Do you know what Searchgra.com is?
Searchgra.com might use the Google Custom Search engine, and its logo might use the colors that we associate with Google (yellow, red, green, and blue), but it is not a reliable search provider. You should realize it the moment it corrupts your homepage on Firefox, Chrome, or Internet Explorer browser. Did it replace the homepage with your permission? Even if that is the case, we classify it as a browser hijacker that should be deleted from your browsers. Are you not sure why this hijacker is considered dangerous and malicious? If you are, this report should clear a lot of things for you. Read it and maybe the knowledge you gain will help you recognize malware much quicker in the future. Even if you think that you know everything there is to know and you are ready to remove Searchgra.com, you should continue reading. Also, make use of the comments section below if any additional questions arise.
So, the first question is whether or not Searchgra.com is linked to Google Search. Although the “Google Custom Search” is provided by Google, this company has not developed the browser hijacker. The thing is that the engine can be used by anyone to create a customized search engine, and, unfortunately, it is often exploited by malicious parties. After all, most people know and trust Google, which means that the results shown via this custom search engine are likely to appear more trustworthy, even when they are delivered via hijackers. Well, there is one problem. Malicious hijackers can add any content they want into the search results shown to you, and, in most cases, we see advertisements. Depending on the keyword you enter, you might be shown “Ads,” and that is not something to ignore. Do you know anything about Searchgra.com? You probably do not, which means that you also do not know the parties and advertisers it works with. In fact, this is a reason to remove the hijacker.
Searchgra.com screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
We know very little about Searchgra.com because it does not disclose any information about itself. The homepage of this hijacker shows the search dialog box and a banner advertisement below it. Speaking of these banner ads, you should not interact with them just like with the search results ads. Besides that, the interface is empty, and you do not see links that would route to pages disclosing information. For example, if you go to google.com, you will see the About, Privacy, Terms, Settings, and many other links at the bottom of the page. These links route to pages that present information about the search tool. We do not see that with Searchgra.com. Of course, that is not something you should ignore. The lack of such information suggests that something is being concealed from you. Programs that are not transparent cannot be trusted, and so this is another reason to remove Searchgra.com.
There are plenty of reasons why you should eliminate Searchgra.com from your operating system, and we are sure that you realize this already. We advise employing automated malware detection and removal software to eliminate this infection, but you can also use the guide below. Now, keep in mind that this guide was tested only with the hijacker, and the remaining threats might require different approach. If you are not ready to handle all threats, while keeping your operating system protected as well, you should go ahead and download an anti-malware tool that will take care of all problems.
Remove Searchgra.com from browsers
Internet Explorer
- Tap Win+R to launch RUN and enter regedit.exe.
- In Registry Editor move to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main.
- Open the value named Start Page and eliminate the URL of the hijacker.
Mozilla Firefox
- Tap Win+E to launch Explorer and enter %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ into the address bar.
- Open the folder that has a Unique user ID in the name.
- Open the prefs.js file and delete the user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://searchgra.com"); string in the file (you can also replace the URL of the hijacker)
Google Chrome
- Tap Win+E to launch Explorer and enter %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\ (on Windows XP: %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\) into the address bar.
- Open the Default folder. Users with multiple profiles, open a specific Profile folder.
- Delete the Preferences, Secure Preferences, and Web Data files.
In non-techie terms:
At first sight, Searchgra.com looks harmless, but this search tool is dangerous because it is unpredictable. It could spy on you, share information about you with unknown parties, and perform other silent actions that do not benefit you. We truly do not know how this threat could act because it does not disclose any information about itself. That is a big red flag! The guide above shows how to eliminate the hijacker manually, but that is not the easiest of tasks. Plus, other infections could be active on your PC. Therefore, we believe it is best to employ automated malware removal software. Overall, whatever you do, make sure you clean your operating system fully and completely.