Search.searchvzc.com Removal Guide

Do you know what Search.searchvzc.com is?

Search.searchvzc.com is a browser hijacker. This program was created to display commercial content when you browse the web. The program also modifies your browser’s settings to display that information. Needless to say, that kind of browser settings modification is unsolicited, and you should not tolerate that. Your job right now is to remove Search.searchvzc.com from your system at once, this way protecting your personal information and your computer from malicious exploitation. Manual browser hijacker removal is not too challenging, but if you feel you cannot do it on your own, you can always rely on a licensed computer security application.

Perhaps you are surprised to see Search.searchvzc.com on your browser, especially if you do not remember installing anything of the sort. Well, that is mostly because such programs tend to travel in software packages, and users download those very frequently. We probably do not even think about it when we download some freeware application from a file-sharing site. The truth is, however, that along with this program we want, we also download the likes of Search.searchvzc.com, too. Sometimes, third-party installers tell us about the additional programs that are bundled together with the main one. If that is the case, then you can easily deselect the unwanted application during the software installation. If you fail to do that, you will end up having an entire bunch of unnecessary and potentially harmful applications.

Perhaps, before we go down to the removal part, we should also tell you more about the application itself, listing the sites you should stay out of. After all, avoiding the application is a lot better than dealing with it first-hand. Our security researchers say that the browser hijacker usually spreads via descargar.es, filewin.com, malavide.es, filewon.com, and other peer-2-peer websites. Hence, if you have recently visited any of the aforementioned websites, it is very likely that you got your browser hijacker from there. In that aspect, Search.searchvzc.com is very similar to Search.searchlttrn.com, Search.yourpackagesnow.com, Search.yourmapscenter.com, and many other browser hijackers from the same group.Search.searchvzc.com Removal GuideSearch.searchvzc.com screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions

What happens when we have to deal with a program that comes from a family of similar intruders? It usually means that we will know how to remove it from our computer because browser hijackers are mostly clones, based on the same principle. Therefore, if we knew how to get rid of the previously released hijackers, we will also know how to terminate Search.searchvzc.com, too.

Upon the installation, this program will change your homepage into Search.searchvzc.com. The hijacker affects Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. Perhaps, some users may think that the presence of this browser hijacker is some kind of Google upgrade, because the hijacker’s main page sports the same color scheme. Actually, there is a very good chance the hijacker does that to confuse the affected users and make them think that the website is reliable. But that is nothing of the kind. The moment your default settings are changed without your permission, you have to understand that something is off.

What would happen if you kept Search.searchvzc.com on your computer? Well, the browser hijacker would collect information on your web browsing habits via tracking cookies. Later on, the program would use that data to generate custom commercial content. It would display that content via modified search results. Do not be fooled: Even if you enter the search engine domain into the address bar yourself, the hijacker could still redirect your query via its servers, and you will eventually see a lot of search results that will be rigged. Clicking on such links usually redirects you to commercial websites, but sometimes it could be a lot worse. In the worst-case scenario, the hijacker could be exploited by cyber criminals to promote and distribute their content. Thus, such a redirection could also result in a malware infection, too.

Avoid that by deleting Search.searchvzc.com today. You will have to change some registry entries and delete a few files to restore your browser’s settings. It is not that hard, but if you do not want to risk deleting anything by accident, please consider investing in a licensed computer security tool. It would terminate the infection for you automatically, at the same time protecting your system from other potential threats.

How to Remove Search.searchvzc.com

Internet Explorer

  1. Press Win+R and type regedit. Click OK.
  2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main.
  3. On the right pane, right-click the Start Page value.
  4. Select Modify and change your homepage address. Click OK.
  5. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{0633EE93-D776-472f-A0FF-E1416B8B2E3A}.
  6. Edit these values on the right:
    FaviconURL
    FaviconURLFallback
    TopResultURL
    URL

Chrome

  1. Press Win+R and type %LocalAppData%. Click OK.
  2. Navigate to Google\Chrome\User Data\Default.
  3. Find and delete these files: Web Data, Preferences, and Secure Preferences.

Firefox

  1. Press Win+R and enter %AppData%. Press OK.
  2. Go to Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\[User ID].
  3. Locate the prefs.js file and open it with Notepad.
  4. Delete this string: user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://Search.searchvzc.com");
  5. Save changes and close the file.

In non-techie terms:

Search.searchvzc.com might look like your regular search engine, but the truth is that this program is potential computer security threat. Inadvertently, it can expose you to corrupted content, thus increasing the possibility of a malware infection. You need to remove Search.searchvzc.com from your system immediately. While you are at it, look out for other unwanted apps because such programs tend to travel in packs. Do everything you can avoid serious computer security issues.