Do you know what Search.searchfpdf.com is?
Search.searchfpdf.com looks like a usual search engine, but this domain belongs to a browser hijacker. It means that you should never use this domain for your web searches because you cannot be sure the results would be reliable. In fact, your queries will probably be used to find out more about your web browsing patterns and, consequently, the hijacker will use that information to generate financial profit. Your job right now is to remove Search.searchfpdf.com from your system, and then ensure that similar programs do not enter your PC again. It might look like a minor issue, but any small problem can always grow into something nasty.
While you are at it, you should also scan your computer with a legitimate antispyware tool to see if you have more unwanted applications on-board. We are saying this because the browser hijacker is bound to come bundled with freeware apps. You must have installed Search.searchfpdf.com accidentally when you downloaded some application from a file-sharing website. On the other hand, sometimes even programs downloaded from legitimate homepages could be bundled with other apps, so you need to remain attentive whenever you install something new on your PC.
As you can probably tell, Search.searchfpdf.com does not have a direct distribution source. This is actually in line with all the other browser hijackers from this family that have encountered before. This new product is quite similar to the likes of Search.yourpackagesnow.com, Search.yourmapscenter.com, Search.youremailnow.com, and many others. The abundance of such browser hijackers could be dumbfounding and confusing, but from a research point of view, the fact that the application comes from a big family of similar apps means that we can apply the same removal methods to almost any browser hijacker from the group. So in a sense, it should not be hard to deal with this issue.
Search.searchfpdf.com screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
Another good thing about browser hijackers is that they do not hide their presence when they enter target systems. The same applies to Search.searchfpdf.com because upon installation, the hijacker will change your homepage. It does not matter which browser is set as your default one. The program is compatible with Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer, so if you use any of the mentioned browsers, you can be sure that the hijacker will affect you. Even if you use a browser that is not compatible with this hijacker, the hijacker’s files can still be dropped on your computer, along with the other unwanted programs that it comes bundled with.
Now, the reason this program changes your settings is that it needs to generate a financial profit. The hijacker does that by employing the pay-per-click system. For instance, you perform a web search, and the hijacker will collect information on the keywords you used. After a while, it will start generating custom search result links. Some of the links will lead you associated websites, and whenever you would click such a link, you would make money for the browser hijacker. This kind of scheme is not illegal, but you have to keep in mind that Search.searchfpdf.com is not responsible for the third-party content you encounter when you enter another website.
This is where we encounter the biggest security issue because almost anyone could embed their links into the search results you see via Search.searchfpdf.com. Cyber criminals could also embed links to malicious websites that are part of malware distribution networks, and if you fail to avoid clicking them, you could soon be exposed to a ransomware, Trojans, and other extremely dangerous threats.
You need to protect yourself and your system from malicious exploitations and various infections. Please remove Search.searchfpdf.com right now either manually or automatically. Manual removal is not too complicated, so we strongly encourage you to attempt it. However, if you do not want to deal with any of this, you can terminate the browser hijacker and the rest of the unwanted programs with a licensed antispyware tool.
Acquiring a powerful security application is also a good investment in the future of your system’s security. For more tips and security guidelines, feel free to leave us a comment below. It is about time to take your computer’s security seriously, so do not hesitate to find out more about it.
How to Delete Search.searchfpdf.com
Internet Explorer
- Press Win+R and the Run prompt will open.
- Type regedit into the Open box. Press OK.
- Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main.
- Right-click the Start Page value on the right.
- Choose Modify and change your homepage address. Press OK.
Firefox
- Press Win+R and enter %AppData%. Press OK.
- Go to Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\[User ID].
- Use Notepad to open the prefs.js file.
- Delete the following string: user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://Search.searchfpdf.com");
- Save changes and exit the file.
Chrome
- Press Win+R and enter %LocalAppData%. Press OK.
- Open Google\Chrome\User Data\Default.
- Delete these files: Preferences, Secure Preferences, and Web Data.
In non-techie terms:
Search.searchfpdf.com can look like your best new search engine, but this program is a potential security threat you cannot ignore. Please take your time to read the description above, and then remove this browser hijacker from your computer as soon as possible. Computer security specialists point out that there might be more unwanted programs installed on your PC, so you should acquire a powerful antispyware application to find out whether your computer is safe and sound.