The IncognitoSearchly search hijacker is an illustration of a common unwanted program; such programs are spread enormously nowadays. On this page you will see the detailed guidelines of “IncognitoSearchly” hijacker elimination in various ways: utilizing anti-malware tools and hand-operated elimination method.
IncognitoSearchly – What is it?
“IncognitoSearchly” search hijacker is a potentially unwanted application (PUA)1, that is distributed as a plugin for your internet browser. It is typically shared as an add-on for Chrome or Firefox, that helps to search some precise information, for example, about sport events, make your browser much more secure, allow downloading of any kind of video, and so on. Also, this app adds the “Managed by your organization” feature (on Chrome browsers).
Nevertheless, the “IncognitoSearchly” plugin is rather pointless since all such features are already embedded to your browser and/or Windows. Such advertising and marketing mottos are targeted at low-skilled computer users, like pensioners or schoolchildren. But occasionally even experienced users are getting caught on such an appeal. In specific situations, this hijacker is distributed together with free apps.
Here is a short details for the IncognitoSearchly hijacker
NAME | IncognitoSearchly |
Site | Incognitosearchly.com |
Hosting | AS13335 Cloudflare, Inc. United States, San Francisco |
Infection Type | Browser Hijacker, Unwanted Application |
IP Address | 104.21.13.51 |
Symptoms | Changed search engine; search queries redirection |
Similar behavior | Searchconverterapp, Pdfsearchtip/, Quicki |
Fix Tool | To remove possible virus infections, try to scan your PC |
How harmful is IncognitoSearchly hijacker?
Besides its impracticality, IncognitoSearchly hijacker is also considerably harmful for web browser utilization. It changes your search engine to its particular – Incognitosearchly.com, and also transforms your background, putting its watermark on your wallpaper (or, sometimes, altering it to default with the mentioned symptom).
Apart from seeable changes done by IncognitoSearchly hijacker, you might see that some of your search queries are redirecting to the suspicious sites, full of links and ads – so-called doorway sites. Such websites can contain web links for malware downloads. The chance of redirecting surges if you try to launch Google search page by force.
However all these actions are more bothersome than really dangerous. The main danger, primarily for individuals who have a huge amount of secret information in their web browsers, is embedded in data gathering capabilities. Cookie files, conversations, often-visited web pages, as well as other activities are easily gathered by IncognitoSearchly hijacker.
How to remove IncognitoSearchly search hijacker?
- Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware.
- Open GridinSoft Anti-Malware and perform a “Standard scan“.
- “Move to quarantine” all items.
- Open “Tools” tab – Press “Reset Browser Settings“.
- Select proper browser and options – Click “Reset”.
- Restart your computer.
Browser hijackers are usually pretty very easy to deal with. For the most part, they have a separate app that can be located in the list of installed apps. As a result of the certain distribution way of IncognitoSearchly hijacker, it can be simply tracked and deleted manually. Nonetheless, if you got IncognitoSearchly in the package with a free applications, your system can be contaminated with much more serious malware – trojans, spyware or even ransomware. That’s why I’d suggest you utilize anti-malware tools to delete the IncognitoSearchly PUA and all various other malware.
You can make use of Microsoft Defender2 – it is capable of discovering and removing a wide range of malware, including mentioned hijacker. But severe malware, that may be present on your computer in the mentioned situation, can disable the Windows antimalware program by modifying the Group Policies. To minimize the chanse of such situations, it is better to make use of GridinSoft Anti-Malware.
To detect and eliminate all malicious applications on your computer with GridinSoft Anti-Malware, it’s better to use Standard or Full scan. Quick Scan is not able to find all the malicious programs, because it checks only the most popular registry entries and folders.
You can observe the detected malicious programs sorted by their possible harm simultaneously with the scan process. But to choose any actions against malware, you need to hold on until the scan is finished, or to stop the scan.
To set the action for every spotted malicious or unwanted program, click the arrow in front of the name of the detected malicious app. By default, all the viruses will be removed to quarantine.
Reverting browser settings to original ones
To reset your browser settings, you are required to use the Reset Browser Settings option. This action cannot be counteracted by any virus, hence, you will surely see the result. This action can be located in the Tools tab.
After choosing the Reset Browser Settings button, the menu will be shown, where you can specify, which settings will be reverted to the original.
Deleteing IncognitoSearchly hijacker manually
Besides using anti-malware software for browser restoration, you may choose the “Reset browser settings” function, which is usually embedded in all popular browsers.
To reset Edge, do the following steps :
- Open “Settings and more” tab in upper right corner, then find here “Settings” button. In the appeared menu, choose “Reset settings” option :
- After picking the Reset Settings option, you will see the following menu, stating about the settings which will be reverted to original :
For Mozilla Firefox, do the next actions :
- Open Menu tab (three strips in upper right corner) and click the “Help” button. In the appeared menu choose “troubleshooting information” :
- In the next screen, find the “Refresh Firefox” option :
After choosing this option, you will see the next message :
If you use Google Chrome
- Open Settings tab, find the “Advanced” button. In the extended tab choose the “Reset and clean up” button :
- In the appeared list, click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” :
- Finally, you will see the window, where you can see all the settings which will be reset to default :
Opera can be reset in the next way
- Open Settings menu by pressing the gear icon in the toolbar (left side of the browser window), then click “Advanced” option, and choose “Browser” button in the drop-down list. Scroll down, to the bottom of the settings menu. Find there “Restore settings to their original defaults” option :
- After clicking the “Restore settings…” button, you will see the window, where all settings, which will be reset, are shown :
As an afterword, I want to say that time plays against you and your PC. The activity of browser hijacker must be stopped as soon as possible, because of the possibility of other malware injection. This malware can be downloaded autonomously, or offered for you to download in one of the windows with advertisements, which are shown to you by the hijacker. You need to act as fast as you can.
I need your help to share this guide.
Browser hijackers are among the largest and also disruptive kinds of malware. I published this article to help you, so I wish you will help me to make the computer world completely clean of malware. Please, share this article in the social networks you use – Twitter, Reddit, Facebook – wherever.
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Wilbur WoodhamHow to Remove IncognitoSearchly?
Name: IncognitoSearchly
Description: IncognitoSearchly - a lot of users became a victim of browser hijacker. I have a lot of friends who literally bombed me with the questions like “how to remove IncognitoSearchly?”. In this article we will show you how to deal with IncognitoSearchly (Incognitosearchly.com), which may corrupt your browser’s correct performance, and create a lot of troubles while you are working.
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Browser Hijacker
User Review
( votes)References
- More information about PUAs
- Detailed review of Microsoft Defender