What is Prosearchtip.com? And how does it function?
Prosearchtip.com is a dubious browser extension that allegedly functions as a search engine. It claims to provide users with improved search results to enhance the browsing experience. It may look like a legitimate search engine with its plain-looking interface but it’s actually not. This dubious site does not have a secure connection which means that it is not safe to use it. In fact, it is categorized as a browser hijacker and a potentially unwanted program or PUP.
If installed, Prosearchtip.com will alter the default settings in the browser such as the default homepage, search engine, and new tab page. The malicious plug-ins and code associated with this browser hijacker also impose data collection technology such as cookies and other scripts that will hijack your browsing-related information which is categorized into two namely private user information and system metrics such as:
- Operating system type and version
- Installed browser’s type and version’s language
- Access timestamp
- Submitted search terms
- Search queries
- Browsing data
- IP address
- Country
- Language
- Cookie Data
- Other information you provide online
The information this browser hijacker obtains is used to produce customized and personalized ads to lure you into clicking them. However, not all ads displayed by Prosearchtip.com can be trusted since some of them could redirect you to shady websites that might contain harmful content. Thus, you cannot browse safely unless you uninstall this browser hijacker from your computer.
How does Prosearchtip.com spread over the web?
Prosearchtip.com could spread the web using several distribution techniques but it mostly spread using software bundles that are distributed on free sharing sites or peer-to-peer networks. This shady program is added as one of the optional programs in a software bundle. And if you happen to install a software bundle with Prosearchtip.com in it using only the standard setup, then you will most likely end up installing this browser hijacker on your computer. Thus, the next time you install such packages, make sure that you use the Advanced or Custom setup instead of the standard one.
To get rid of Prosearchtip.com from your computer, refer to the removal guide laid out below.
Step_1: First, you have to close the browser infected with the browser hijacker. And if you can’t close it manually, you can close it using the Task Manager instead. Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys and open the Task Manager.
Step_2: Next, look for the process of your browser, right-click on it and select End task or End process to close it.
Step_3: Afterwards, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “appwiz.cpl” in the field and press Enter to open the Programs and Features in Control Panel.
Step_4: From the list of programs installed, look for any programs that could be related to Prosearchtip.com or any suspicious program you don’t remember installing under the list of installed programs, and once you’ve found it, uninstall it.
Step_5: After that, restart your computer and then open your browsers and reset them back to their default state.
Google Chrome
- Open Google Chrome, then tap the Alt + F keys.
- After that, click on Settings.
- Next, scroll down until you see the Advanced option, once you see it, click on it.
- After clicking the Advanced option, go to the “Restore and clean up option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
- Now restart Google Chrome.
Mozilla Firefox
- Open Mozilla Firefox and tap Ctrl + Shift + A to access the Add-ons Manager.
- In the Extensions menu Remove the unwanted extension.
- Restart the browser and tap keys Alt + T.
- Select Options and then move to the General menu.
- Overwrite the URL in the Home Page section and then restart the browser.
Internet Explorer
- Launch Internet Explorer.
- Next, click the wrench icon for Settings.
- Then click Internet Options.
- After that, go to the Advanced tab.
- From there, click the Reset button. This will reset Internet Explorer’s settings to their default condition.
- Now click OK to save the changes made.
- Restart your computer.
Step_6: Edit your Hosts File.
- Tap the Win + R keys to open then type in %WinDir% and then click OK.
- Go to System32/drivers/etc.
- Open the hosts file using Notepad.
- Delete all the entries that contain Prosearchtip.com.
- After that, save the changes you’ve made and close the file.
Step_7: Now you have to flush the DNS cache of your computer. To do so, right-click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator). From there, type the “ipconfig /flushdns” command and hit Enter to flush the DNS.
Step_8: Hold down Windows + E keys simultaneously to open File Explorer.
Step_9: Navigate to the following directories and look for suspicious files associated with the browser hijacker such as the software bundle it came with and delete it/them.
- %USERPROFILE%\Downloads
- %USERPROFILE%\Desktop
- %TEMP%
Step_10: Close the File Explorer and empty the contents of Recycle Bin.
Congratulations, you have just removed Prosearchtip.com Browser Hijacker in Windows 10 all by yourself. If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit fixmypcfree.com daily.
Now that’s how you remove Prosearchtip.com Browser Hijacker in Windows 10 on a computer. On the other hand, if your computer is going through some system-related issues that have to get fixed, there is a one-click solution known as Restoro you could check out to resolve them.
This program is a useful tool that could repair corrupted registries and optimize your PC’s overall performance. Aside from that, it also cleans out your computer for any junk or corrupted files that help you eliminate any unwanted files from your system. This is basically a solution that’s within your grasp with just a click. It’s easy to use as it is user-friendly. For a complete set of instructions in downloading and using it, refer to the steps below
Perform a full system scan using Restoro. To do so, follow the instructions below.
