8/4/2015

HowToRemoveTheSearchProtect

HowtoremovetheSearchProtectfromInternetExplorer,
GoogleChromeandMozillaFirefox
Author:IoanaBistriceanu

Overtime,wevetoldyouhowtoremoveacoupleoftoolbarsthat
hijackyoursearchengineoryourhomepageandcausealotof
browsingslowdown,nottomentiondirectingyoutomalicious
websites.
Sincemostofourtargetedaudiencehaslearnedhowtodealwith
thesepeskytoolbars,thepotentiallyunwantedapplicationshave
movedontoastealthierlevel.Insteadofatoolbar,youmightend
upwithaprogramthatmodifiesyoursearchengineandyour
homepage,butsoundsentirelylegitimateand...isnowheretobe
found.Whereistheworstpart?ItcomeswithanEndUsers
LicenseAgreement,whichmakesithard(legallyspeaking)for
securitysolutionstoremoveit.
SuchanexampleisSearchProtectbyConduit,whichclaimsto
keepyourbrowserprotectedfrommalware,badextensionsand
homepagehijacks.Oh,theirony!Notonlythat,butitwilladda
Startuptaskwhichwillloadeverytimeyouturnyourcomputer
on,oraScheduledTask(whichtriggersitatanyUserslogonto
Windows).
Therearemultiplestepsingettingridofthispeskyprogram.But,asathousandmilejourneystartswithasinglestep,
gettingridofSearchProtectbyConduitstartswithremovingitfromthelistofinstalledprograms.Todothat,youllneedto
hitStartandtypeinControlPanel,thenselectProgramsandFeaturesorUninstallaProgram.OurXPuserswillclickStart
(Settings)ControlPanelandselectAdd/RemovePrograms.
Onceinthelistofinstalledprograms,scrolltoSearchProtect,rightclickitandselectUninstall.Easypeasy!
Also,pleasekeepaneyeoutforanyoftheprogramslistedbelow.Notonlydotheyfallinthesamecategory,buttheycan
alsobebundledwithSearchProtect:
Mobogenie
Mixi.DJtoolbar
WhiteSmokeToolbar
DeltaSearchtoolbar
OopleToolbar
InternetHelperToolbar
DivXBrowserBar
Yontoo
TravelocityToolbar
EntrustedToolbar
SocialSearchToolbar
VisualBee
Webcake
This,however,wontfixtheissue.So,forthenextstep,wellresetthebrowsers:

InternetExplorer
ForInternetExplorer9andabove:ClickontheToolbutton(Cogwheel)inthetoprightcornerandclickagainon
ManageAddons.
ForInternetExplorer8:ClickonTools,thenselectManageAddons.
1. Inthenewwindow,makesuretoselecttheToolbarsandExtensionscategoryfromtheleftside,andthenbrowse
forSearchProtectbyConduit(andanyofthepreviouslymentionedtoolbars).Ifyoufindtracesrightclickonthem
andselectdisable.
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2. ClickontheSearchProviderscategoryfromtheleftsideofthewindow,rightclickonallConduittracesandselect
Remove.Ifitissetasadefaultsearchengine,selectanotherone(Bing,Google)andsetitasdefault,thenremove
Conduit.
3. CloseandopenInternetExploreragain.ClickontheToolbutton(Cogwheel)inthetoprightcornerandselect
InternetOptions.
4. IftheHomePageissettosearch.conduit.com(oranythingotherthanyourregularhomepage),youwillneedto
deletetheURLandtypeanewhomepage.Itcanbewww.google.com,www.bing.com,www.msn.com,orany
otherpagethatyouwishtosetasyourhomepage.
5. ClickApply,thenOKandrestartInternetExplorerinordertoapplythesettings.
IfyouopenanewtabinInternetExploreranditstilldisplaysConduitSearchasthehomepage,dothefollowing:
1. OpenInternetExplorer,clickontheToolsicon(Cogwheel),andselectInternetOptions.
2. InGeneraltab,clicktheTabsbutton(intheTabssection).
3. Inthenewwindow,gotothedropdownmenuandselecttheoption:Yourfirsthomepage.
4. ClickOK,ApplyandOKinthenextwindowaswell.
5. RestartInternetExplorer.

