*Source of claim SH can remove it.
Searchokay
Our “How to remove” team has recently received reports of a new Browser Hijacker application called Searchokay. Users have encountered this virus on popular browsers like Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer. If you’ve noticed sudden modifications to your homepage or default search engine, as well as an influx of intrusive ads, pop-ups, banners, and redirect prompts all bearing the label “Powered by Searchokay,” you’ve come to the right place. Stay with us to discover effective methods to revert these changes and uninstall the program responsible for these disruptions. We will provide you with step-by-step instructions to ensure a successful removal process and restore the normal functionality of your browser.
What is Searchokay.com?
Searchokay.com is a potentially unwanted search engine that may replace your default search engine and modify your browser settings without your consent. It may display sponsored search results, intrusive ads, and track your browsing activities. While not classified as a virus, Searchokay.com is considered a browser hijacker. It is recommended to remove it if you did not intentionally install it or find it unwanted.
Is Search okay a virus?
Search okay is not technically a virus but rather a potentially unwanted program or browser hijacker. It may exhibit intrusive behavior by modifying browser settings and displaying unwanted ads or search results. While it may not directly harm your computer, it can negatively impact your browsing experience. To remove Search okay virus, consider using reputable antivirus or anti-malware software to scan and clean your system.
How to get rid of Searchokay?
To get rid of Searchokay, you can follow these general steps:
1. Open your web browser (e.g., Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, etc.) and access the browser’s settings or preferences.
2. Look for the section related to search engine or default search settings.
3. Locate Searchokay.com in the list of search engines and click on the three-dot menu or options button next to it.
4. Choose the option to remove or delete Searchokay.com from your search engine list. Confirm the removal when prompted.
5. Additionally, it’s recommended to clear your browser’s cache and cookies to ensure any traces of Searchokay.com are removed.
Is Searchokay.com a virus?
Searchokay.com is often referred to as a virus, but it is more accurately classified as a potentially unwanted program or browser hijacker. It can modify your browser’s settings, change your default search engine, and display unwanted ads or sponsored search results. While it may not cause direct harm to your computer, Searchokay.com virus can negatively impact your browsing experience and compromise your privacy.
The Searchokay Virus
The good news is that Searchokay (or the Searchokay virus as many people wrongly refer to it) is not a malicious virus, spyware, trojan, or ransomware infection but a browser hijacker. Therefore, you have a good chance of dealing with it by following the instructions in this guide and using the removal tool provided below. Generally, this app leads to unwanted redirects and inundates the screen with advertisements, some of which may raise questions about their legitimacy. Its purpose is to prioritize opening sponsored web addresses, pay-per-click ads, or banners before displaying the actual search results. However, even though the Searchokay virus is not harmful, it is advisable to uninstall it promptly to minimize the irritation and disruption it may cause.
The Searchokay Redirect
The Searchokay Redirect may be promoted on a seemingly legitimate website that you have visited. However, it is common for many internet users to unintentionally download and install such applications, often through bundled software. The developers distribute these unwanted apps by including them within the download wizards and installers of other software. Specifically, they hide the hijacker within the “customized” or “advanced” settings and similar installation options, purposely omitting this information. The most common way to fall into the trap of downloading and installing the Searchokay Redirect and other ad-generating programs is by not paying close attention to these settings mentioned above in the installation wizards.
SUMMARY:
*Source of claim SH can remove it.
How to remove Searchokay
To try and remove Searchokay quickly you can try this:
- Go to your browser’s settings and select More Tools (or Add-ons, depending on your browser).
- Then click on the Extensions tab.
- Look for the Searchokay extension (as well as any other unfamiliar ones).
- Remove Searchokay by clicking on the Trash Bin icon next to its name.
- Confirm and get rid of Searchokay and any other suspicious items.
If this does not work as described please follow our more detailed Searchokay removal 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
Some of the steps may require you to exit the page. Bookmark it for later reference.
Next, Reboot in Safe Mode (use this guide if you don’t know how to do it).
The first thing you must try to do is look for any sketchy installs on your computer and uninstall anything you think may come from the browser hijacker. After that, you’ll also need to get rid of any processes that may be related to the unwanted app by searching for them in the Task Manager.
Note that sometimes an app, especially a rogue one, may ask you to install something else or keep some of its data (such as settings files) on your PC – never agree to that when trying to delete a potentially rogue software. You need to make sure that everything is removed from your PC to get rid of the malware. Also, if you aren’t allowed to go through with the uninstallation, proceed with the guide, and try again after you’ve completed everything else.
- Uninstalling the rogue app
- Killing any rogue processes
Type Apps & Features in the Start Menu, open the first result, sort the list of apps by date, and look for suspicious recently installed entries.
Click on anything you think could be linked to the browser hijacker, then select uninstall, and follow the prompts to delete the app.
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, click More Details (if it’s not already clicked), and look for suspicious entries that may be linked to the browser hijacker.
If you come across a questionable process, right-click it, click Open File Location, scan the files with the free online malware scanner shown below, and then delete anything that gets flagged as a threat.
After that, if the rogue process is still visible in the Task Manager, right-click it again and select End Process.
It’s possible that Searchokay has affected various parts of your system, making changes to their settings. This can enable the malware to stay on the computer or automatically reinstall itself after you’ve seemingly deleted it. Therefore, you need to check the following elements by going to the Start Menu, searching for specific system elements that may have been affected, and pressing Enter to open them and see if anything has been changed there without your approval. Then you must undo any unwanted changes made to these settings in the way shown below:
- DNS
- Hosts
- Startup
- Task
Scheduler - Services
- Registry
Type in Start Menu: View network connections
Right-click on your primary network, go to Properties, and do this:
Type in Start Menu: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
Type in the Start Menu: Startup apps
Type in the Start Menu: Task Scheduler
Type in the Start Menu: Services
Type in the Start Menu: Registry Editor
Press Ctrl + F to open the search window
- Delete Searchokay from Chrome
- Delete Searchokay from Firefox
- Delete Searchokay from Edge
- Go to the Chrome menu > More tools > Extensions, and toggle off and Remove any unwanted extensions.
- Next, in the Chrome Menu, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data > Advanced. Tick everything except Passwords and click OK.
- Go to Privacy & Security > Site Settings > Notifications and delete any suspicious sites that are allowed to send you notifications. Do the same in Site Settings > Pop-ups and redirects.
- Go to Appearance and if there’s a suspicious URL in the Custom web address field, delete it.
- Firefox menu, go to Add-ons and themes > Extensions, toggle off any questionable extensions, click their three-dots menu, and click Remove.
- Open Settings from the Firefox menu, go to Privacy & Security > Clear Data, and click Clear.
- Scroll down to Permissions, click Settings on each permission, and delete from it any questionable sites.
- Go to the Home tab, see if there’s a suspicious URL in the Homepage and new windows field, and delete it.
- Open the browser menu, go to Extensions, click Manage Extensions, and Disable and Remove any rogue items.
- From the browser menu, click Settings > Privacy, searches, and services > Choose what to clear, check all boxes except Passwords, and click Clear now.
- Go to the Cookies and site permissions tab, check each type of permission for permitted rogue sites, and delete them.
- Open the Start, home, and new tabs section, and if there’s a rogue URL under Home button, delete it.
So far, nothing’s working for me, this spyhunter is not getting rid of searchokay for me. There’s nothing in extensions and I have google as my search engine in settings. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know.
Hi Dawn Ditchfield,
you can write to the support of SpyHunter and they will create a personal ticket with your problem.