{"id":12995,"date":"2016-10-15T05:05:49","date_gmt":"2016-10-15T05:05:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/?p=12995"},"modified":"2016-11-24T13:52:45","modified_gmt":"2016-11-24T13:52:45","slug":"avg-secure-search-virus-removal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/avg-secure-search-virus-removal\/","title":{"rendered":"Remove &#8220;AVG Secure Search&#8221; redirect (Virus Removal Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>AVG Secure Search<\/strong> is a browser hijacker, which is promoted via other free downloads, and once installed it will add the AVG Toolbar, change your browser homepage to <em>mysearch.avg.com<\/em>, and set your default search engine to <em>AVG Secure Search<\/em>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13002 aligncenter\" title=\"AVG Secure Search homepage\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/avg-secure-search-virus.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: AVG Secure Search virus]\" width=\"1107\" height=\"813\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/avg-secure-search-virus.jpg 1107w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/avg-secure-search-virus-300x220.jpg 300w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/avg-secure-search-virus-1024x752.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1107px) 100vw, 1107px\" \/><\/p><div id=\"mwtad1000896764\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309684--placement_360520\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3957935887\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>AVG Secure Search got on your computer after you have installed a freeware software (video recording\/streaming, download-managers or PDF creators) that had bundled into their installation this browser hijacker. This browser hijacker is also bundled within the custom installer on many download sites, so if you have downloaded a software from these websites, chances are that AVG Secure Search was installed during the software setup process.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mt_noteg\">You should <strong>always pay attention when installing software<\/strong> because often, a software installer includes optional installs. Be very careful what you agree to install.<br \/>\n<strong>Always opt for the custom installation<\/strong> and deselect anything that is not familiar, especially optional software that you never wanted to download and install in the first place. It goes without saying that you should not install software that you don\u2019t trust.<\/div>\n<div id=\"mwtad1128731582\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309746-ad_309691-placement_360521\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"4456629336\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"mt_title\">How to remove AVG Secure Search redirect\u00a0(Removal Guide)<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mt_noteb\">This page is a comprehensive guide which will remove AVG Secure Search redirect from Windows.<br \/>\nPlease perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubt at any point, <strong>STOP<\/strong> and <a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/forums\/malware-removal-assistance.10\/\" target=\"_blank\">ask for our assistance<\/a>.<\/div>\n<ul class=\"stepsbox\">\n<li>\n<div class=\"mwt_summary\">To remove AVG Secure Search redirect, follow these steps:<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#uninstall\"><strong>STEP 1<\/strong>: Uninstall malicious programs from Windows<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#zemana\"><strong>STEP 2<\/strong>: Scan your computer with Zemana AntiMalware Free<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#malwarebytes\"><strong>STEP 3<\/strong>: Scan your computer with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#hitmanpro\"><strong>STEP 4<\/strong>: Scan your computer with HitmanPro<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#browser\"><strong>(OPTIONAL) STEP 5<\/strong>: Reset your browser to the default settings<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"uninstall\" class=\"mt_blue\">STEP 1\u00a0: Uninstall malicious programs from Windows<\/h3>\n<p>In this first step, we will try to identify and remove any malicious program that might be installed on your computer.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad2998239253\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381396-ad_309691-placement_360566\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1471373341\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to the uninstall menu.<br \/>\n<div class=\"responsive-tabs\">\n<p class=\"tabtitle\">Windows 10 or Windows 8<\/p>\n<div class=\"tabcontent\">\n\n<ol>\n<li>To uninstall a program on <strong>Windows 10<\/strong> or <strong>Windows 8,\u00a0<\/strong>right-click on the <strong>Windows Start button<\/strong> and choose &#8220;<strong>Control Panel<\/strong>&#8221; from the pop-up menu.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-42510\" title=\"Right-click on the Windows Start button and choose Control Panel\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Control-Panel-Windows-10.jpg\" alt=\"Control Panel in Windows 10\" width=\"497\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Control-Panel-Windows-10.jpg 497w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Control-Panel-Windows-10-300x232.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When the &#8220;<em>Control Panel<\/em>&#8221; window opens click on the &#8220;<strong>Uninstall a program<\/strong>&#8221; option under &#8220;<em>Programs<\/em>&#8221; category.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-42512\" title=\"Click on Uninstall a program\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Uninstall-Windows-10.jpg\" alt=\"Uninstall A Program on Windows 10\" width=\"574\" height=\"309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Uninstall-Windows-10.jpg 574w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Uninstall-Windows-10-300x161.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 574px) 100vw, 574px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<\/div><p class=\"tabtitle\">Windows 7 or Windows Vista<\/p>\n<div class=\"tabcontent\">\n\n<ol>\n<li>If you are using Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7, click the &#8220;<strong>Start<\/strong>&#8221; button, then click on the &#8220;<strong>Control Panel<\/strong>&#8221; menu option.