Do you know what Search.searchwti.com is?
Judging from the name, Search.searchwti.com might seem to be a regular search engine that comes forth with the intention to enhance your web search experience. However, our research team says that this domain belongs to a browser hijacker, and so, if you happen to see this website on your browser, the chances are you have been infected with a browser hijacker. It is important that you remove Search.searchwti.com from your computer immediately because this intrusion may have a snowball effect: With one unwanted application on-board, you may soon have to battle an entire list of them.
In fact, it is very likely that you already have more than one unfamiliar application installed on your computer. After all, browser hijackers and other unwanted apps often come bundled in packs. That is to say, Search.searchwti.com might have entered your computer in a software package with a third-party installer YOU downloaded from some file-sharing website. We always emphasize the potential threat behind downloading programs from third-party sources, but users seem to be more inclined to download programs from such sites because they offer them software for free. However, there are a lot of official websites that promote and distribute freeware, and it is a lot safer to download it from the official sources.
What’s more, even if you think that the downloaded installer is safe, it is always a good idea to scan it with a security application before running it. Also, when you initiate the installation, be sure to read all the steps in the setup because some of them may contain information on additional apps. It is usually possible to avoid installing them if you choose the custom installation rather than the general or express. Please do not think that all the steps in the installation wizard are default anyway because, in the end, you agree to install a new program on your computer, and if you breeze through it, you might end up having tons of undesirable apps on your system. Needless to say, Search.searchwti.com is one of them.
Search.searchwti.com screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
This browser hijacker is compatible with Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. It is actually a rather common and more or less generic intruder than can be removed without much difficulty. We have covered previous infections from the same family, and so we know that Search.searchwti.com behaves more or less like Search.yourpackagesnow.com, Search.yourmapscenter.com, Search.youremailnow.com, and many other hijackers from the same group.
What does it do? Search.searchwti.com will change your homepage and will track your online activity via tracking cookies. The hijacker needs to figure out your likes and preferences so that it could display custom commercial content. This content comes through modified search results that sometimes may look like relevant links, associated with your most recent searches. What’s more, the hijacker employs a custom version of the Yahoo! Search engine, so it makes it look reliable. However, if users end up clicking any of the modified links, they help the hijacker make money by subsequently exposing themselves to potentially harmful content.
Of course, we are not trying to say that Search.searchwti.com is there to infect you with malware. However, such a possibility remains because the hijacker does not review the third-party content it promotes. Thus, if the program’s advertising space is exploited by cyber criminals, you could come face to face with links that redirect you to malware-related websites. And then, it would be only a matter of time until you get infected and your personal information leaked.
Therefore, your best option right now is to remove Search.searchwti.com for good. You can follow the instructions below to terminate the infection, or you can delete the hijacker with a security application. In fact, relying on a security tool would be your best choice because them you would be able to detect all the other potential threats and remove them at once. Also, an antispyware program of your choice will protect your computer from other intruders that might barge into your system when you expect it the least.
Should you have more questions about your computer’s security or browser hijackers, please feel free to contact us by leaving a comment below. Our team is always read to assist you.
How to Remove Search.searchwti.com
Internet Explorer
- Press Win+R and type regedit. Click OK.
- Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main.
- On the right, right-click the Start page value.
- Select Modify and change your startup page address. Click OK.
- Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{0633EE93-D776-472f-A0FF-E1416B8B2E3A}.
- Modify the following values on the right:
FaviconURL
FaviconURLFallback
TopResultURL
URL
Chrome
- Press Win+R and type %LocalAppData%. Click OK.
- Go to Google\Chrome\User Data\Default.
- Delete the Preferences, Secure Preferences, and Web Data files.
Firefox
- Press Win+R and type %AppData%. Click OK.
- Go to Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\[Unique User ID].
- Open the prefs.js file.
- Delete this string: user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://Search.searchwti.com ");
- Save changes and exit the file.
In non-techie terms:
Search.searchwti.com may not look like a dangerous intruder at all, but this browser hijacker can cause a lot of trouble if you simply ignore it. This program monitors your activity, and that is a breach of privacy. Hence, it is necessary that you remove it from your computer together with all the other unfamiliar applications that might be slowing down your system. For that, you should get yourself a licensed antispyware tool.