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How to uninstall the ProRadioSearch browser hijacker?

Also Known As: proradiosearch.com redirect
Damage level: Medium

What is ProRadioSearch browser hijacker?

ProRadioSearch is a browser hijacker designed to change web browser's settings to promote the proradiosearch.com address. Like most browser hijackers, ProRadioSearch promotes a fake search engine. It is likely that this app is designed to collect browsing-related data as well. Typically, users install browser hijackers inadvertently.

proradiosearch.com browser hijacker

ProRadioSearch browser hijacker in detail

Browser hijackers change the address of a default search engine, homepage, and new tab to an address of a fake search engine. ProRadioSearch changes those settings to proradiosearch.com. This fake search engine shows results generated by search.yahoo.com and searchlee.com, and may show results generated by other search engines.

Searchlee.com is not a trustworthy search engine. It may show misleading results (promote questionable websites). Therefore, it is not safe to use proradiosearch.com to browse the web. It is known that proradiosearch.com is not the only fake search engine that shows results generated by searchlee.com.

Typically, users can remove a fake search engine (its address) from the web browser's settings only when a browser hijacker is no longer installed. In this case, it is necessary to uninstall ProRadioSearch to remove proradiosearch.com from the web browser's settings. However, it is not the only reason not to keep this app installed.

It is possible that ProRadioSearch collects various information related to user's browsing activities. For example, geolocations, visited pages, IP addresses, entered search queries. It is important to mention that some browser hijackers can access sensitive information (for example, passwords, credit card details).

Therefore, it is strongly recommended not to have any browser hijacker installed on a browser or the operating system. Collected data may be sold to third parties, used to show personalized ads, or monetized in other ways. Sensitive information may be used to steal personal accounts, identities, make unauthorized purchases, and so on.

Threat Summary:
Name ProRadioSearch
Threat Type Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab
Browser Extension(s) ProRadioSearch
Supposed Functionality Improved browsing experience
Promoted URL proradiosearch.com
Serving IP Address (proradiosearch.com) 104.31.73.202
Affected Browser Settings Homepage, new tab URL, default search engine
Symptoms Manipulated Internet browser settings (homepage, default Internet search engine, new tab settings). Users are forced to visit the hijacker's website and search the Internet using their search engines.
Distribution methods Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers.
Damage Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites.
Malware Removal (Windows)

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Browser hijackers in general

The Internet is full of apps like ProRadioSearch. Some examples are StreamingSearches, SimpleConverters, BestADSBlock. The main purpose of browser hijackers is to promote fake search engines and are useless to their users. Most users install them unintentionally. Therefore, they are called potentially unwanted applications (PUAs).

How did ProRadioSearch install on my computer?

A popular way to distribute browser hijackers and other PUAs is to use a method called bundling. More precisely, to include unwanted apps in downloaders and installers for other programs as optional offers. In most cases, offers to download or install potentially unwanted apps are hidden in "Advanced", "Custom" or other settings.

Users download or install PUAs together with other programs when they do not check and change the aforementioned settings. In some cases, users cause unintentional downloads or installations by clicking deceptive advertisements that are designed to execute certain scripts. In most cases, such ads appear on untrustworthy pages.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

It is recommended to check downloaders and installers for additionally included applications and decline unwanted offers before finishing downloads and installations. Typically, downloaders and installers used to distribute PUAs have "Custom", "Manual", "Advanced" or other options, and (or) ticked checkboxes.

Furthermore, files and programs should be downloaded from official pages and via direct download links. It is not safe to use third-party downloaders (and installers), unofficial pages, Peer-to-Peer networks (torrent clients, eMule), and so on. The aforementioned sources can be used to distribute potentially unwanted, malicious apps.

Also, it is recommended not to click on ads that appear on untrustworthy websites (for example, on pages related to pornography, adult dating, gambling). Those ads can open deceptive websites, cause unwanted installations. Suspicious or unknown extensions, add-ons, or plug-ins installed on a web browser (or browsers) should be removed.