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25919\" title=\"Control Panel in Windows Start Menu\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/windows-start-menu-control-panel.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Control Panel in Windows Start Menu]\" width=\"346\" height=\"442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/windows-start-menu-control-panel.jpg 346w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/windows-start-menu-control-panel-234x300.jpg 234w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 346px) 100vw, 346px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When the &#8220;<em>Control Panel<\/em>&#8221; window opens click on the &#8220;<strong>Uninstall a program<\/strong>&#8221; option under &#8220;<em>Programs<\/em>&#8221; category.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7203\" title=\"Click on Uninstall a program\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/uninstall-a-program-windows.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Uninstall a program]\" width=\"557\" height=\"298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/uninstall-a-program-windows.jpg 557w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/uninstall-a-program-windows-300x160.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 557px) 100vw, 557px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li>When the &#8220;<strong>Programs and Features<\/strong>&#8221;\u00a0screen is displayed, scroll through the list of currently installed programs and uninstall <strong>AVG Security Toolbar<\/strong> or <strong>AVG SafeGuard Toolbar<\/strong> .\n<div class=\"mt_noteg\">The malicious program may have a different name on your computer. To view the most recently installed programs, you can click on the &#8220;<em>Installed On<\/em>&#8221; column to sort your program by the installation date. Scroll through the list, and uninstall any unwanted or unknown programs.<\/div>\n<div class=\"mt_notey\">If you cannot find any unwanted programs on your machine, <strong>you can proceed with the next steps<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mt_noteb\">If you are having issues while trying to uninstall a program, you can use <strong><a title=\"Download Revo Uninstaller\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/get-revo-uninstaller\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Revo Uninstaller<\/a><\/strong> to completely remove this unwanted program from your machine.<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13001\" title=\"Uninstall the AVG Secure Search programs\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/avg-secure-search-uninstall.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Uninstall the AVG Secure Search programs]\" width=\"800\" height=\"233\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/avg-secure-search-uninstall.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/avg-secure-search-uninstall-300x87.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"zemana\" class=\"mt_blue\">STEP 2: Scan your computer with Zemana AntiMalware Free<\/h3>\n<p>Zemana AntiMalware Free is a second opinion malware scanner which can detect malicious programs that your antivirus has failed to find.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>You can download <strong>Zemana AntiMalware Free<\/strong> from the below link:<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/download-zemana\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <strong>ZEMANA ANTIMALWARE FREE DOWNLOAD LINK<\/strong><\/a> <em>(This link will start the download of &#8220;Zemana AntiMalware Free&#8221;)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Double-click on the file named &#8220;<em>Zemana.AntiMalware.Portable<\/em>&#8221; to perform a system scan with Zemana AntiMalware Free.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-58772 alignnone\" title=\"Double-click on the Zemana AntiMalware.Portable to start the program\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Zemana.AntiMalware.Portable.jpg\" alt=\"Double-click on the Zemana AntiMalware Portable\" width=\"127\" height=\"135\" \/><br \/>\nYou may be presented with a <em>User Account Control<\/em> dialog asking you if you want to run this program. If this happens, you should click \u201c<strong>Yes<\/strong>\u201d to allow Zemana AntiMalware to run.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-58796\" title=\"Zemana AntiMalware User Account Control pop-up\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Zemana-AntiMalware-UAC.jpg\" alt=\"Zemana AntiMalware User Account Control\" width=\"404\" height=\"303\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Zemana-AntiMalware-UAC.jpg 404w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Zemana-AntiMalware-UAC-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 404px) 100vw, 404px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When Zemana AntiMalware will start, click on the &#8220;<strong>Scan<\/strong>&#8221; button to perform a system scan.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-58794\" title=\"Click on the Scan button to perform a system scan\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Zemana-AntiMalware-Free-Scan.jpg\" alt=\"Zemana AntiMalware Free Scan\" width=\"538\" height=\"392\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Zemana-AntiMalware-Free-Scan.jpg 538w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Zemana-AntiMalware-Free-Scan-300x219.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 538px) 100vw, 538px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Zemana AntiMalware will now scan your computer for malicious programs. This process can take up to 10 minutes.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-58795\" title=\"Zemana AntiMalware Free scanning for malware\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Zemana-AntiMalware-Free-Scanning-For-Malware.jpg\" alt=\"Zemana AntiMalware scanning for AVG Secure Search virus\" width=\"540\" height=\"389\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Zemana-AntiMalware-Free-Scanning-For-Malware.jpg 540w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Zemana-AntiMalware-Free-Scanning-For-Malware-300x216.