SearchWizard

SearchWizard sounds like a tool that would offer amazing search services. After all, it has the word “wizard” in its name. Unfortunately, it means nothing. According to our researchers, this extension is just a potentially unwanted program (PUP) that was built to expose users to potentially unreliable search results. This tool is supposed to gather user-related information and then pass it on to advertisers, who can get a spot in the search results delivered by the PUP. To top it off, the extension uses Yahoo Search to show results, and many people might interact with them without even realizing that they are modified. Without a doubt, everything points to the removal of SearchWizard. If you have already decided that you want to get rid of this extension, you can scroll to the last section of this report to get familiar with the different options you’ve got when deleting PUPs. If you are not yet decided, continue reading.

According to our researchers, SearchWizard is a product of webcoapps. There is no doubt about that, and the potentially unwanted program is identical to Searchaize, SearchStreams, Sealoid, Spinyon, GalaxySpin, Rolling Search, and numerous other applications that are linked to the same company. Google Chrome users are the ones who are targeted with these PUPs, and they are usually introduced to their installers via online pop-ups and advertisements. On the Chrome Web Store, this extension can be found at chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/searchwizard/omlpialhddhdkffnfijnkbdgmpnbmepo. The official website is portal.search-wizard.com, but it does not offer an installer. It could be promoted via unreliable file-sharing websites or via unreliable software bundles that carry a bunch of suspicious programs together too. In any case, it is a good idea to employ a trusted malware scanner that could examine the system and determine whether there are other PUPs or even more malicious threats that require removal. We hope that that is not the case because SearchWizard is already a handful.

SearchWizard is introduced as a “single purpose extension,” and so it does not even try to hide that all it can do is offer a search tool. This is why we do not believe that many people would be attracted to it. Nonetheless, portal.search-wizard.com offers a free file converter, currency converter, and calculator, and people might find that attractive. The search service, however, is misleading and cannot be trusted. As mentioned earlier, Yahoo Search is used, which complicates things. SearchWizard changes search to feed.search-wizard.com on your browser, and if you browse the web using this tool, you are redirected to search.yahoo.com. The results are modified, and because we have no information about whose ads could be shown, we have to consider the possibility that these advertisements cannot be trusted. In some cases, users choose to take risks because they enjoy the services offered to them, but the PUP does not offer anything beneficial, and so we believe that you should remove it without any hesitation.

You have plenty of options when it comes to the removal of potentially unwanted programs. You could pay someone to delete this extension, clear your system from other threats, and also reinstate full protection. You also could install anti-malware software. It would automatically delete SearchWizard along with other active threats. Finally, you can choose to take on the PUP manually. The guide below is meant to help with that. It shows how to get rid of unwanted extensions and also how to clear browsing data to ensure that the affected browsers are cleared as well. You have to choose the option that is best for you, but if you want our advice, we recommend installing anti-malware software. Not only will it remove SearchWizard automatically but will also take care of your system and browsers afterward. Note that PUPs are not the worst kind of infections that you could face, and if you do not set up appropriate defenses, you could be tricked into letting in dangerous malware. You need to be cautious about that.

SearchWizard Removal

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Enter chrome://extensions into the address bar.
3. In the Extensions menu, identify the PUP.
4. Click the Remove button next to it.
5. Enter chrome://settings/clearBrowserData into the address bar.
6. Open the Advanced menu.
7. Pick a time range in which the PUP was installed (or choose All time).
8. Pick the boxes of the data you want to clear (or choose Everything).
9. Click Clear data.
10. Restart Google Chrome.