Remove Wowsearch Redirect — How to Fix Guide

Written by Wilbur Woodham
Wowsearch search hijacker is an example of a standard unwanted program; such programs are distributed massively nowadays. In this article you will see the complete instructions of Wowsearch hijacker removal in different tactics: utilizing anti-malware tools and also manual removal procedure.
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About Wowsearch hijacker origins

Wowsearch installation popup

Wowsearch installation popup

Wowsearch search hijacker is a potentially unwanted application (PUA)1, that is distributed as a plugin for your web browser. It is typically advertised as an add-on for Chrome or Firefox, that assists to browse some precise info, for example, about sporting activity events, make your web browser much more safe, enable downloading of any web video, and so on.

However, the Wowsearch plugin is quite pointless since all such features are already built-in to your browser and/or system. Such advertising slogans are targeted on low-skilled computer users, such as pensioners or schoolchildren. However in some cases even expert users are getting caught on such an appeal. In specific instances, this hijacker is dispersed together with free tools.

Here is a details for the Wowsearch hijacker
Site search.wowsearch.net
Hosting AS16509 Amazon.com, Inc.
Germany, Frankfurt am Main
Infection Type Browser Hijacker, Unwanted Application
IP Address 143.204.89.79
Symptoms Changed search engine; search queries redirection
Similar behavior PDFConverterSearch4free, Shield My Searches, Mazy Search
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To remove possible virus infections, try to scan your PC

How harmful is Wowsearch hijacker?

Besides its uselessness, Wowsearch hijacker is also rather hazardous for browser utilization. It alters your search engine to its specific – search.wowsearch.net, and additionally transforms your background, adding its watermark on your wallpaper (or, sometimes, altering it to default with the mentioned symptom).

Apart from seeable changes done by Wowsearch hijacker, you might observe that some of your search questions are redirecting to the suspicious web pages, filled with web links and promotions – so-called doorway websites. Such websites can have the web links for malware downloading. The possibility of redirecting rises if you attempt to start Google search page forcibly.

Wowsearch hijacked the search engine

Wowsearch hijacked the search engine

However all these activities are a lot more irritating than truly dangerous. The major danger, especially for individuals who have a lot of secret information in their browsers, is embedded in information gathering functions. Cookie files, chats, often-visited websites and various other activities are simply collected by Wowsearch hijacker.

How to remove Wowsearch 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 remove. Most of the times, they have an independent app that can be seen in the list of installed apps. As a result of the certain distribution method of Wowsearch hijacker, it can be conveniently tracked and removed manually. However, if you got Wowsearch in the bundle with a free program( s), your computer may be contaminated with far more dangerous malwaretrojans, spyware or even ransomware. That’s why I ‘d advise you to use anti-malware tools to remove the Wowsearch PUA and all various other malware.

You can use Microsoft Defender2 – it is capable of detecting and removing various malware, including named hijacker. But serious malware, that can exist on your computer in the discussed instance, can disable the Windows antimalware program by modifying the Group Policies. To keep away from such situations, it is better to make use of GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

To detect and delete all unwanted applications 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 malicious apps, because it checks only the most popular registry entries and folders.

Main screen in GridinSoft Anti-Malware

You can see the detected viruses sorted by their possible hazard 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 each detected malicious or unwanted program, click the arrow in front of the name of detected malicious app. By default, all the viruses will be moved to quarantine.

List of detected malware after the scan

Reset browser settings to original ones

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

Tools tab in GridinSoft Anti-Malware

After choosing the Reset Browser Settings button, the menu will be displayed, where you can specify, which settings will be reverted to original.

Reset Browser Settings options

Deleteing Wowsearch 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 the time plays against you and your PC. The activity of browser hijacker must be stopped as soon as possible, because of 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 most large 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 Wowsearch?

Name: Wowsearch

Description: Wowsearch - 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 Wowsearch?”. In this article we will show you how to deal with Wowsearch (Search.wowsearch.net), 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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