Cleanserp.net Removal Guide

Do you know what Cleanserp.net is?

Cleanserp.net is a peculiar browser hijacker that appears to be targeted at Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer users in India. It is believed that this suspicious search engine could be set as a new homepage on these browsers without the user’s permission, which, of course, is something to take seriously. Our research team has found that the hijacker might come bundled with a potentially unwanted program known by the name “unTabs.” This PUP is not currently spread, and it is unlikely that many users had to deal with it in the past, and while we do not feel the need to discuss this program, we certainly need to discuss the hijacker. At the time of research, it was still active, and our researchers have analyzed it to help you delete it from your own browser. If you need to remove Cleanserp.net, continue reading.

If your browser was hijacked by Cleanserp.net, you should face it every time you relaunch your browser. In this case, the chances are that a malicious piece of software is active on your PC. If the hijacker is gone after you relaunch the browser – unless it is set up to open the last tab – you must have been redirected to the suspicious search engine. In this case, malware could be active, or you could have clicked a corrupted link routing to Cleanserp.net. Overall, scanning your operating system with a legitimate malware scanner is a good idea, and if malicious infections exist, hopefully, you will be warned about them in time. Keep in mind that if malicious infections are active, you have to remove them as soon as possible. The hijacker should be eliminated as well.

The interface of Cleanserp.net is pretty clean, and it does look like a professional search engine. Also, a tag that says “The search engine that respects your privacy” is attached right below the search dialog box, and, of course, this gives some sense of trust. However, this hijacker routes you to the Google search engine after you enter keywords, and that is one of the biggest reasons not to trust it. Although Google, of course, is reliable and reputable, the hijacker could hide sponsored content using this well-known name. As stated in the Privacy Policy, “other companies show advertisements on Cleanserp,” and that is disconcerting. First of all, you do not know the parties who can add these advertisements, and so trusting them is a huge risk.Cleanserp.net Removal GuideCleanserp.net screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions

If you wish to delete Cleanserp.net from your browser, you have to figure out how it manifests first. For example, if you are being redirected to it by malware, you need to delete malware to have the hijacker disabled as well. If it has hijacked your browser, you need to figure out whether it has changed the homepage or the default search provider. The guide below reveals how to eliminate the threat from the homepage, but if you need additional instructions, feel free to add a comment below. If a reliable malware scanner has warned you about other infections, you have to think if it is not better to install anti-malware software that could erase malicious infections automatically. If you want to discuss anything else, start a conversation below.

Remove Cleanserp.net from browsers

Internet Explorer

  1. Launch RUN by tapping Win+R keys.
  2. Enter regedit.exe into the dialog box and click OK.
  3. Move to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main.
  4. Double-click Start Page to open the value.
  5. Delete the hijacker’s URL, enter the desired one, and click OK.

Google Chrome

  1. Launch Explorer by tapping Win+E keys.
  2. Enter %LocalAppData%\Google\Chrome\User Data\ into the bar at the top.
  3. Open the Default folder (if profiles exist, open the {unique Chrome profile name} folder).
  4. Delete the files named Preferences, Secure Preferences, and Web Data files

Mozilla Firefox

  1. Launch Explorer by tapping Win+E keys.
  2. Enter %AppData%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ into the bar at the top.
  3. Open the {unique Firefox user ID} folder and then open the file named prefs.js.
  4. Find the hijacker’s URL and overwrite it with the preferred one. Then save the file.

In non-techie terms:

Cleanserp.net is a search engine that our research team identifies as a browser hijacker. Whether you are routed to it, or it has fully hijacked your browser, you need to be careful about this threat. Although it looks like a regular search tool, in reality, it can redirect you to Google Search without your permission and expose you to unpredictable third-party advertisements. Interacting with this search tool could be dangerous, and that is the number one reason it is recommended that you delete Cleanserp.net ASAP. If you have not scanned your PC already, do so now because it is possible that other infections are active. If that happens to be the truth, you need to make sure that all infections are eliminated at once. We advise employing anti-malware software because it can automatically erase existing infections while ensuring full-time protection as well.