MozillaFirefox
Herearesomesmallstepstomakeyourbrowserreallyworksforyou:
1. AtthetopoftheFirefoxwindow,clicktheFirefoxbutton.
2. FromtheNewMenuselectAddons.InthenewtabbrowsetheExtensionsectionsforanytracesofConduit.
SelectoneatatimeandthenclickonRemove.
3. AccessthePluginscategoryandsearchforConduitSearchProtect,thenfromtherightsideselectNeverActivate
(iffound).
4. ClickagainontheFirefoxbuttoninthetopleftcorner,andaccessOptions.
5. IntheGeneralTab,iftheHomePageissettosearch.conduit.com,youwillneedtoremovetheURLandinstead
typeanewhomepage.Itcanbewww.google.com,www.bing.com,www.msn.com,oranyotherpagethatyou
wishtosetasyourhomepage.
6. RestartFirefoxafterperformingthesesteps
7. OpenMozillaFirefox,clickontheaddressbarandtype"about:config".
8. PressEnter.Youwillgetawarningabout"warranty".Clickonthebuttonthatsays,"I'llbecareful".
9. Inthenextscreentype"Conduit"intheFilterwindow(asearchfieldintheconfiglocatedatthetopofthepage).A
listofresultsshouldbedisplayedafterwards.
10. Highlighttheentriesoneatatime,rightclickonthemandselect"reset"
11. SimplyrestartMozillaandcheckifithasbeenremoved.

GoogleChrome
ForGoogleChromejustfollowthesesteps:
1. OpenGoogleChromeandclickontheChromemenu.
2. ClickToolsandthenselectExtensions.
3. IntheExtensionstab,removeeverythingrelatedtoConduitfromthelistthenrestartyourbrowser.
4. OpenChromeagainandclickontheChromemenu.
5. SelectSettings,thenclickManageSearchEngines.SelectConduitfromthelistandclicktheXthatappearsatthe
endoftherow.SelectGoogleoranothersearchengine(Bing,Yahoo)fromthelisttomakeityourdefaultsearch
engine.
6. RestartChrome,thenclickontheChromemenu.SelectSettings,thenchangethehomepageasfollows:
Addthehomebuttontothebrowsertoolbar
Thehomepagebuttonisoffbydefault.Selectthe"ShowHomebutton"checkboxinthe"Appearance"sectionto
haveitdisplayedinthebrowsertoolbar.
Setyourhomepage
Whenthe"ShowHomebutton"checkboxischecked,awebaddressappearsbelow.IfyouwanttheHomepage
buttontoopenupadifferentwebpage,clickChangetoenteralink.YoucanalsochoosetheNewTabpageas
yourhomepage.
TheSearchProtectbyConduitalsocreatesstartupforWindowssystemandthisisprobablythereasonthatmanyusers
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stillseetheconduithijackerandredirectsintheirwebbrowserwhentheyrestarttheircomputereveniftheyvedoneall
theuninstallandbrowserrepair.
Forthisnextstep,youllneedAutoruns,whichcanbedownloadedfromhere.
1. Extractthecontent,thenrightclickAutoruns.exeandselectRunasAdministrator.OurfellowXPuserswilljust
needtodoubleclickthefile.
2. Waitforthelisttobepopulated,thenclickontheLogontab.LookforBackgroundContainer.dll(oranything
publishedbyConduit),rightclickitandselectDelete.
3. Then,clickontheScheduledTasks,lookforBackgroundContainer.dll,rightclickitandselectDelete.
4. RestartyourPCandyoullbeallset!
WhenyourPCisactingup,callBitdefenderTechAssist.Weareateamofcomputerexperts,alwaysavailabletogivefull
personalattentiontoyourPCneeds.TechAssistisavailable24/7.Wesaveyoutimeandenergysoyoucanfocuson
what'sreallyimportantforyou.
PS:Ifyoulikethispost,youmightalsolikeHowtoimproveyourInternetbrowsingspeedandperformancewhenusing
InternetExplorerandHowtoimproveyourInternetbrowsingspeedandperformancewhenusingMozillaFirefoxand
GoogleChrome.

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