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When Zemana has finished finished scanning it will show\u00a0a screen that displays any\u00a0malware that has been detected. To remove all the malicious files, click on the &#8220;<strong>Next<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-58793\" title=\"Click Next to remove all malicious programs\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Zemana-AntiMalware-Free-Malware-Detected.jpg\" alt=\"Zemana AntiMalware Removing AVG Secure Search Virus\" width=\"537\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Zemana-AntiMalware-Free-Malware-Detected.jpg 537w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Zemana-AntiMalware-Free-Malware-Detected-300x215.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 537px) 100vw, 537px\" \/><br \/>\nZemana AntiMalware will now start to remove all the malicious programs from your computer. When the process is complete, you can close Zemana AntiMalware and continue with the rest of the instructions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"malwarebytes\" class=\"mt_blue\">STEP 3: Scan your computer with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware<\/h3>\n<p>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a powerful on-demand scanner which will\u00a0remove the AVG Secure Search redirect from your machine. It is important to note that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will run alongside antivirus software without conflicts.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>You can download <strong>download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware<\/strong>\u00a0from the below link.<br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/downloads-malwarebytes-for-windows\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MALWAREBYTES ANTI-MALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK<\/a> <\/strong><em>(This link will open a new web page from where you can download &#8220;Malwarebytes Anti-Malware&#8221;)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Once downloaded, close all programs, then double-click on the icon on your desktop named &#8220;<em>mbam-setup&#8221;<\/em> to start the installation of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-53990\" title=\"Double-click on the mbam-setup to install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-Icon.jpg\" alt=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Icon\" width=\"176\" height=\"137\" \/><br \/>\nYou may be presented with a <em>User Account Control<\/em> dialog asking you if you want to run this file. If this happens, you should click \u201c<em>Yes<\/em>\u201d to continue with the installation.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-53996\" title=\"Click Yes to install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-User-Account-Control.jpg\" alt=\"Windows asking permission to install Malwarebytes\" width=\"407\" height=\"297\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-User-Account-Control.jpg 407w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-User-Account-Control-300x219.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When the installation begins, you will see the <em>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Setup Wizard<\/em> which will guide you through the installation process.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-54000\" title=\"Click on the Next button to install Malwarebytes\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-installing.jpg\" alt=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Setup Wizard\" width=\"481\" height=\"363\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-installing.jpg 481w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-installing-300x226.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 481px) 100vw, 481px\" \/><br \/>\nTo install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware on your machine, <em>keep following the prompts<\/em> by clicking the &#8220;<strong>Next<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-53991\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware final setup screen\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-Install.jpg\" alt=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware setup wizard\" width=\"479\" height=\"365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-Install.jpg 479w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-Install-300x229.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 479px) 100vw, 479px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Once installed, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will automatically start and will update the antivirus database. To start a system scan you can click on the &#8220;<strong>Scan\u00a0Now<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-54004\" title=\"Click on the Scan Now button to scan with Malwarebytes\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-Scan-Now.jpg\" alt=\"Start a scan with Malwarebytes scan\" width=\"529\" height=\"352\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-Scan-Now.jpg 529w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-Scan-Now-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer for the AVG Secure Search browser hijacker. When Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is scanning it will look like the image below.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-54005\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware while performing a scan\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-Scanning-for-virus.jpg\" alt=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scanning for malware\" width=\"534\" height=\"356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-Scanning-for-virus.jpg 534w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-Scanning-for-virus-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 534px) 100vw, 534px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When the scan has completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware has detected. To remove the malicious programs that Malwarebytes Anti-malware has found, click on the &#8220;<strong>Remove Selected<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-54006\" title=\"Click on Remove Selected to remove AVG Secure Search malware\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-Removing-virus.jpg\" alt=\"To remove malware click on the Remove Selected button\" width=\"530\" height=\"356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-Removing-virus.jpg 530w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Malwarebytes-Removing-virus-300x202.