Search.searchwmtn.com Removal Guide

Do you know what Search.searchwmtn.com is?

Our computer security specialists confirmed that Search.searchwmtn.com is one of the Polarity Technologies Ltd browser hijackers. Apparently, it can hijack the user’s homepage, new tab page, or even default search engine by placing itself instead. No doubt such changes might not seem pleasant to some of you, and if you find the application annoying, we urge you not to leave it on your browser and eliminate it at once while using the removal guide located at the end of this text or a reputable antimalware tool you trust. The reason we recommend its deletion is that the browser hijacker could not only annoy you but also show you suspicious or even potentially malicious advertising content. To learn about the risks of interaction with such content or other relevant details about Search.searchwmtn.com we invite our readers to have a look at the rest of this report.

One of the things we would like to discuss in this article is where does Search.searchwmtn.com come from. As said at the beginning of the text the search engine belongs to a company called Polarity Technologies Ltd. Our researchers do not consider it to be reliable because in the past they have tested quite a few browser hijackers created by it, e.g., Search.searchlttrn.com, Search.hemailloginnow.com, Search.easyrecipesnow.com, Search.searchlivesportson.com, etc. Most of them could display modified or in other words results injected with unreliable ads. Given none of them had any enhanced features to offer and were more or less each other’s clones, we could assume such applications might have been created merely to generate advertising revenue from users’ clicks. The bad news is clicking such advertisements for the user himself may not be as beneficial as to the software’s creators.

The advertisements displayed by Search.searchwmtn.com could come from unknown third parties. Since the browser hijacker’s creators “disclaim any warranty related to your Use of the Software,” including third-party content that could appear among the results, it is quite possible some of it might originate from malicious web pages, scam sites, and so on. For example, after clicking it, the user could be redirected to a site offering to install another browser hijacker, potentially unwanted programs, adware, or even harmful threats like viruses or Trojans. It means if you encounter such ads and click them you might risk installing more untrustworthy programs on your computer or infecting the system with malware. What’s more, some of the ads may show fake lottery winnings or ask to fill fictitious surveys to gain your personal information. Thus, the suspicious ads could be dangerous not just for the computer, but for the user’s privacy as well.Search.searchwmtn.com Removal GuideSearch.searchwmtn.com screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions

Users who do not want to encounter threats like Search.searchwmtn.com in the future should watch out for bundled software installers available on questionable file-sharing web pages. It is always recommendable to pick custom or advanced installation settings to see all the terms and be able to deselect the additional suggestions you do not need. If the suspicious installer contains any potentially harmful suggestions, a reputable antimalware tool could detect them as well and inform you, so if you have not picked such a tool yet, it might be a good idea to consider this option.

Lastly, we would like to talk about the browser hijacker’s deletion. Our computer security specialists have prepared a removal guide to help users who may want to deal with Search.searchwmtn.com manually because the process could appear to be a bit difficult. It is because the threat might modify particular existing data on the system when it settles in instead of creating new one. In other words, you cannot uninstall it through Control Panel. Nonetheless, if you would like to try we encourage you to use our removal guide. On the other hand, if it sounds too complicated you could install a reputable antimalware tool, do a full system scan, and then just click the deletion button.

Erase Search.searchwmtn.com

Internet Explorer

  1. Press Windows Key+R.
  2. Insert Regedit and select OK.
  3. Get to this exact path: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
  4. Find a value name titled Start Page.
  5. Right-click it and choose Modify.
  6. Instead of http://Search.searchwmtn.com place a web page you prefer and click OK.
  7. Exit Registry Editor.
  8. Empty Recycle bin.

Mozilla Firefox

  1. Press Windows Key+E.
  2. Go to the presented directory: C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{Unique Mozilla ID}
  3. Look for Prefs.js and open this file as a Notepad document.
  4. Find the provided line: user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", " Search.searchwmtn.com").
  5. Instead of Search.searchwmtn.com place a link you prefer and press Ctrl+S to save changes.
  6. Close the document.

Google Chrome

  1. Tap Windows key+E.
  2. Find the mentioned path: C:\Users\{Username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
  3. Locate files called Preferences, Secure Preferences, and Web Data.
  4. Right-click these files and press Delete.
  5. Exit the File Explorer.

In non-techie terms:

Search.searchwmtn.com might look like any other search engine you may have encountered, but our computer security specialists would like to warn users not to trust it. As you see while testing this threat, we have discovered it belongs to an unreliable company responsible for the releases of many other similar browser hijackers. Not to mention, the search engine's displayed results could be modified, in which case there is a possibility they might contain ads promoting untrustworthy or dangerous content. Thus, we do not think it would be wise to leave this application on your browser. Should you decide not to take any risks and erase it, we recommend following our removal guide available above this text. Also, users who prefer automatic features could get rid of the browser hijacker with the help of a reliable antimalware tool of their preference.