If there are any programs of this kind installed on the operating system, then they should be uninstalled too. If your computer is already infected with ProRadioSearch, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

Proradiosearch.com redirects to searchlee.com (GIF):

proradiosearch browser hijacker proradiosearch.com shows searchlee results

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Quick menu:

ProRadioSearch browser hijacker removal:

Windows 11 users:

Accessing Apps and Features in Windows 11

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:

Accessing Programs and Features (uninstall) in Windows 8

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:

Accessing Programs and Features (uninstall) in Windows 7

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:

Uninstall app in OSX (Mac)

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.

proradiosearch.com browser hijacker uninstall via Control Panel

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

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

ProRadioSearch browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove browser redirects:

Google Chrome logoRemove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Removing proradiosearch.com related Google Chrome extensions

Click the Chrome menu icon Google Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate "ProRadioSearch" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.

Change your homepage:

Removing proradiosearch.com from Google Chrome homepage

Click the Chrome menu icon Google Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable "ProRadioSearch", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.proradiosearch.com) below the “Open a specific or set of pages” option. If present click on the three vertical dots icon and select “Remove”.

Change your default search engine:

Removing proradiosearch.com from Google Chrome default search engine

To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon Google Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search engine" section, click "Manage search engines...", in the opened list look for "proradiosearch.com", when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Remove from list".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the proradiosearch.com redirect, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon Google 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.

Google Chrome settings reset step 1

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

Google Chrome settings reset step 2

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

Google Chrome settings reset step 3

Mozilla Firefox logoRemove malicious plugins from Mozilla Firefox:

Removing proradiosearch.com related Mozilla Firefox extensions

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

Change your homepage:

Removing proradiosearch.com from Mozilla Firefox homepage

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

Change your default search engine:

Removing proradiosearch.com from Mozilla Firefox 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: "extensionControlled"
Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the Mozilla Firefox switch about:config entry button button.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with proradiosearch.com redirect removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.

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

Accessing settings (Reset Firefox to default settings step 1)

Select Troubleshooting Information.

Accessing Troubleshooting Information (Reset Firefox to default settings step 2)

In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.

Clicking on Refresh Firefox button (Reset Firefox to default settings step 3)

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

Confirm your want to reset Firefox settings to default (Reset Firefox to default settings step 4)

safari browser logoRemove malicious extensions from Safari:

Removing browser hijackers from safari step 1 - accessing preferences

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

removing browser hijacker from safari step 2 - removing extensions

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

Removing browser hijackers from safari step 3 - changing homepage

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.

removing browser hijackers from safari step 4 - changing the default Internet search engine

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...

resetting safari step 1

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

resetting safari step 2

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) logoRemove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:

Removing browser hijackers from Microsoft Edge step 1

Click the Edge menu icon Microsoft Edge (chromium) 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:

Removing browser hijackers from Microsoft Edge step 2

Click the Edge menu icon Microsoft Edge (chromium) 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:

Removing browser hijackers from Microsoft Edge step 3

To change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge: Click the Edge menu icon Microsoft Edge (chromium) 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 Microsoft Edge (Chromium) puzzle icon near it and select "Disable".

Optional method:

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

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) reset step 1

In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) reset step 2

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.

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) reset step 3

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

Summary:

declining installation of browser hijackers while downloading free software sampleA 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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About the author:

Tomas Meskauskas

Tomas Meskauskas - expert security researcher, professional malware analyst.

I am passionate about computer security and technology. I have an experience of over 10 years working in various companies related to computer technical issue solving and Internet security. I have been working as an author and editor for pcrisk.com since 2010. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay informed about the latest online security threats. Contact Tomas Meskauskas.

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Software uninstall instructions
Malware activity

Global malware activity level today:

Medium threat activity

Increased attack rate of infections detected within the last 24 hours.

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