SearchHost.exe Virus

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SearchHost.exe

SearchHost.exe is a dangerous piece of software classified as a Trojan Horse. In this article, victims of SearchHost.exe will find information that may be used to remove the threat for good.

SearchHost.exe

Basically, SearchHost.exe is a valid file, part of Windows Search Indexer, which is a service designed to search and index files on Windows PCs. Some malicious programs disguise themselves as SearchHost.exe and as an EXE file it is always susceptible to being the target of a virus attack.

Please take the time to read the details below if you have any reason to believe that SearchHost.exe has infected your machine. We’ll go over some preventative measures that may be taken to avoid having another close encounter with the virus in the future. We’ve also written a step-by-step guide on how to remove SearchHost.exe from your computer. Those who don’t prefer to deal with the Trojan manually may download a specialized removal tool from the link further down the page.

Any computer infected with a Trojan Horse like SearchHost.exe is in great danger. Threats of this kind may remain unnoticed in the system for very long periods of time and may cause damage to the computer without showing noticeable indications of the malicious activity they are running in the background. On top of that, no one can tell you how much damage a single Trojan could do to your system or where exactly it could be hiding.

Trojans like SearchHost.exe may trick even the most tech-savvy of computer users. These dangers are very difficult to deal with and must be removed as soon as you find out about them.

Trojans may spy on you and steal sensitive information related to your personal life, your online profiles, your place of work, your banking details, and other data, making you vulnerable to a wide variety of digital fraud and harassment. Threats like SearchHost.exe and Nprotect Malware have the potential to monitor your keyboard input and keep track of anything you write. By doing this, the criminals behind the Trojan may be able to access information that exposes your identity, your passwords, and how much money you have.

And that is not everything. Trojans are especially dangerous due to the fact that they often act as entry points for other infections and malware, such as ransomware. In addition to sneaking in file-encrypting malware, Trojans may also delete valuable data stored on the compromised computer. They might either destroy certain files or wipe the entire hard drive clean. What’s more, your infected system might be used to launch a virus or spam campaign against other systems.

This means you need to be very careful with SearchHost.exe and immediately delete any files you find on your computer that relate to it. The next step is to do a complete system scan with a reliable scanning tool to make sure no additional malware has been introduced without your knowledge.

Everyone who uses an Internet-connected device needs to take malware prevention seriously. To protect your system from external attacks that exploit known vulnerabilities, you should avoid running outdated software and make sure that you regularly apply all recommended security updates. As an added precaution, avoid visiting any dubious websites that may be used to disseminate illegal web material. The same applies to interacting with spam, suspicious email attachments, and sketchy download platforms. The best course of action is to pay attention before interacting with any content on the internet that doesn’t seem legitimate, and get a good antivirus product to protect your PC.

SUMMARY:

NameSearchHost.exe
TypeTrojan
Detection Tool

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Remove SearchHost.exe Virus

If you are looking for a way to remove SearchHost.exe you can try this:

  1. Click on the Start button in the bottom left corner of your Windows OS.
  2. Go to Control Panel -> Programs and Features -> Uninstall a Program.
  3. Search for SearchHost.exe and any other unfamiliar programs.
  4. Uninstall SearchHost.exe as well as other suspicious programs.

Note that this might not get rid of SearchHost.exe completely. For more detailed removal instructions follow the guide below.

If you have a Windows virus, continue with the guide below.

If you have a Mac virus, please use our How to remove Ads on Mac guide.

If you have an Android virus, please use our Android Malware Removal guide.

If you have an iPhone virus, please use our iPhone Virus Removal guide


Step1

Some of the steps will likely require you to exit the page. Bookmark it for later reference.

Reboot in Safe Mode (use this guide if you don’t know how to do it).

Step2

WARNING! READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING!

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Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC at the same time and go to the Processes Tab. Try to determine which processes are dangerous. 

malware-start-taskbar

Right click on each of them and select Open File Location. Then scan the files with our free online virus scanner:

Each file will be scanned with up to 64 antivirus programs to ensure maximum accuracy
This scanner is free and will always remain free for our website's users.
This file is not matched with any known malware in the database. You can either do a full real-time scan of the file or skip it to upload a new file. Doing a full scan with 64 antivirus programs can take up to 3-4 minutes per file.
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    After you open their folder, end the processes that are infected, then delete their folders. 

    Note: If you are sure something is part of the infection – delete it, even if the scanner doesn’t flag it. No anti-virus program can detect all infections. 

    Step3

     

    Hold together the Start Key and R. Type appwiz.cpl –> OK.

    appwiz

     

    You are now in the Control Panel. Look for suspicious entries. Uninstall it/them. If you see a screen like this when you click Uninstall, choose NO:

    virus-removal1

     

    Step4

     

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    Type msconfig in the search field and hit enter. A window will pop-up:

    msconfig_opt

     

    Startup —> Uncheck entries that have “Unknown” as Manufacturer or otherwise look suspicious.

    • Remember this step – if you have reason to believe a bigger threat (like ransomware) is on your PC, check everything here.

    Hold the Start Key and R –  copy + paste the following and click OK:

    notepad %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/hosts

    A new file will open. If you are hacked, there will be a bunch of other IPs connected to you at the bottom. Look at the image below:

    hosts_opt (1)

     

    If there are suspicious IPs below “Localhost” – write to us in the comments.

    Step5

     

    Type Regedit in the windows search field and press Enter.

    Once inside, press CTRL and F together and type the virus’s Name. Right click and delete any entries you find with a similar name. If they don’t show up this way, go manually to these directories and delete/uninstall them:

    • HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—–Random Directory. It could be any one of them – ask us if you can’t discern which ones are malicious.
      HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—Microsoft—-Windows—CurrentVersion—Run– Random
      HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—Microsoft—Internet Explorer—-Main—- Random

    If the guide doesn’t help, download the anti-virus program we recommended or try our free online virus scanner. Also, you can always ask us in the comments for help!

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    About the author

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    Lidia Howler

    Lidia is a web content creator with years of experience in the cyber-security sector. She helps readers with articles on malware removal and online security. Her strive for simplicity and well-researched information provides users with easy-to-follow It-related tips and step-by-step tutorials.

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