How to remove search.socialdownloadr.com (Virus Removal Guide)

by Sean Doyle · Published November 7, 2015 · Updated September 11, 2022

Search.socialdownloadr.com is a webpage that will hijack your homepage, browser shortcut, default search engine, and new tab settings in order to cause affected browsers to redirect to the site. The search.socialdownloadr.com website is promoted by several programs and browser attachments such as SocialDownloadr Toolbar that corrupt your existing browser settings after contraction. If your internet browser starts-up on and essentially redirects to http://www.search.socialdownloadr.com and other webpages it means that your computer has become infected with adware and potentially unwanted programs. Even worse, your computer may have also contracted malware and other threats because adware and potentially unwanted programs are known to routinely bundle with malicious programs and files.

Search.socialdownloadr.com Screenshot

search.socialdownloadr virus

The socialdownloadr redirect is the result of programs, browser add-ons and extensions, and deceptive files that may have accessed your computer without your knowledge. To remove search.socialdownloadr.com from your homepage and stop unwanted browser redirects to the website it is recommended to uninstall any programs that may have enter your computer via Windows Control Panel, remove browser attachments that may be present, and scan your computer for existing malware with a reputable tool.

Search.socialdownloadr.com (Removal Guide)

Step 1: Uninstall potentially unwanted programs
Step 2: Remove browser add-on and extensions
Step 3: Remove search.socialdownloadr.com search engine
Step 4: Remove search.socialdownloadr.com homepage
Step 5: Scan your computer for malware
Step 6: Clean up your computer

Step 1: Uninstall potentially unwanted programs

uninstall

1.Navigate to the Control Panel on Windows Start Menu.

uninstall 2

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

uninstall 3

3. A list of programs installed on your computer will appear. Search for suspicious and unwanted programs in the list of installed programs. Once a program you want to remove is located, double click to begin the uninstall process (or select the program and click Uninstall).

Step 2: Remove browser add-ons and extensions

Google Chrome

1. Click on the Customize icon (3 bar icon) next to the address bar and navigate to More tools > Extensions.

2. Search for the extension and remove it by clicking the trashcan icon next to it.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Type Ctrl+Shift+A.

2. On the Extensions and Plugin search for the add-on, select it, and remove it.

Step 3: Remove search.socialdownloadr.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 search.socialdownloadr.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 search.socialdownloadr.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 search.socialdownloadr.com search engine to remove it.

Step 4: Remove search.socialdownloadr.com homepage

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.socialdownloadr.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.socialdownloadr.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.socialdownloadr.com and replace it with your preferred homepage URL.

Step 5: Scan your computer for malware

1. Download and Install the free or full version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. The full version enables real-time protection to block malware and unwanted programs from infecting your computer, while the free version is just a free scan and removal tool.

malwarebytes

2. Once Malwarebytes is installed, open the Anti-Malware program and click the Scan Now button or visit the “Scan” tab to manually run a scan. Malwarebytes may automatically begin to update and scan your computer at this point.

3. When the malware scan is complete, click the Quarantine All button to isolate and remove the detected files. You may be asked to reboot your computer to completely remove detected files.

If you are still having issues with malware it is recommended to download and install a second opinion scanner such as HitmanPro by Surfright to eradicate existing malicious files and automatically repair corrupted settings.

Step 6: Clean up your computer

1. Download and Install the free or full version of CCleaner by Piriform.

CCleaner Analyze Cleaner

2. Open CCleaner after it is installed and navigate to Cleaner > Windows/Applications and click the Analyze button. Afterwards, click the Run Cleaner button.

CCleaner Startup

3. Next, navigate to Tools > Startup and search for suspicious entries through each tab starting from Windows, Internet Explorer, etc., all the way to Context Menu and click Disable and Delete once anything you do not recognize is found. This will help you locate and remove unwanted browser attachments and repair other settings.