What is Smart Address Bar (SmartAddressBar)?

Smart Address Bar (SmartAddressBar), often referred to as the Smart Address Bar virus, search.smartaddressbar.com redirect, or Smart Address Bar browser hijacker, is essentially malware, categorized as a browser hijacker, that is used to change internet browser settings, most notably settings that cause the internet address bar to act suspicious  with or without consent of the computer user. The Smart Address Bar virus (Smart Address Bar malware) changes the home pages, default search engines, managed search engines, and browser shortcuts of popular internet browsers including Chrome, Firefox, and IE, causing the infected browsers to start up on and redirect to search.smartaddressbar.com, home.smartaddressbar.com, start.smartaddressbar.com, and other potentially unwanted websites as well as suggest unwanted websites and keywords in the infected browser’s address bar. Smart Address Bar malware was first discovered by experts at Botcrawl.com.

The Smart Address Bar browser hijacker, installs to computer systems as a browser helper object, and attaches to internet browsers as an Smart Address Bar add-on, extension, or toolbar. Furthermore, Smart Address Bar may infect a computer alongside third-party browser attachments, or inside third-party add-ons, extensions, plug-ins, and toolbars.

Smart Address Bar can also be manually and voluntarily downloaded from smartaddressbar.com, software distribution websites that use unethical monetization methods including download.com and eazel.com, as well as internet browser add-on and extension repository databases for browsers such as Mozilla Firefox. Smart Address Bar may engage in social engineering in order to target and persuade unsuspecting victims to download and install an unnecessary search bar allegedly used to help discover new sites without searching for them. Smart Address Bar alleged suggests keywords and websites while you type into the address bar.

Every feature that the Smart Address Bar add-on or extension contains is not necessary, as most browsers already participate in such options as using the address bar as a search engine. Furthermore, Smart Address Bar display unwanted search results, keyword suggestions, and website suggestions. The websites Smart Address Bar attempts to bombard users with via the address bar are sponsored websites, or websites use to typically generate revenue via tactics that may be unethical.

If your computer is infected with the Smart Address Bar virus, if your browser is redirecting to search.smartaddressbar.com without your consent, or your internet browser’s address bar is suggesting Smart Address Bar related results, please use the free instructions provided in this article to easily and completely remove the Smart Address Bar browser hijacker and third-party malware from your computer.

What is Search.smartaddressbar.com?

Search.smartaddressbar.com is a new website (2013) that intent users often complain of being redirected to. Redirections to search.smartaddressbar.com and other websites often occur when attempting to search the web using the browser’s address bar, or direct to a website using the browser’s address bar.

The search.smartaddressbar.com search results page may display irrelevant search results and links, as well as sponsored links, primarily used to persuade victims to click links, in order to generate revenue via cost-per-click affiliations and other programs. Search results displayed by search.smartaddressbar.com are primarily useless due to being comprised by monetization efforts.

How does Smart Address Bar (SmartAddressBar) infect a computer?

As previously mentioned, the Smart Address Bar extension can be manually downloaded from a variety of sources including SmartAddressBar.com and websites notorious for bundling privacy invading malware with their downloads such as download.com (CNET Downloads).

Though Smart Address Bar can be manually and voluntarily downloaded and installed, Smart Address Bar primarily installs to computer systems and attaches to internet browsers without permission. It has even been noted that users were given the opportunity to opt out of installing Smart Address Bar, but the Smart Address Bar refused to comply, and installed against their will.

1. Automatic removal

Use the instructions below to automatically remove Smart Address Bar and third-party malware, as well as automatically remove search.smartaddressbar.com from your home page, default search engine, browser shortcut, and other settings using free or paid system Cleaner software.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

1. Install the free or paid version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.

 

2. Once Malwarebytes is installed, run the program. If you are using the free version of Malwarebytes you will be prompted to update the database, make sure to do so.

3. On the first tab labeled “Scanner” select the Perform full scan option and click the Scan button to perform a full system scan. Malwarebytes will automatically detect malware infecting the computer system.

4. Once the malware scan is complete, Malwarebytes will prompt a notice stating malicious objects were detected. Select the malicious objects and click the Remove Selected button to completely remove the malicious files from your computer (the image below shows a file that is NOT selected).