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 530px) 100vw, 530px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now quarantine all the malicious files and registry keys that it has found. When removing the files, <em>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware may require a reboot<\/em> in order to remove some of them. If it displays a message stating that it needs to reboot your computer, please allow it to do so.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"hitmanpro\" class=\"mt_blue\">STEP 4: Scan your computer with HitmanPro<\/h3>\n<p>HitmanPro finds and removes malware, adware, bots, and other threats that even the best antivirus suite can oftentimes miss. It&#8217;s designed to run alongside your antivirus suite, firewall, and other security tools.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad1223524141\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309686-ad_309691-placement_360569\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"6935453015\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li>You can download <strong>HitmanPro<\/strong> from the below link:<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/downloads-hitmanpro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <strong>HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK<\/strong><\/a> <em>(This link will open a new web page from where you can download &#8220;HitmanPro&#8221;)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Double-click on the file named &#8220;<strong>HitmanPro.exe<\/strong>&#8221; (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or &#8220;<strong>HitmanPro_x64.exe<\/strong>&#8221; (for 64-bit versions of Windows).<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-54009\" title=\"'Double-click\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/HitmanPro-Icon.jpg\" alt=\"HitmanPro Icon\" width=\"134\" height=\"124\" \/><br \/>\nClick on the &#8220;<strong>Next<\/strong>&#8221; button, to install HitmanPro on your computer.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-54010\" title=\"Click Next to install HitmanPro\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/HitmanPro-install.jpg\" alt=\"HitmanPro setup process\" width=\"534\" height=\"421\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/HitmanPro-install.jpg 534w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/HitmanPro-install-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 534px) 100vw, 534px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for malware.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-54012\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/HitmanPro-Scan.jpg\" alt=\"HitmanPro scanning for AVG Secure Search virus\" width=\"529\" height=\"426\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/HitmanPro-Scan.jpg 529w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/HitmanPro-Scan-300x242.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When it has finished it will display a list of all the malware that the program found as shown in the image below. Click on the &#8220;<strong>Next<\/strong>&#8221; button, to remove malware.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-54008\" title=\"HitmanPro scan summary. Click Next to remove malware\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/HitmanPro-detected-malware.jpg\" alt=\"HitmanPro detected malware\" width=\"530\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/HitmanPro-detected-malware.jpg 530w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/HitmanPro-detected-malware-300x241.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 530px) 100vw, 530px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Click on the &#8220;<strong>Activate free license<\/strong>&#8221; button to begin the <em>free 30 days trial<\/em>, and remove all the malicious files from your computer.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-54011\" title=\"Click on the Activate free license button\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/HitmanPro-remove-malware.jpg\" alt=\"Activate HitmanPro to remove malware\" width=\"528\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/HitmanPro-remove-malware.jpg 528w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/HitmanPro-remove-malware-300x239.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"browser\" class=\"mt_blue\">(Optional) STEP 5: Reset your browser to the default settings<\/h3>\n<div class=\"mt_noteb\">If you are still experiencing issues with the AVG Secure Search redirect in Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome, we will need to reset your browser to its default settings.<br \/>\n<strong>This step needs to be performed only if your issues have not been solved by the previous steps<\/strong>.<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive-tabs\">\n<p class=\"tabtitle\">Google Chrome<\/p>\n<div class=\"tabcontent\">\n\nGoogle Chrome has an option that will reset itself to its default settings. Resetting your browser settings will reset the unwanted changes caused by installing other programmes. However, your saved bookmarks and passwords will not be cleared or changed.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Click on Chrome&#8217;s main menu button, represented by three horizontal lines. When the drop-down menu appears, select the option labeled <strong>Settings<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-56886 alignnone\" title=\"Click on the Chrome menu button then on the Settings button\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Chrome-Settings.jpg\" alt=\"Google Chrome Settings button\" width=\"519\" height=\"407\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Chrome-Settings.jpg 519w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Chrome-Settings-300x235.