{"id":30455,"date":"2014-11-26T10:02:27","date_gmt":"2014-11-26T10:02:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/?p=30455"},"modified":"2014-11-26T10:02:27","modified_gmt":"2014-11-26T10:02:27","slug":"remove-search-protection-by-spigot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/remove-search-protection-by-spigot\/","title":{"rendered":"Remove &#8220;Search Protection&#8221; by Spigot (Removal Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Search Protection by Spigot<\/strong> is a potentially unwanted program that is designed to protect its bundled programs and make sure they remain installed or unchanged by other third party programs. Search Protection by Spigot will change your homepage and default search engine to search.yahoo.com, and if you will try to revert to the default settings, you will see a pop-up with the following message:<\/p><div id=\"mwtad2361635001\" 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<blockquote><p><em>Search Settings Change Notification<\/em><br \/>\nSearch Protection has blocked an attempt by another program to change your default search settings.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-30458\" title=\"Search Protection by Spigot redirect\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/search-protection-by-spigot-malware.jpg\" alt=\"Search Protection by Spigot malware\" width=\"642\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/search-protection-by-spigot-malware.jpg 642w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/search-protection-by-spigot-malware-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\" \/><br \/>\nThe Search Protection program is developed by Spigot, a company known for their malicious programs.<br \/>\nIf you have Search Protection by Spigot program on your system, you will typically see a SearchProtection.exe processes running in the Windows Task Manager.<\/p>\n<p>Search Protection by Spigot is typically added when you install another free software (video recording\/streaming, download-managers or PDF creators) that had bundled into their installation this program. Very often users have no idea where did it come from, so it&#8217;s not surprising at all that most of them assume that Search Protection by Spigot is a virus.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-30457\" title=\"Search Protection by Spigot\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/search-protection-by-spigot-virus.jpg\" alt=\"Search Protection by Spigot virus\" width=\"478\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/search-protection-by-spigot-virus.jpg 478w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/search-protection-by-spigot-virus-300x249.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 478px) 100vw, 478px\" \/><br \/>\nWhen installed, Search Protection by Spigot will change the default search engine and home page in all major web browsers, and if you try to revert to their default settings, this program will not allow you to perform these changes. If you will try to change your settings, you will see the following pop-up:<\/p><div id=\"mwtad2539816435\" 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<p>You should <strong>always pay attention when installing software<\/strong> because often, a software installer includes optional installs, such as this Search Protection by Spigot hijacker. 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.<\/p>\n<div id=\"mwtad3730357577\" 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 style=\"text-align: center; text-decoration: underline;\">How to remove Search Protection by Spigot \u00a0(Virus Removal Guide)<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">This page is a comprehensive guide, which will remove Search Protection by Spigot from your Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome.<br \/>\nPlease perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubt at any point, <strong>STOP<\/strong> and ask for our assistance.<br \/>\n<a href=\"#uninstall\"><strong>STEP 1<\/strong>: Uninstall Search Protection by Spigot from Windows<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#browser\"><strong>STEP 2<\/strong>: Remove Search Protection by Spigot and Yahoo Search from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#malwarebytes\"><strong>STEP 3<\/strong>: Remove Search Protection by Spigot with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#hitmanpro\"><strong>STEP 4<\/strong>: Double-check for the Search Protection by Spigot with HitmanPro<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"mwtad1581296007\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309747-ad_309691-placement_360587\" 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=\"9589536513\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"uninstall\">STEP 1\u00a0: Uninstall Search Protection by Spigot malicious programs from your computer<\/h2>\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=\"mwtad2476261272\" 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>To uninstall a program from 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-17506\" title=\"Control Panel in Windows Start Menu\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/windows-start-menu-control-panel.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Control Panel in Windows Start Menu]\" width=\"433\" height=\"552\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/windows-start-menu-control-panel.jpg 433w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/windows-start-menu-control-panel-235x300.jpg 235w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 433px) 100vw, 433px\" \/><br \/>\nIf you are using <strong>Windows 8<\/strong>, simply drag your mouse pointer to the right edge of the screen, select <strong>Search<\/strong> from the list and search for &#8220;<em>control panel<\/em>&#8221; .Or you can <strong>right-click on a bottom left hot corner<\/strong> (formerly known as the <em>Start<\/em> button) and select <strong>Control Panel<\/strong> from there.