SportsSearchHD browser hijacker removal instructions

Written by Wilbur Woodham
The SportsSearchHD search hijacker is an example of a standard unwanted program; such applications are spread massively nowadays. In this article you will see the comprehensive guidelines of “SportsSearchHD” hijacker elimination in several methods: utilizing anti-malware tools and manual elimination process.
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SportsSearchHD – What is it?

“SportsSearchHD” search hijacker is a potentially unwanted application (PUA)1, that is distributed as a plugin for your web browser. It is usually marketed as an add-on for Chrome or Firefox, that assists to search some special details, for example, about sporting activity events, make your web browser far more safe, enable downloading of any kind of web video, et cetera.

Nevertheless, the “SportsSearchHD” plugin is rather ineffective due to the fact that all such features are already integrated to your browser and/or system. Such advertising mottos are targeted at low-skilled computer users, like pensioners or schoolchildren. But frequently even qualified users are getting caught on such an appeal. In certain situations, this hijacker is spread together with free programs.

SportsSearchHD hijacker - Sportssearchhd.com

SportsSearchHD Search Hijacker

Here is a info for the SportsSearchHD hijacker
Site Sportssearchhd.com
Hosting AS13335 Cloudflare, Inc.
United States, San Francisco
Infection Type Browser Hijacker, Unwanted Application
IP Address 104.21.95.241
Hosting AS13335 Cloudflare, Inc.
San Francisco, United States
Symptoms Changed search engine; search queries redirection
Similar behavior Getsearchconverter, Dnav, Gamesearcher
Fix Tool
To remove possible virus infections, try to scan your PC

How harmful is SportsSearchHD hijacker?

Besides its uselessness, SportsSearchHD hijacker is additionally rather harmful for browser usage. It changes your search engine to its specific – Sportssearchhd.com, and additionally alters your background, adding its watermark on your wallpaper (or, occasionally, altering it to default with the mentioned symptom).

Aside from viewable modifications done by SportsSearchHD hijacker, you may discover that a number of your search questions are redirecting to the untrustworthy web pages, full of web links and advertisements – so-called doorway websites. Such websites can include web links for malware downloads. The possibility of redirecting boosts if you try to start Google search page by force.

However all these actions are more annoying than truly destructive. The largest danger, especially for people who have a huge amount of secret information in their browsers, is installed in information gathering functions. Cookie files, chats, often-visited websites, and various other activities are simply gathered by SportsSearchHD hijacker.

How to remove SportsSearchHD 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 often fairly simple to deal with. Usually, they have an independent app that can be located in the list of installed apps. As a result of the particular marketing tactic of SportsSearchHD hijacker, it can be quickly tracked and deleted by hand. However, if you got SportsSearchHD in the bundle with a free program, your system can be contaminated with a lot more dangerous malwaretrojans, spyware or even ransomware. That’s why I’d suggest you make use of anti-malware programs to remove the SportsSearchHD PUA and all various other malware.

You can use Microsoft Defender2 – it is capable of finding and removing various malware, including mentioned hijacker. But severe malware, that can exist on your computer in the discussed situation, can disable the Windows antimalware tool by modifying the Group Policies. To avoid such scenarios, it is far better to use GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

To detect and remove all unwanted applications on your desktop 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.

Main screen in GridinSoft Anti-Malware

You can see the detected malicious programs sorted by their possible harm simultaneously with the scan process. But to choose any actions against malicious programs, you need to hold on until the scan is over, 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 malware. By default, all the viruses will be removed to quarantine.

List of the detected malware after the scan

Reset browser settings to original ones

To revert your browser settings, you are required to use the Reset Browser Settings option. This action cannot be intercepted by any malware, hence, you will surely see the result. This action can be located 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 specify, which settings will be reverted to the original.

Reset Browser Settings options

Deleteing SportsSearchHD 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 SportsSearchHD?

Name: SportsSearchHD

Description: SportsSearchHD - 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 SportsSearchHD?”. In this article we will show you how to deal with SportsSearchHD (Sportssearchhd.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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