NiceSearches.com Removal Guide

Do you know what NiceSearches.com is?

If your homepage was suddenly changed into NiceSearches.com, you should be aware that it is a browser hijacker. This application not only modifies your browser settings but also displays altered search results. Also, it could be gathering various information related to your browsing habits. The NiceSearches.com creators claim that they do not collect any private information, but that does not mean that your privacy could not be invaded while visiting third-party web pages. Since this application modifies search results it could add suspicious links that might redirect you to such potentially harmful websites. If you want to change this search engine with a trustworthy site one of your choices, you will have to get rid of the browser hijacker, and you can do that with the removal instruction available below the article.

This browser hijacker is very similar to other applications of this type. In fact, it has some previous clones as well, such as newsearch123, omiga-plus.com, and others. The site does not even have its own unique search engine as it seems to be using google.com. Also, the browser hijacker is hosted on the following IP address 104.25.98.11 that is located in the United States, but it does not mean that the application could not be spread in other countries too.

As we mentioned before, the browser hijacker uses google.com to gather results, but it may add some additional links and provide these modified results to you. Apparently, the promoted links belong to numerous third-party companies. On the website’s Privacy Policy, its creators claim that “<…> these external sites are developed by people over whom we have no control, and we are not responsible for their privacy practices.” It means that third-party web pages could have Privacy Policies that might allow the gathering of users’ sensitive information, and if you visit such site, you are solely responsible for any consequences. Moreover, the browser hijacker’s End User License Agreement states that they do not review “<…> all of the material, including computer software, posted to the Website <…>” To put it more simply, it says that it might promote unreliable software, such as potentially unwanted programs (PUPs), adware, etc. Clearly, you have to consider a few risks before using this search engine. However, it seems that it would be safer to browse if you removed NiceSearches.com from your browsers.NiceSearches.com Removal GuideNiceSearches.com screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions

While researching this browser hijacker we found out that it may be dropped into user’s system by PUPs, such as Picexa, Ghokswa Browser, and others. Applications like these could be downloaded from unreliable file-sharing websites, or they might be promoted by browser hijackers as they tend to add various sponsored links to the search results. In any case, a lot of unwanted software could negatively affect your computer’s overall performance, so it is crucial to locate all of these suspicious programs and delete them at once.

The browser hijacker might seem harmless as it uses google.com search engine, but if you do not want to be redirected to third-party sites, it would be better to use google.com instead or any other site that is trustworthy. If you decide to erase NiceSearches.com from your browsers, you should know that the manual option might be rather complicated, especially if you are an inexperienced user. For this option, not only you would have to find particular browser hijacker’s files and delete, but also modify some Windows Registry keys. If you want an easier solution, you should download an antimalware tool. It will help you locate and delete the browser hijacker, plus it will erase other possible suspicious applications from your system.

Delete NiceSearches.com

  1. Open the Explorer and insert this location %AppData%
  2. Find nicesearches folder and right-click to delete it.

Remove NiceSearches.com from browsers

Internet Explorer

  1. Press Windows Key+R.
  2. Type regedit and click OK.
  3. Navigate to: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
  4. Find value names Search Page, Default_Search_URL, and Start Page on the right side.
  5. Right-click Search Page, Default_Search_URL, Start Page separately and select Modify.
  6. Replace Value Data, for example, with google.com and click OK.
  7. Locate the following path: HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\MAIN
  8. Search for Value Name Start Page on the right side.
  9. Right-Click on Start Page and select Modify.
  10. Replace Value Data, e.g. with google.com.
  11. Click OK.

Mozilla Firefox

  1. Navigate to: C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{Unique Mozilla user ID}
  2. Locate file Prefs.js and open it with Notepad.
  3. Find and delete this line: user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://nicesearches.com/")

Google Chrome

  1. Locate the following path: C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
  2. Find listed files: Preferences, Secure Preferences, and Web Data.
  3. Right-click each separately and select Delete.

In non-techie terms:

NiceSearches.com is one of many browser hijackers that changes your browser settings without any permission. Also, it could promote various sponsored links that might be harmful to your computer. Users who want to avoid any potential harm to their computer should delete this suspicious application from their browsers. Our researchers prepared removal instructions that might be of use to you and you could find them a little above. Although, if they seem too difficult, you could download a legitimate antimalware tool and leave this task to it.