What is Adaware Secure Search?

Adaware Secure Search (some users write Ad-aware Secure Search) is a malicious extension classified as a Potentially Unwanted Program (PUP). Such extensions can change homepages of browsers by their own page with similar functions. Then hijacker starts to collect and share user’s personal data with third parties: PUPs usually collecting information about users’ device models, IP addresses, search queries, browser history, visited pages. etc. Also, Adaware Secure Search after collecting enough amount of data, redirect browser tabs to sites with a relevant advertisement. Moreover, pop-ups with ads can be added to every new tab. Sometimes it’s difficult to get rid of PUP because it reinstalls automatically. If you want to remove Adaware Secure Search from Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or IE, please read our article below.

Brief overview:

Name	Adaware Secure Search, Lavasoft, Ad-Aware SecureSearch
Type of threat	Browser hijacker
URL address	lavasoft.gosearchresults.com
Symptoms	Browser hijacker changes homepage and search engine of browser so that users are forced to use them. It fills the targeted browser with commercial content in form of pop-ups, banners, in-text links, audio/video ads, etc. Also, hijacker can occasionally cause redirects to third-party websites
Infiltration	Freeware programs, illegal software, software cracks, torrents, fake updates
Manual Removal	To eliminate threat manually, you should remove all files and applications related to the browser hijacker
Removal Tool	To completely get rid of hijacker, We recommend using SpyHunter. This is the only way you can be 100% sure that all components of the threat are removed from the system.

How Adaware Secure Search gets on your PC?

Firstly discovered on Google Product Forum, Adaware Secure Search usually diffuses through sponsored sites, pop-ups, or emails since April 2018. Despite Adaware Secure Search is not a classical virus it may block browser settings and also redirect your Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox to sites with more dangerous malware. Anyway, you should check installation processes and terms of use or every unknown software program. Also, it’s very useful to check all browser extensions and apps and check unknown sites by antiviruses.

How to remove Adaware Secure Search from your computer?

The easiest and most modern way of removing pop-ups, trojans, ransomware, or other viruses is to use automatic removal tools. See our Anti-malware tools below for further instructions.

Recommended Anti-malware tools:

You can try both of these products to remove Adaware Secure Search

Also, you can try to remove Adaware Secure Search manually. For uninstalling the Adaware Secure Search virus remove it from Control Panel, then delete all files and registry keys.

Or uninstall Adaware Secure Search manually.

Keep in mind that sometimes the extension may be called differently, especially if it was installed by another program. In this case, we recommend that you sort the applications by date and delete only those that you know for sure that you did not install them yourself.

Step 1: Remove Adaware Secure Search from Control Panel

Windows XP:

1. Click Start.
2. Control Panel.
3. Then click Add or Remove Programs.
4. Find Adaware Secure Search or other suspicious applications you definitely didn’t installed.
5. Click Uninstall.

Learn more about uninstallation of programs in Windows XP.

Windows 7/Windows Vista:

1. Click Start.
2. Then Control Panel.
3. Click Uninstall a Program.
4. Find Adaware Secure Search (or other suspicious applications you definitely didn’t installed) and click Uninstall.

Learn more about uninstallation of programs in Windows 7.

Windows 8/Windows 8.1:

1. Open the Menu.
2. Click Search.
3. After that click Apps.
4. Then Control Panel.
5. Then as in Windows 7, click Uninstall a Program under Programs.
6. Find Adaware Secure Search or another suspicious application you definitely didn’t installed, select it and click Uninstall.

Learn more about uninstallation of programs in Windows 8 (8.1).

Windows 10:

1. Click on the Start button (or press the Windows key) to open the Start menu, click on the Settings at the top.
2. Click on App & features on the left menu.
3. On the right side, locate Adaware Secure Search (or other suspicious applications you definitely didn’t installed) and click it, then click on the Uninstall button.
4. Click on Uninstall to confirm.

Learn more about uninstallation of programs in Windows 10

Note: If you can’t find required program, sort programs by date in Control panel and search for last installed programs.

After that remove Adaware Secure Search from your browser.

Step 2: Remove Adaware Secure Search from browsers

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Firefox.
2. Push Shift + Ctrl + A.
3. Choose Adaware Secure Search or another unknown extension.
4. Click Disable or Remove button.

Learn more about removing extensions from Firefox.

Google Chrome:

1. Open Google Chrome
2. Push Alt + F.
3. Click Tools.
4. Choose Extensions.
5. Find Adaware Secure Search or another unknown extension.
6. Click the trash can icon to remove it.

Learn more about removing extensions from Chrome.

Internet Explorer:

1. Open IE.
2. Push Alt + T.
3. Click Manage Add-ons.
4. Select Toolbars and Extensions.
5. Click DisableAdaware Secure Search or another unknown extension.
6. Click More information link in the left-bottom corner.
7. Press Remove button.
8. If this button is grayed out – perform alternative steps.

Learn more about removing extensions from IE.

Microsoft Edge:

1. Press Settings and more button
2. Choose and Click on Extensions
3. Find Olpair extension and click settings
4. Press Uninstall button
5. Start Edge again

Learn more about removing extensions from Edge.

Step 3: Resetting your browser search and homepage settings

Reset browser setting in Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Mozilla Firefox.
2. Go to Help.
3. Go to Troubleshooting information.
4. Click Reset Firefox… button.

Learn more about resetting browser settings in Mozilla Firefox.

Reset browser setting in Google Chrome:

1. Click the Chrome menu (3 bar button) in the top right corner.
2. Choose Settings.
3. Click Show advanced settings.
4. Go to Reset browser settings section.
5. Click Reset browser settings.
6. In the dialog that appears, click Reset.

Learn more about resetting browser settings in Google Chrome.

Reset browser setting in Internet Explorer:

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Click on the cogwheel in the right upper corner.
3. Click Internet options.
4. Got to Advanced tab.
5. Click Reset button.
6. Put a tick near Delete personal settings checkbox.
7. Click Reset button.

Learn more about resetting browser settings in Internet Explorer.

Step 4: Remove following files and folders of Adaware Secure Search:

Remove following regitry entries:

no information

Remove following files:

no information

Remove following folders

no information

Written by Tim Kas