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 519px) 100vw, 519px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Chrome&#8217;s Settings should now be displayed in a new tab or window, depending on your configuration. Next, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the <strong>Show advanced settings<\/strong> link (as seen in the below example).<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-56883 alignnone\" title=\"Click on Show advanced settings link\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Chrome-Advanced-Settings.jpg\" alt=\"Google Chrome Advanced Settings\" width=\"523\" height=\"407\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Chrome-Advanced-Settings.jpg 523w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Chrome-Advanced-Settings-300x233.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 523px) 100vw, 523px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Chrome&#8217;s advanced Settings should now be displayed. Scroll down until the <em>Reset browser settings<\/em> section is visible, as shown in the example below. Next, click on the <strong>Reset browser<\/strong> settings button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-56885 alignnone\" title=\"Click on Reset browser button\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Chrome-Reset-Settings.jpg\" alt=\"Google Chrome Reset button\" width=\"524\" height=\"403\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Chrome-Reset-Settings.jpg 524w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Chrome-Reset-Settings-300x231.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 524px) 100vw, 524px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>A confirmation dialog should now be displayed, detailing the components that will be restored to their default state should you continue on with the reset process. To complete the restoration process, click on the <strong>Reset<\/strong> button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-56884 alignnone\" title=\"Click on the OK button to reset Google Chrome\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Chrome-Reset-Browser.jpg\" alt=\"Reset Google Chrome settings\" width=\"517\" height=\"404\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Chrome-Reset-Browser.jpg 517w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Chrome-Reset-Browser-300x234.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 517px) 100vw, 517px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<\/div><p class=\"tabtitle\">Internet Explorer<\/p>\n<div class=\"tabcontent\">\n\nYou can reset Internet Explorer settings to return them to the state they were in when Internet Explorer was first installed on your PC.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Open Internet Explorer, click on the &#8220;<strong>gear icon<\/strong>&#8221; <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25948\" title=\"Internet Explorer Icon Gear\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/icongear.jpg\" alt=\"IE Icon Gear\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" \/>\u00a0in the upper right part of your browser, then click again on\u00a0<strong>Internet Options<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20057\" title=\"Click on the Gear Icon then on Internet Options\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Internet-Options-Internet-Explorer.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Internet Options in Internet Explorer]\" width=\"625\" height=\"261\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Internet-Options-Internet-Explorer.jpg 625w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Internet-Options-Internet-Explorer-300x125.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>In the &#8220;<em>Internet Options<\/em>&#8221; dialog box, click on the\u00a0&#8220;<strong>Advanced<\/strong>&#8221;\u00a0tab, then click\u00a0on the &#8220;<strong>Reset<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20059\" title=\"In the Advanced tab click on the Reset button\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Reset-Internet-Explorer.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Reset Internet Explorer]\" width=\"613\" height=\"415\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Reset-Internet-Explorer.jpg 613w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Reset-Internet-Explorer-300x203.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 613px) 100vw, 613px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>In the &#8220;<em>Reset Internet Explorer settings<\/em>&#8221; section, select the &#8220;<strong>Delete personal settings<\/strong>&#8221; check box, then click on\u00a0&#8220;<strong>Reset<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20058\" title=\"Click on the Reset button to revert IE to its default settings\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/reset-button-Internet-Explorer.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Reset Internet Explorer to its default settings]\" width=\"626\" height=\"472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/reset-button-Internet-Explorer.jpg 626w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/reset-button-Internet-Explorer-300x226.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 626px) 100vw, 626px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When Internet Explorer has completed its task, click on the &#8220;<strong>Close<\/strong>&#8221; button\u00a0in the confirmation dialogue box. You will now \u00a0need to close your browser, and then you can open Internet Explorer again.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20056\" title=\"Click on the Close button\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Close-button-Reset.jpg\" alt=\"[Image Reset Internet Explorer settings]\" width=\"621\" height=\"514\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Close-button-Reset.jpg 621w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Close-button-Reset-300x248.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 621px) 100vw, 621px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<\/div><p class=\"tabtitle\">Mozilla Firefox<\/p>\n<div class=\"tabcontent\">\n\nIf you&#8217;re having problems with Firefox, resetting it can help. The reset feature fixes many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your essential information like bookmarks, passwords, web form auto-fill information, browsing history and open tabs.