How to remove Search Lime browser hijacker? — Fix Guide

Written by Wilbur Woodham
The Search Lime search hijacker is an example of a basic unwanted program; such applications are spread massively these days. On this page you will see the precise guidelines of “Search Lime” hijacker elimination in various methods: using anti-malware software and also manual removal method.
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Removing Search Lime manually may take hours and may damage your PC in the process. I recommend you to download GridinSoft Anti-Malware for threats removal. Allows to complete scan and cure your PC during the trial period.
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Search Lime – What is it?

“Search Lime” search hijacker is a potentially unwanted application (PUA)1, that is promoted as a plugin for your internet browser. It is usually promoted as an add-on for Chrome or Firefox, that aids to browse some particular info, for example, about sporting activity events, make your browser far more safe, enable downloading of any kind of video, et cetera.

Nonetheless, the “Search Lime” plugin is quite ineffective since all such features are currently built-in to your web browser and/or Windows. Such advertising and marketing mottos are targeted at low-skilled computer users, like pensioners or schoolchildren. However often even qualified users are getting caught on such an appeal. In particular instances, this hijacker is spread together with free tools.

Search Lime hijacker - Searchlime.com

Search Lime Search Hijacker

Here is a short summary for the Search Lime hijacker
Site Searchlime.com
Hosting AS8075 Microsoft Corporation
United States, Des Moines
Infection Type Browser Hijacker, Unwanted Application
IP Address 23.101.120.195
Hosting AS8075 Microsoft Corporation
Des Moines, United States
Symptoms Changed search engine; search queries redirection
Similar behavior Searchlee, Brilliant, Streaminsearches
Fix Tool
To remove possible virus infections, try to scan your PC

How harmful is Search Lime hijacker?

Besides its impracticality, Search Lime hijacker is likewise fairly hazardous for web browser use. It modifies your search engine to its particular – Searchlime.com, and additionally changes your background, adding its watermark on your wallpaper (or, occasionally, changing it to default with the mentioned symbol).

Aside from viewable transformations done by Search Lime hijacker, you might see that many of your search queries are redirecting to the uncertain websites, full of links and ads – so-called doorway sites. Such websites can have links for malware downloads. The possibility of redirecting boosts if you attempt to open Google search page forcibly.

But all these activities are a lot more irritating than truly hazardous. The greatest danger, primarily for people who have a considerable amount of confidential information in their internet browsers, is embedded in data collecting functions. Cookie files, conversations, often-visited sites, and other activities are easily collected by Search Lime hijacker.

How to remove Search Lime 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 almost always rather very easy to deal with. Usually, they have a separate app that can be found in the list of installed software. As a result of the certain distribution way of Search Lime hijacker, it can be simply tracked and erased by hand. However, if you got Search Lime in the bundle with a free applications, your personal computer might be contaminated with far more harmful malwaretrojans, spyware or even ransomware. That’s why I’d recommend you utilize anti-malware programs to delete the Search Lime PUA and all other malware.

You can utilize Microsoft Defender2 – it is capable of finding and removing various malware, including named hijacker. However, major malware, that may be present on your personal computer in the mentioned situation, can disable the Windows antimalware program by editing the Group Policies. To keep away from such situations, it is better to make use of GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

To detect and eliminate all unwanted programs 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 malware, because it checks only the most popular registry entries and directories.

Main screen in GridinSoft Anti-Malware

You can spectate the detected malicious apps sorted by their possible hazard till the scan process. But to choose any actions against the viruses, you need to wait until the scan is finished, or to stop the scan.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware during the scan

To choose the action for every detected malicious or unwanted program, click the arrow in front of the name of the detected malicious program. By default, all the viruses will be moved to quarantine.

List of the detected malware after the scan

Reset browser settings to original ones

To reset your browser settings, you are required to use the Reset Browser Settings option. This action is not able to be intercepted by any malicious program, hence, you will surely see the result. This action can be found in the Tools tab.

Tools tab in GridinSoft Anti-Malware

After pressing the Reset Browser Settings option, the menu will be shown, where you can choose, which settings will be reverted to the original.

Reset Browser Settings options

Deleteing Search Lime 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 :
  1. Open “Settings and more” tab in upper right corner, then find here “Settings” button. In the appeared menu, choose “Reset settings” option :
  2. Reseting the Edge browser

  3. 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 :
  1. Open Menu tab (three strips in upper right corner) and click the “Help” button. In the appeared menu choose “troubleshooting information” :
  2. The first step to revert Mozilla Firefox

  3. In the next screen, find the “Refresh Firefox” option :
  4. The second step of Firefox restoration
    After choosing this option, you will see the next message :
    The last step for Firefox

If you use Google Chrome
  1. Open Settings tab, find the “Advanced” button. In the extended tab choose the “Reset and clean up” button :
  2. In the appeared list, click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” :
  3. 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
  1. 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 :
  2. 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 Woodham
How to Remove Search Lime?

Name: Search Lime

Description: Search Lime - 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 Search Lime?”. In this article we will show you how to deal with Search Lime (Searchlime.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

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References

  1. More information about PUAs
  2. Detailed review of Microsoft Defender

About the author

Wilbur Woodham

I was a technical writer from early in my career, and consider IT Security one of my foundational skills. I’m sharing my experience here, and I hope you find it useful.

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