Do you know what Search.searchfreedm.com is?
Search.searchfreedm.com says it can provide you with local weather forecasts, maps, gas prices, and other useful information, but once the tool is installed, you may realize it does not have such features. Apparently, the application can only redirect the user to websites that can actually provide the promised tools and information. These sites do not belong to the software’s creators, and you can access them whenever you want by typing their address into the browser. In other words, there is no need to allow Search.searchfreedm.com settle on your browser. Our researchers do not advise using it because the application was classified as a browser hijacker and it might promote possibly malicious advertisements through its displayed search results. If you do now want to take any risks, we recommend deleting it with the removal guide placed below.
Some users may wonder if they could receive this browser hijacker unknowingly or if it might be downloaded without their permission. According to our specialists, it is possible to allow the search engine settle in without simply realizing it. This might happen if you launch a bundled setup file. The main program might have nothing to do with Search.searchfreedm.com, but the application could be mentioned in further steps. Usually, additional software suggestions are always marked, so the user has to deselect the unwanted offers himself if he does not want them to be installed automatically.
Search.searchfreedm.com screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
For users who rarely read the terms on the configuration wizard, we would advise you to start doing so. For your system’s safety, it is vital to keep it clean and make sure there are no suspicious applications that could make it vulnerable. Users could also pick more reliable installers, e.g. instead of downloading them from unreliable file-sharing sites, you should look for official and legitimate web pages. The other option to avoid browser hijackers, other questionable programs, or even malware is to use trustworthy antimalware software. All you have to do is keep it updated and enabled, so it would always be prepared to fight possibly malicious applications.
Search.searchfreedm.com does not install itself like other programs may do. In fact, after it enters you will not find any folder or file created by this browser hijacker. That is because the application settles in by modifying already created data, most likely belonging to the default user’s browser. For example, if it hijacks Internet Explorer, the threat should modify a specific value name called Start Page; it is located in the Windows Registry. After the file is altered, the mentioned browser should start loading the search engine instead of the previous homepage.
Search.searchfreedm.com might look harmless, but our specialists report that the application might inject the displayed results with suspicious advertisements. These ads could advertise other browser hijackers or similar threats. There is also a possibility they could redirect the user to malicious web pages containing viruses, Trojans, and more or to websites that could be harmful in other ways. Thus, we strongly advise you to pick a more reliable search engine, bookmark the links you liked, and get rid of the application if you do not want to risk the computer’s safety.
The deletion part might appear to be rather complicated, so we recommend following the removal guide located below. However, if you do not want to erase Search.searchfreedm.com manually, you could employ a trustworthy antimalware tool instead. All there is to do is pick a reputable security tool, install it, and set it to scan the computer. During the scan, the software will detect data modified by the browser hijacker automatically, and if you click the deletion button that appears right after the scan, the altered files should be fixed. Plus, as the tool might find other possible threats on the system, you could remove them at the same time as well.
Erase Search.searchfreedm.com
Internet Explorer
- Tap Windows Key+R.
- Insert Regedit and click Enter.
- Find the given path HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main and select a value name called Start Page.
- Right-click the Start Page and press Modify.
- Replace http://search.searchfreedm.com with a trustworthy link and click OK.
- Leave the Registry Editor.
Mozilla Firefox
- Press Windows Key+E.
- Go to the following location C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{Unique Mozilla user ID} then find a file called Prefs.js.
- Open it with Notepad and find the same line: user_pref(“browser.startup.homepage”, “http://search.searchfreedm.com”).
- Replace http://search.searchfreedm.com with another link and press Ctrl+S.
- Close Prefs.js.
Google Chrome
- Press Windows Key+E.
- Find the given path C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default directory and locate these files:
Preferences
Secure Preferences
Web Data - Right-click all of them separately and press Delete.
- Exit the File Explorer.
In non-techie terms:
Search.searchfreedm.com is classified as a browser hijacker because it might affect the browser by replacing preferences like the homepage or new tab page. Nonetheless, the biggest problem with this application is the suspicious advertisements it can inject to the displayed search results. As mentioned in the main text, these ads may redirect you to various web pages, and some of them might contain malicious programs or offer you to download software similar to this browser hijacker. Consequently, we recommend erasing the threat before you encounter any ads that could be possibly malicious. For manual deletion check the instructions located above, although if you want to eliminate it automatically, you should install an antimalware tool.