The Social Scour search hijacker is an example of a basic unwanted program; such applications are distributed enormously nowadays. In this article you will see the precise instructions of “Social Scour” hijacker removal in various methods: utilizing anti-malware software and hand-operated removal method.
Social Scour – What is it?
“Social Scour” search hijacker is a potentially unwanted application (PUA)1, that is distributed as a plugin for your web browser. It is usually spread as an add-on for Chrome or Firefox, that helps to search some special information, as an example, about sporting activity events, make your web browser far more safe, allow downloading of any kind of web video, and so on. Also, this app adds the “Managed by your organization” feature (on Chrome browsers).
Nevertheless, the “Social Scour” plugin is quite useless because all such functions are currently built-in to your browser and/or system. Such advertising slogans are targeted at low-skilled computer users, like pensioners or schoolchildren. However frequently even expert users are getting caught on such an appeal. In particular situations, this hijacker is dispersed along with free software.
Social Scour Search Hijacker
Here is a summary for the Social Scour hijacker
| NAME | Social Scour |
| Site | Socialscour.com |
| Hosting | AS13335 Cloudflare, Inc. United States, San Francisco |
| Infection Type | Browser Hijacker, Unwanted Application |
| IP Address | 104.21.79.92 |
| Symptoms | Changed search engine; search queries redirection |
| Similar behavior | Air, Webhome, Toppdfconvertersearch |
| Fix Tool | To remove possible virus infections, try to scan your PC |
How harmful is Social Scour hijacker?
Besides its uselessness, Social Scour hijacker is also really hazardous for web browser use. It alters your search engine to its specific – Socialscour.com, and likewise transforms your background, adding its watermark on your wallpaper (or, occasionally, changing it to default with the specified sign).
In addition to visual transformations done by Social Scour hijacker, you may see that a number of your search questions are redirecting to the dubious websites, full of web links and promotions – so-called doorway sites. Such websites can include web links for malware downloads. The possibility of redirecting boosts if you try to start Google search page forcibly.
However all these actions are more frustrating than really dangerous. The most significant hazard, especially for individuals who have a huge amount of secret information in their browsers, is embedded in data collecting capabilities. Cookie files, chats, often-visited web pages, as well as various other activities are simply collected by Social Scour hijacker.
How to remove Social Scour 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 typically pretty very easy to deal with. Most of the times, they have a separate application that can be located in the list of installed software. Because of the certain marketing manner of Social Scour hijacker, it can be simply tracked and erased by hand. However, if you got Social Scour in the bundle with a free applications, your personal computer can be infected with far more major malware – trojans, spyware or perhaps ransomware. That’s why I’d recommend you make use of anti-malware tools to delete the Social Scour PUA and all various other malware.
You can make use of Microsoft Defender2 – it is capable of finding and removing a wide range of malware, including named hijacker. However, severe malware, that may exist on your personal computer in the discussed situation, can disable the Windows antimalware program by modifying the Group Policies. To prevent such situations, it is better to utilize GridinSoft Anti-Malware.
To detect and eliminate all malicious programs on your personal 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 scans only the most popular registry entries and folders.
You can spectate the detected malicious apps sorted by their possible hazard till the scan process. But to perform any actions against malware, you need to hold on until the scan is over, or to stop the scan.
To set the action for every spotted virus or unwanted program, click the arrow in front of the name of the detected malicious app. By default, all the viruses will be moved to quarantine.
Reverting browser settings to original ones
To revert your browser settings, you are required to use the Reset Browser Settings option. This action is not able to be intercepted by any virus, hence, you will surely see the result. This option can be found in the Tools tab.
After pressing the Reset Browser Settings button, the menu will be displayed, where you can specify, which settings will be reverted to the original.
Deleteing Social Scour 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 Social Scour?
Name: Social Scour
Description: Social Scour - 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 Social Scour?”. In this article we will show you how to deal with Social Scour (Socialscour.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
