Search-shield.com Redirect

What is search-shield.com?

Search-Shield is a rogue browser extension that supposedly protects user's privacy when browsing the Internet. Many users think that Search-Shield is a legitimate and handy plug-in. However, users must be informed that Search-Shield is designed to cause unwanted browser redirects.

Moreover, this app often infiltrates the system without user's permission. For these reasons, Search-Shield is classed as a potentially unwanted program (PUP), as well as a browser hijacker.

Search-Shield (search.assist.ly) hijacks Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox browsers and assigns new tab URL, homepage, and default search engine options to search-shield.com. On initial inspection, such behavior may seem insignificant.

However, the problem is that users are unable to revert these changes, because Search-Shield is designed to automatically reassign settings every time someone attempts to change. For this reason, returning browsers to the previous state is impossible. Users continually redirected to serarchshield.co without their consent.

Continual unwanted browser redirects significantly diminish Internet browsing quality. Users should also know that their Internet browsing activity is continually monitored, since Search-Shield gathers IP addresses, website URLs visited, pages viewed, and other similar information.

Collected information might be personally identifiable. For this reason, it is noteworthy that Search-Shield's developers share gathered data with cooperating third parties.

There's a high credibility that personal information will be misused. Thus, data tracking may eventually lead to serious privacy issues. We strongly advise you to eliminate Search-Shield browser hijacker from your computer as soon as possible.

Research discovered hundreds of potentially unwanted programs similar to SearchShield (e.g., Gaming Assassin, Search Journey, AtoZManuals). Note that every single browser hijacker offers different functionality. However, all of them behave more or less the same.

The purpose of applications like SearchShield is to generate income for the developers. Therefore, by falsely claiming to enhance users' web browsing quality these applications merely attempt to trick users into installation.

Instead of providing the promised functions, apps like SearchShield cause unwanted browser redirects, gather personal data and deliver intrusive online advertisements. Be aware that some browser hijackers promote fake Internet search engines that generate results leading to malicious websites. Hence, using such search engine may lead to high-risk computer infections.

How did searchshield.com install on my computer?

Developers distribute this browser hijacker via official download website and by using a deceptive marketing method called "bundling" (undercover installation of third party software along with the regular applications/programs). For this reason, users often install SearchShield inadvertently, without their consent.

What developers do is hide third party programs under "Custom/Advanced" settings of download, or either installation processes. Research results show that vast majority of users carelessly rush and skip this section. By doing so, users simply expose the system to risk of various infections.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Users must realize that potentially unwanted programs are usually distributed using the bundling method. For this reason, it is very important to closely analyze every single step of the download/installation processes using either "Custom", or "Advanced" settings.

Moreover, all additionally included programs should be opted-out and all offers to download/install such should be declined. Bundled software is more than likely to be rogue, hence, you should never install it.

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Quick menu:

• What is search-shield.com?
• STEP 1. Uninstall Search-Shield application using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove search-shield.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
• STEP 3. Remove Search-Shield browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove search-shield.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 5. Remove search-shield.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Search-Shield browser hijacker removal:

Windows 11 users:

Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.

Windows 10 users:

Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.

Windows 7 users:

Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.

macOS (OSX) users:

Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.

In the uninstall programs window: look for any recently installed suspicious applications (for example, "SearchShield"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted programs (which cause browser redirects to the searchshield.com website), scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Search-shield.com browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove browser redirects:

Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Change your homepage:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Internet Options", in the opened window remove hxxp://search-shield.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you launch Internet Explorer. You can also enter about: blank to open a blank page when you start Internet Explorer.

Change your default search engine:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". In the opened window, select "Search Providers", set "Google", "Bing", or any other preferred search engine as your default and then remove "SearchShield".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search-shield.com browser hijacker, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.

Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.

In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.

Click the Reset button.

Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Tools" and click on "Extensions". Locate "SearchShield", and other recently installed suspicious add-ons, select these entries and click the trash can icon.

Change your homepage:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, click "set pages", hover your mouse over hxxp://search-shield.com and click the x symbol. Now, you can add your preferred website as your homepage.

Change your default search engine:

To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search" section, click "Manage Search Engines...", remove "search-shield" and add or select your preferred domain.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search-shield.com browser hijacker, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.

After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious plugins from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions" and remove "SearchShield", as well as all other recently installed browser plug-ins.

Change your homepage:

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Options", in the opened window remove hxxp://search-shield.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.

Change your default search engine:

In the URL address bar, type about:config and press Enter.
Click "I'll be careful, I promise!".
In the search filter at the top, type: "search-shield"
Right-click on the found preferences and select "Reset" to restore default values.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with search-shield.com browser hijacker removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.

Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.

Select Troubleshooting Information.

In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.

Remove malicious extensions from Safari:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click Safari menu, then select Preferences...

In the preferences window select the Extensions tab. Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions and uninstall them.

In the preferences window select General tab and make sure that your homepage is set to a preferred URL, if its altered by a browser hijacker - change it.

In the preferences window select Search tab and make sure that your preferred Internet search engine is selected.

Optional method:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...

In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.

Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate any recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.

Change your homepage and new tab settings:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section look for the name of the browser hijacker and click "Disable".

Change your default Internet search engine:

To change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge: Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Privacy and services", scroll to bottom of the page and select "Address bar". In the "Search engines used in address bar" section look for the name of the unwanted Internet search engine, when located click the "Disable" button near it. Alternatively you can click on "Manage search engines", in the opened menu look for unwanted Internet search engine. Click on the puzzle icon near it and select "Disable".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search-shield.com browser hijacker, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.

In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.

Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

• If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.

Summary:

A browser hijacker is a type of adware infection that modifies Internet browser settings by assigning the homepage and default Internet search engine settings to some other (unwanted) website URL. Commonly, this type of adware infiltrates operating systems through free software downloads. If your download is managed by a download client, ensure that you decline offers to install advertised toolbars or applications that seek to change your homepage and default Internet search engine settings.

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