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>In the upper-right corner of the Firefox window, click the <strong>Firefox\u00a0menu button<\/strong> (<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21537\" title=\"Firefox Menu button\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Firefox-menu-button.png\" alt=\"[Image: Firefox Menu button]\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" \/>), then click on the\u00a0&#8220;<strong>Help<\/strong>&#8221;\u00a0(<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21536\" title=\"Firefox Help button\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Firefox-Help.png\" alt=\"[Image: Firefox Help button]\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" \/>) button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-41734 alignnone\" title=\"Click on the Menu button then question mark button\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Firefox-Help.jpg\" alt=\"Firefox Help button\" width=\"614\" height=\"380\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Firefox-Help.jpg 614w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Firefox-Help-300x186.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>From the <em>Help<\/em> menu, choose <strong>Troubleshooting Information<\/strong>.<br \/>\nIf you&#8217;re unable to access the Help menu, type <em>about:support<\/em> in your address bar to bring up the Troubleshooting information page.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-41736 alignnone\" title=\"Click on Troubleshooting Information in Firefox\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Firefox-Troubleshooting-Information.jpg\" alt=\"Troubleshooting Information in Firefox\" width=\"640\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Firefox-Troubleshooting-Information.jpg 640w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Firefox-Troubleshooting-Information-300x232.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Click the\u00a0&#8220;<strong>Refresh Firefox<\/strong>&#8221;\u00a0button in the upper-right corner of the &#8220;<em>Troubleshooting Information<\/em>&#8221; page.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-41737 alignnone\" title=\"Click on the Refresh Firefox button\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Refresh-Firefox.jpg\" alt=\"Refresh Firefox button\" width=\"637\" height=\"494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Refresh-Firefox.jpg 637w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Refresh-Firefox-300x233.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 637px) 100vw, 637px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>To continue, click on the &#8220;<strong>Refresh Firefox<\/strong>&#8221;\u00a0button in the new confirmation window that opens.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-41743 alignnone\" title=\"Click again on Refresh Firefox button\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Firefox-Reset-Settings.jpg\" alt=\"Reset Firefox settings to default\" width=\"631\" height=\"422\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Firefox-Reset-Settings.jpg 631w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Firefox-Reset-Settings-300x201.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 631px) 100vw, 631px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Firefox will close itself and will revert to its default settings. When it&#8217;s done, a window will list the information that was imported. Click on the &#8220;<strong>Finish<\/strong>&#8220;.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"mt_noteb\">Your old Firefox profile will be placed on your desktop in a folder named &#8220;<em>Old Firefox Data<\/em>&#8220;. If the reset didn&#8217;t fix your problem you can restore some of the information not saved by copying files to the new profile that was created. If you don&#8217;t need this folder any longer, you should delete it as it contains sensitive information.<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<div class=\"mt_noteg\">\n<p>Your computer should now be free of the AVG Secure Search redirect. You can remove <strong>AdwCleaner<\/strong> from your machine, however we recommend that you keep <strong>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware<\/strong> and <strong>HitmanPro<\/strong> installed to perform regular computer scans.<br \/>\nIf you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove AVG Secure Search redirect from your machine, please do one of the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Run a system scan with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/downloads-zemana-antimalware\/\" target=\"_blank\">Zemana AntiMalware<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Ask for help in our <strong><a title=\"Malware Removal Assistance\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/forums\/malware-removal-assistance.10\/\" target=\"_blank\">Malware Removal Assistance<\/a><\/strong> forum.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>AVG Secure Search is a browser hijacker, which is promoted via other free downloads, and once installed it will add the AVG Toolbar, change your browser homepage to mysearch.avg.com, and set your default search engine &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Remove &#8220;AVG Secure Search&#8221; redirect (Virus Removal Guide)\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/avg-secure-search-virus-removal\/#more-12995\" aria-label=\"Read more about Remove &#8220;AVG Secure Search&#8221; redirect (Virus Removal Guide)\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13000,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2725],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adware","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50","resize-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12995","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12995"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12995\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13000"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12995"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12995"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}