Mefuli-search2016.com Removal Guide

Do you know what Mefuli-search2016.com is?

We want to inform you that Mefuli-search2016.com is not a real search engine. Our cyber security experts have concluded that it is a browser hijacker that is distributed in a way that involves installing it without your knowledge or authorization. For this reason alone we recommend that you remove it, but we also want to inform you that its search results are bound to contain links to questionable websites and that it can collect certain information about you to customize and personalize the search results and their promoted links to make more money. This article is dedicated to the safe removal of Mefuli-search2016.com and also to present you with the most relevant information about this infection.

This new browser hijacker is identical to the likes of Doni2016-search.com, Bestsearch2016.com, Daiksearch2016.com, and many other hijackers. Evidently, all of them come from the same entity that is unknown to us. Clearly, the developer wants to hide in the shadows to avoid responsibility for hijacking your browser’s homepage and subjecting you to questionable promotional links that can jeopardize your computer’s security. Nothing concrete is known about this developer or where it comes from. Therefore, there is no reason to believe that this so-called search engine will deliver you a safe and reliable service.

Our cyber security experts have found that, like its clones, this new browser hijacker is distributed using the same malicious methods. Hence, Mefuli-search2016.com comes bundled with malicious third-party installers that have been configured to install this browser hijacker on your computer without your knowledge or authorization. Such installers may also come with adware and potentially unwanted programs and they are featured on shady and often illicit software distributing websites. Therefore, only a powerful anti-malware program can prevent this hijacker from entering your PC and, subsequently, your browser.Mefuli-search2016.com Removal GuideMefuli-search2016.com screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions

It was revealed that the installers that disseminate this browser hijacker are designed to interact with your web browser while installing other software and inject it as your browser’s homepage address. Our researchers say that the installers are designed to affect Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox. Therefore, it is capable of affecting many users all around the globe. Fortunately, testing has shown that Mefuli-search2016.com is currently down. Note that all of its clones that have been released previously were either down or their search engines did not work. Their owners might be experiencing technical issues or their servers have started closing down these hijackers due to complaints from users.

Researchers say that if Mefuli-search2016.com worked, then it would show various promotional links in its search results that may be indistinguishable from the regular search results. The problem lies in the fact that this hijacker can promote websites coming from unknown sources and they can be of malicious nature. For example, the links might redirect you to scam or phishing websites or get your computer infected with ransomware or other type of malware.

Our security experts have concluded that, if it worked, Mefuli-search2016.com would collect information about you and this information could include your browsing history, entered search queries, clicked links, location, Internet Protocol address and so on, using browser cookies, web beacons and other information collection methods. This information is bound to be used to improve the services provided by this hijacker, but not for you. Indeed, since Mefuli-search2016.com is all about generating income, there is no doubt that the collected information will be analyzed and the search results will be set to feature promotional links that correspond with your interests and browsing preferences.

In conclusion, Mefuli-search2016.com is a highly unreliable and possibly even dangerous search engine that our researchers have classified as a browser hijacker due to its illicit distribution tactics. It can infect your computer and then force you to few search results that contain links to unreliable websites that can jeopardize your computer’s security. So, to be on the safe side on things, you should remove this hijacker using the guide we have provided below.

How to remove this browser hijacker

Microsoft Internet Explorer

  1. Press Windows+R keys.
  2. Type regedit in the dialog box.
  3. Click OK.
  4. In the Registry Editor, go to HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
  5. Locate the Start Page, right-click it and click Modify.
  6. In the Value data line, enter a new homepage address and click OK.
  7. Close the Registry Editor

Google Chrome

  1. Press Windows+E keys.
  2. In the address bar, type %LocalAppData%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default and hit Enter.
  3. Find Preferences, Secure Preferences and Web Data.
  4. Delete them or open them with Notepad and replace all strings that feature http://mefuli-search2016.com with another homepage address.
  5. Save and Close.

Mozilla Firefox

  1. Press Windows+E keys.
  2. In the address box, type %AppData%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles and hit Enter.
  3. Enter the {Random ID number} folder.
  4. Find and open prefs.js with Notepad.
  5. Fix the user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", " http://mefuli-search2016.com"); string by replacing the http://mefuli-search2016.com with your preferred homepage address.
  6. Save and Close.

In non-techie terms:

Mefuli-search2016.com is a fake search engine that has been classified as a browser hijacker because the method used to distribute it involves installing it onto your browser without your knowledge or consent. Its search results can contain links to malicious and even infected websites, so you should not use it. Please consult the guide above or use a anti-malware program to delete this hijacker for you.