menu icon and click Settings.
2. Look for the “Open a specific page” or “Set Pages” under “On start up” option and click on Set pages.
3. In another window remove malicious search sites and enter the one that you want to use as your homepage.
4. Under the Search section choose Manage Search engines. When in Search Engines..., remove malicious search websites. You should leave only Google or your preferred search name.
   

Reset your browser

1. If the browser still does not work the way you prefer, you can reset its settings.
2. Open menu and navigate to Settings.
3. Press Reset button at the end of the page.
4. Tap Reset button one more time in the confirmation box.
5. If you cannot reset the settings, purchase a legitimate anti-malware and scan your PC.

Remove searchnukes.com from Mozilla Firefox

1. In the top right corner of the screen, press menu and choose Add-ons (or tap Ctrl+Shift+A simultaneously).
2. Move to Extensions and Add-ons list and uninstall all suspicious and unknown entries.

Change Mozilla Firefox homepage if it was changed by virus:

1. Tap on the menu (top right corner), choose Options.
2. On General tab delete malicious URL and enter preferable website or click Restore to default.
3. Press OK to save these changes.

Reset your browser

1. Open the menu and tap Help button.
2. Select Troubleshooting Information.
3. Press Refresh Firefox.
4. In the confirmation box, click Refresh Firefox once more.
5. If you are unable to reset Mozilla Firefox, scan your entire computer with a trustworthy anti-malware.

Uninstall searchnukes.com from Safari (Mac OS X)

1. Access the menu.
2. Pick Preferences.
3. Go to the Extensions Tab.
4. Tap the Uninstall button next to the undesirable searchnukes.com and get rid of all the other unknown entries as well. If you are unsure whether the extension is reliable or not, simply uncheck the Enable box in order to disable it temporarily.
5. Restart Safari.

Reset your browser

1. Tap the menu icon and choose Reset Safari.
2. Pick the options which you want to reset (often all of them are preselected) and press Reset.
3. If you cannot reset the browser, scan your whole PC with an authentic malware removal software.