How to remove The Search Ace browser hijacker? — Fix Guide

About The Search Ace hijacker origins

The Search Ace search hijacker is a potentially unwanted application (PUA)¹, that is promoted as a plugin for your web browser. It is typically shared as an add-on for Chrome or Firefox, that aids to browse some particular info, for instance, about sporting activity events, make your web browser a lot more secure, allow downloading of any kind of web video, et cetera.

Nevertheless, the The Search Ace plugin is quite useless because all such functions are already built-in to your browser and/or system. Such marketing mottos are targeted on low-skilled computer users, such as pensioners or schoolchildren. But in some cases even skilled users are getting caught on such an appeal. In specific situations, this hijacker is distributed along with free software.

How harmful is The Search Ace hijacker?

Besides its uselessness, The Search Ace hijacker is likewise really hazardous for web browser utilization. It changes your search engine to its particular – search-ace.com, and likewise alters your background, adding its watermark on your wallpaper (or, occasionally, altering it to default with the mentioned sign).

Apart from visual alterations done by The Search Ace hijacker, you can notice that several of your search questions are redirecting to the unknown sites, full of links and promotions – so-called doorway sites. Such websites can consist of the web links for malware downloading. The possibility of redirecting increases if you try to launch Google search page forcibly.

But all these activities are a lot more bothersome than truly dangerous. The largest threat, particularly for people who have a lot of secret information in their browsers, is embedded in information gathering functionalities. Cookie files, chats, often-visited sites and other activities are simply gathered by The Search Ace hijacker.

How to remove The Search Ace 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 fairly simple to delete. In many cases, they have an independent application that can be seen in the list of installed applications. Because of the specific marketing way of The Search Ace hijacker, it can be quickly tracked and removed by hand. Nonetheless, if you got The Search Ace in the bundle with a free application( s), your computer can be infected with a lot more harmful malware – trojans, spyware or perhaps ransomware. That’s why I ‘d advise you to utilize anti-malware programs to remove the The Search Ace PUA and all various other malware.

You can use Microsoft Defender² – it is capable of detecting and removing various malware, including mentioned hijacker. But severe malware, that might be present on your PC in the specified instance, can disable the Windows antimalware tool by editing the Group Policies. To stay clear of such scenarios, it is far better to use GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

To detect and erase all malicious applications on your computer with GridinSoft Anti-Malware, it’s better to utilize 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 directories.

You can see the detected malicious programs sorted by their possible harm till the scan process. But to choose any actions against malicious programs, you need to wait until the scan is over, or to stop the scan.

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

Reset browser settings to original ones

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

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

Deleteing The Search Ace 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.

1. Open “Settings and more” tab in upper right corner, then find here “Settings” button. In the appeared menu, choose “Reset settings” option :
2. After picking the Reset Settings option, you will see the following menu, stating about the settings which will be reverted to original :

1. Open Menu tab (three strips in upper right corner) and click the “Help” button. In the appeared menu choose “troubleshooting information” :
2. In the next screen, find the “Refresh Firefox” option :

After choosing this option, you will see the next message :

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 :
   

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.

References

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