Welcome.safer.com (also known as Safer Search) is a questionable search engine promoted through potentially unwanted program (PUP) in the browser hijacker family of computer threats. The welcome.safer.com virus is known to corrupt existing internet browser settings (including the homepage, new tab, and default search engine) of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and other internet browsers in order to ultimately cause browser redirects to welcome.safer.com, search.safer.com, yahoo.com, and other sponsored webpages.
Immediately upon a potential welcome.safer.com malware infection, internet users will become bombarded by continuous browser redirects to welcome.safer.com and other webpages. This mostly occurs when a new browser window or tab is opened, or when a user searches the web using the affected browser’s address bar. Affected browses will also redirect to this webpage once unwanted programs, such as Safer Browser are installed.
There are numerous programs are used to promote the welcome.safer.com virus and cause browser redirects to welcome.safer.com. This means it may be necessary to uninstall various programs and remove multiple browser add-ons and extensions in order to remove welcome.safer.com from your homepage or default search engine, and stop all other unwanted activities from occurring.
How to remove welcome.safer.com
This welcome.safer.com removal guide will help you completely remove welcome.safer.com virus, browser hijackers, and malware in order to stop browser redirects to welcome.safer.com and other sponsored webpages on Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. Follow each step below to completely get rid of this infection and repair corrupted settings.
- Step 1: Scan your computer for malware
- Step 2: Clean up and repair settings
- Step 3: Uninstall unwanted software
- Step 4: Remove unwanted browser attachments
- Step 5: Remove welcome.safer.com search engine
- Step 6: Remove welcome.safer.com homepage
Step 1: Scan your computer for malware
1. We highly recommend writing down the toll free number below in case you run into any issues or problems while following the instructions. Our techs will kindly assist you with any problems.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
Step 2: Clean up and repair settings
1. Download and Install the free or full version of CCleaner by Piriform.
2. Open CCleaner after it is installed and navigate to Cleaner > Windows/Applications and click the Analyze button. Afterwards, click the Run Cleaner button.
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.
Step 3: Uninstall unwanted software
1. Access Windows Start Menu and navigate to the Control Panel (on Windows 8, right click the bottom left corner to access the Windows 8 Start Menu).
2. Click Uninstall a program or Add and remove a program.
3. In the list of installed programs search for unwanted program(s) and double click it or select the program in the list and select the Uninstall button.
Step 4: Remove unwanted browser attachments
Google Chrome
1. Click on the Customize icon (wrench or 3 bar icon) next to the address bar and navigate to More tools > Extensions.
2. Search for the unwanted 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 unwanted 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 unwanted add-on, click it, and click the Remove button.
Step 5: Remove welcome.safer.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 welcome.safer.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 welcome.safer.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 welcome.safer.com search engine to remove it.
Please note, If http://www.welcome.safer.com/ is set as Google Chrome’s 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 unwanted search engine by clicking the X next to it.
Step 6: Remove welcome.safer.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 welcome.safer.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 welcome.safer.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 welcome.safer.com and replace it with your preferred homepage URL.
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