CCleaner

CCleaner can be used to automatically repair internet browser settings, start-up settings, or uninstall Smart Address Bar if the Smart Address Bar software is being stubborn.

1. Install the free or paid version of CCleaner by Piriform.

2. Navigate to Cleaner > Windows/Applications and click the Analyze button. Afterwards, click the Run Cleaner button on the bottom right of the program interface.

3. Next, navigate to Tools > Startup and search through each tab starting from windows, internet explorer, etc., all the way to Content Menu, for additional suspicious entries and click Disable and Delete once anything is found.

4. To automatically uninstall Smart Address Bar, navigate to the Uninstall tab and search for Smart Address Bar in the list of installed programs. Double click Smart Address Bar to uninstall.

2. Manual removal

Use the instructions below to manually uninstall Smart Address Bar malware and remove the search.smartaddressbar.com redirect virus using generic removal procedures. Also, be aware of third-party software and browser attachments that may need to be removed from your computer.

How to uninstall Smart Address Bar malware

1. Access Windows Start Menu and navigate to the Control Panel.

2. Click Uninstall a program or Add and remove a program.

3. In the list of installed programs, search for Smart Address Bar and additional software. Once located, double click the Smart Address Bar program or highlight it (select) in the list and click the Uninstall button.

How to remove the Smart Address Bar hijacker (Add-on, extension)

Use the instructions to remove Smart Address Bar add-ons, extensions, plugins, and toolbars. Titles may include Smart Address Bar Toolbar, Smart Address Bar Search toolbar, Smart Address Bar Community Toolbar, and related, as well as third-party attachments such as Hola Toolbar and ZoomEx.

Google Chrome

1. Click on the Customize icon (wrench or 3 bar icon) next to the address bar and navigate to Tools > Extensions.

2. Locate the Smart Address Bar extension and remove it by clicking the trashcan icon next to them.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Type Ctrl+Shift+A.

2. On the Extensions and Plugin search for the Smart Address Bar add-on and remove it.

Microsoft Internet Explorer

1. Click Tools and select Manage add-ons.

2. On the Toolbars and Extensions tab search for the Smart Address Bar add-on and remove it if located.

How to manually remove search.smartaddressbar.com home page

• In Mozilla Firefox navigate to Tools > Options or click Firefox in the top left corner and click Options > Options. Under the General tab remove search.smartaddressbar.com from the “Home Page:” field and replace it with your preferred home page URL.
• In Microsoft Internet Explorer navigate to Tools >Internet Options. Remove search.smartaddressbar.com from the Home Page field and replace it with your preferred URL.
• In Google Chrome click the customize icon (wrench or 3 bars) and navigate to Settings.Click “Set pages” under the On startup option. Remove search.smartaddressbar.com and replace it with your preferred URL.

How to remove search.smartaddressbar.com search engine

• In Mozilla Firefox, click the small search magnify glass near the search box (not url/search field) and click “Manage Search Engines…”. Remove the http://search.smartaddressbar.com search engine from the list of search providers by highlighting the selections and clicking remove.
• In Microsoft Internet Explorer navigate to Tools > Manage Add Ons > Search Providers and remove the http://search.smartaddressbar.com search engine from the list.
• In Google Chrome, click the customize icon (wrench or 3 bars) and navigate to Settings > Manage search engines… click the X next to http://search.smartaddressbar.com to remove it as your search engine. If www.search.smartaddressbar.com is set as the default search engine, add (or select) a new search engine (such as Google.com) and select the new search engine as the default search engine, then remove the Smart Address Bar by clicking the X next to it.

The image above represents if Smart Address bar is set as the default search engine on Google Chrome, and the mouse is hovered over Google, highlighting it in blue. Notice the Make default button appear as well.

How to uninstall search.smartaddressbar.com shortcut

1. Find the shortcut of particular browsers (IE, Firefox, Chrome) in all locations of the computer, including but not limited to the desktop;
2. Right click and find “Option”;
3. Delete http://search.smartaddressbar.com/ in “Target” field of on the “Shortcut” tab.