Removal instructions for the SerachMates browser extension

What is SerachMates, and what can it do?

SerachMates is as a browser hijacker that starts tampering with your browsing options the moment it is installed. It forces your browser to display a few pre-selected URLs and changes your homepage or default search engine. However, this is only the start of the disturbance. Apart from the aforementioned, SerachMates also fills up your search engine result page with a variety of intrusive adverts and automatically re-routes you to particular websites. The goal of this browser hijacking program is to direct users to specific websites or platforms in order to make money for the people who created it. In addition, the hijacker records every action you do on your browser, including what you search for and the websites you intentionally visit.

How can you install the SerachMates virus without knowing?

If you often visit high-risk websites and click on dubious links or advertisements, you may easily become infected by an undesired program such as the SerachMates virus. Based on our research, this particular browser hijacker frequently arrives in a bundle with phony software updates or setup files for some free apps. For instance, you may be misled into enabling the hijacker to be installed with some other program you desire if you choose the “quick” or “recommended” installation settings, without carefully customizing them.

What are the usual symptoms of SerachMates you should look for?

There are several obvious signs that your computer has a browser hijacker like SerachMates installed. For instance, you could see that the homepage of your browser has changed to something unfamiliar or that, the moment you open it, a new toolbar has been installed. It’s possible that you’ll notice that the pages that open on the screen all the time are not within your control. Furthermore, when you visit the internet, you can see an excessive number of pop-ups and aggressive advertisements that invite you to click on them. This might occur even if you go to a website that you are aware doesn’t utilize intrusive advertising.

Will clicking on the SerachMates pop-ups expose you to more danger?

It is typically not advised (and may even be hazardous) to click on the SerachMates pop-ups that appear all over your screen for a number of reasons. First, the websites you are sent to could try to steal personal or identifying information from you through phishing attacks. Or, they may infect your computer with malware like ransomware or trojans. In addition, more aggressive browser hijackers may be unintentionally installed on your computer if you click on some deceptive adverts. For these reasons, our general recommendation is to stay away from the SerachMates pop-ups and use the instructions on this website to remove the browser hijacker that causes them.

Can SerachMates on Chrome make my browser unreliable?

Running a browser hijacker like SerachMates, NymphMiniica or Universal Browser on Chrome can cause a number of issues that could render your browser unstable and dangerous to use. Just, let us take into account the fact that this software has the ability to alter the browser settings without your consent and to automatically reroute you to dangerous websites. This alone can cause performance lag, particularly on older or less powerful machines. It may also open pop-up notifications and advertisements in an attempt to prompt you into installing questionable low-quality software, which comes with is own possible risks. Not to mention that, some browser hijackers may have a badly written code that might result in sudden crashes or strange browser behavior, which can be exploited as a potential entry point by people with malicious intentions.

How to effectively remove all SerachMates-related files?

A multi-pronged strategy is essential to successfully eliminate SerachMates and its hold on your browser. You can start by removing any toolbars and add-ons that seem unapproved or suspicious—that includes anything you don’t recall installing. Next, you can rest your browser to remove all alterations performed by the hijacker. You can find detailed instructions on that in the manual removal guide below. But if you want to deal with the browser hijacker quickly and without having to deal with manual instructions, then, purchasing a trustworthy antivirus software will provide your with a solution to your problem and a proactive defense. Such software can identify SerachMates and get rid of it before it causes trouble, protecting you from other hijacking attempts. 

Remove SerachMates Virus

 To try and remove SerachMates quickly you can try this:

1. Go to your browser’s settings and select More Tools (or Add-ons, depending on your browser).
2. Then click on the Extensions tab.
3. Look for the SerachMates extension (as well as any other unfamiliar ones).
4. Remove SerachMates by clicking on the Trash Bin icon next to its name.
5. Confirm and get rid of SerachMates and any other suspicious items.

If this does not work as described please follow our more detailed SerachMates 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).

Uninstall the SerachMates app and kill its processes

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 SerachMates. 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 SerachMates, 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 SerachMates.

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.

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After that, if the rogue process is still visible in the Task Manager, right-click it again and select End Process.

Undo SerachMates changes made to different system settings

It’s possible that SerachMates 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

Remove SerachMates from your browsers