How To Remove The “Browser Seek” Hijacker Virus
What is The Browser Seek Virus (Browserseektoolbar, BrowserSeek Desktop Search)?
Browser Seek (Browserseek, Browserseektoolbar, BrowserSeek Desktop Search) is adware distributed as freeware and categorized as a browser hijacker, as well as being a malicious search engine. Browser Seek also comes bundled with other malware and trojans such as MP3 Tube Toolbar and All Search which in turn can be very dangerous. If Browser Seek is bundled with other malware, infections can range from indentity theft, credit card schemes, tracking, tracing, and altered internet settings by use of BHOs (browser helper objects) such as toolbars and integrated internet browser search engines, which can cause symptoms of a redirection virus.
Browserseek.com’s search engine is not realistic, it is full of bogus, malicious, or third party results. Browserseek.com’s search engine does not show results for many websites, which is a high red flag. For example, Browserseek.com displays no results for botcrawl.com (pictured below).
You can find more additional information concerning BrowserSeek and Browserseek.com’s privacy policy and terms of use at the bottom of this page.
Similar Malware (Managed Search Engines)
Similar malware which use managed search engines include SearchYa!, Searchqu, Babylon Search, Conduit, Claro Search, MyStart, and Boxore.
Browser Seek Symptoms And Threats
- Browser Seek creates dynamic system files and values (registry entries).
- Browser Seek tracks private information and online activity and supplies this information to malicious third parties.
- Browser Seek installs add-ons and extensions to internet browsers such as BrowserSeekToolbar and other third party extensions.
- Browser Seek may alter internet settings such as homepage (startup page) and internal search engines, causing searches and inputted URLs to redirect to browserseek.com (and other malicious websites).
- Browser Seek installs adware which may display popup advertisements and other third party advertisements. Browser Seek uses your online activity to generate their take on “relevant” adware (as well as redirections).
- Browser Seek may bundle with malware and viruses causing fatally dangerous system issues.
- Browser Seek leaves a door for other malware and viruses to infect your system at their will.
How To Remove Browser Seek
Removing Browser Seek files manually is simple, but if other infections are present, other removal steps may be necessary as well as options to repair internet browser settings.
Browser Seek Removal Options
- Antivirus/Anti-Malware Software – Scan and remove malware.
- Manual Removal – Kill processes, delete registry enties, and remove directory files.
- System Restore – Restore your computer to an automatic restore point to a date and time before infection.
Repair Internet Browser Settings (Optional)
After removal of Browser Seek is complete if internet browser settings have been affected by the malware such as homepage (start up) and managed search engines please refer to our previous articles concerning hijackers and Browserseek infections.
- How to remove Mystart.Incredibar – Complete internet repair steps for all internet browsers.
- How to remove All Search – Bundled with Browserseek
- How to remove Claro Search – Bundled with Browserseek
- How to remove MP3 Tube Toolbar – Bundled with Browserseek
- How to remove Text Enhance – In text adware, steps to disable extensions, etc for all internet browsers.
The video below shows how to remove a common browser hijacker (in the videos case: Babylon search).
How To Block Browserseek.com And Remove Extensions (Optional)
Utilizing your internet browser settings to block browserseek.com can cause advertisements to suspend.
If you wish to block browserseek.com please refer to our previous article about Text Enhance. Click a link below to redirect to our previous article to repair block browserseek.com per internet browser installed on your computer. The article descrives text-enhance.com, replace text-enhance.com with browserseek.com. You can also use the links below to remove any malicious add-ons and extensions.
1. Antivirus/Anti-Malware Software
Removing the hijacker infections is simple using Malwarebytes. Not many removal software besides Malwarebytes has samples for the All Search virus, therefore are not suggested.
- Install Malwarebytes (free or paid versions)
- Scan and remove malware
To learn more about Antivirus software please click here.
2. Manual Removal
Browser Seek creates values and files on an infected system. Removing them all will also remove the infection.
- 1. Kill the processes
- 2. Delete registry entries
- 3. Remove directory files
Kill Process
The first step in remove a browser hijacker is to kill the process to stop the infection from currently running.
1. Press Ctrl+Shift+ESC to enter Window’s Task Manager
2. On the “Processes” tab find the Browser Seek virus processes and remove them (1 – 3). Processes detailed below.
browserseek.exe browserseek170.exe browserseek.dll
Remove Registry Entries (Values)
Remove the registry values created by Browser Seek.
1. Type regedit into the Window’s Start Menu search field and press Enter to access Window’s Registry Editor.
2. Search for the Browser Seek registry values below and remove them.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesBrowserSeekIEHelper.DNSGuardCLSID HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftInternet ExplorerToolbar “BrowserSeek Toolbar” HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesCLSID{99079a25-328f-4bd4-be04-00955acaa0a7} “BrowserSeek Toolbar” HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesBrowserSeekIEHelper.DNSGuardCurVer HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesBrowserSeekIEHelper.DNSGuard.1 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesCLSID{99079a25-328f-4bd4-be04-00955acaa0a7}InprocServer32 “C:PROGRA~1WINDOW~4ToolBarBrowserSeekdtx.dll” HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesCLSID{A40DC6C5-79D0-4ca8-A185-8FF989AF1115}ProgID “BrowserSeekIEHelper.UrlHelper.1″ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesCLSID{A40DC6C5-79D0-4ca8-A185-8FF989AF1115} “UrlHelper Class” HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesBrowserSeekIEHelper.DNSGuard HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerBrowser Helper Objects{99079a25-328f-4bd4-be04-00955acaa0a7}”BrowserSeek BrowserSeek Toolbar” HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesCLSID{A40DC6C5-79D0-4ca8-A185-8FF989AF1115}VersionIndependentProgID “BrowserSeekIEHelper.UrlHelper”
Remove Directory Files
Finally remove the files created by Browser Seek.
1. You can do this different ways.
- Simply search for the files below using Windows search.
- Or: Type %AppData% (followed by %Temp%) into Window’s Start Menu search field and press enter to access the Application Data folder (or temp folder). AppData is a hidden folder. To learn how to show hidden folders please click here.
2. Proceed to search for and remove the malicious files.
%AppData%BrowserSeektoolbardtx.ini %AppData%BrowserSeektoolbarguid.dat %AppData%BrowserSeektoolbaruninstallIE.dat %AppData%BrowserSeektoolbaruninstallStatIE.dat %AppData%BrowserSeektoolbarcouponsmerchants2.xml %AppData%BrowserSeektoolbarcouponsmerchants.xml %AppData%BrowserSeektoolbarstats.dat %AppData%BrowserSeektoolbarstat.log %Temp%BrowserSeektoolbar-manifest.xml %AppData%BrowserSeektoolbarcouponscategories.xml %AppData%BrowserSeektoolbarlog.txt %AppData%BrowserSeektoolbarpreferences.dat %AppData%BrowserSeektoolbarversion.xml
3. System Restore
Restore your computer to a date and time before infection using Microsoft’s automated restore points. Restoring your computer is the simple way around a Browser Seek infection.
There are many ways to restore a Window’s computer. We have written in detail how to perform a system restore here.
Browser Seek Privacy Policy & Terms Of Use
Browser Seek’s website is very cleverly worded to avoid any punishment for any cybercrime which takes place on an infected computer system. In other words, Browser Seek takes no responsibility for any malicious actions or activity which takes place on an infected users (even if the infected user is unaware their adware is intalled on their system).
The following information is taken from Browserseek.com’s Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use to showcase their malicious behavior and defensiveness towards use of their malware product.
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