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-23151\" title=\"Type Control Panel in Windows 8 search box\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/windows-8-uninstall.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Type Control Panel in Windows 8 search box]\" width=\"668\" height=\"359\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/windows-8-uninstall.jpg 668w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/windows-8-uninstall-300x161.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 668px) 100vw, 668px\" \/><\/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. This option is shown by the arrow in the image below. If you are using the &#8220;<em>Classic View<\/em>&#8221; of the Control Panel, then you would double-click on the &#8220;<strong>Programs and Features<\/strong>&#8221; icon instead.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7203\" title=\"Click on Uninstall a program\" src=\"\/\/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<li>When the &#8220;<strong>Programs and Features<\/strong>&#8221; or the &#8220;<strong>Uninstall a Program<\/strong>&#8221; screen is displayed, scroll through the list of currently installed programs and uninstall <strong>Search Protection by &#8220;Spigot&#8221;<\/strong><br \/>\nTo view the most recently installed programs, you can click on the &#8220;<em>Installed On<\/em>&#8221; column to sort your programs by the installation date. Scroll through the list, and uninstall any unwanted or unknown program.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin: 5px; padding: 10px; border-left: solid 5px #FFAE20;\">If you are having issues while trying to uninstall the Search Protection by Spigot program, you can use <strong><a title=\"Download Revo Uninstaller\" href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/download-revouninstaller\" 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-30456\" title=\"Uninstall Search Protection by Spigot from Windows\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Search-Protection-by-Spigot-removal.jpg\" alt=\"Remove Search Protection by Spigot from Windows\" width=\"689\" height=\"234\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Search-Protection-by-Spigot-removal.jpg 689w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Search-Protection-by-Spigot-removal-300x101.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 689px) 100vw, 689px\" \/><br \/>\nIf you cannot find any unwanted or unknown programs on your machine, then you can proceed with the next step.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad823371727\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309748-ad_309691-placement_360588\" 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=\"3906789406\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"browser\">STEP 2: Remove Search Protection by Spigot and Yahoo Search from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome<\/h2>\n<p>In this next step, we will reset your browser settings to its default to remove the Search Protection by Spigot extension, the Yahoo.com browser hijacker and any other malicious extension that might have been installed along with the Search Protection by Spigot.<br \/>\n<div class=\"responsive-tabs\">\n<p class=\"tabtitle\">Reset Internet Explorer<\/p>\n<div class=\"tabcontent\">\n\n<ol>\n<li>Open Internet Explorer, click on the &#8220;<strong>gear icon<\/strong>&#8221; <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/icongear.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: icongear.jpg]\" border=\"0\" title=\"\">\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=\"\/\/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=\"\/\/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=\"\/\/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=\"\/\/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\">Reset Mozilla Firefox<\/p>\n<div class=\"tabcontent\">\n\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=\"\/\/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=\"\/\/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=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21532\" title=\"Click on the Menu button then question mark button\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Firefox-Help-button.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Click on the Menu button then Help]\" width=\"639\" height=\"404\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Firefox-Help-button.jpg 639w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Firefox-Help-button-300x189.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 639px) 100vw, 639px\" \/><\/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=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21538\" title=\"Troubleshooting Information in Firefox\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Firefox-Troubleshooting-Information.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Troubleshooting Information in Firefox]\" width=\"635\" height=\"406\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Firefox-Troubleshooting-Information.jpg 635w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Firefox-Troubleshooting-Information-300x191.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 635px) 100vw, 635px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Click the\u00a0&#8220;<strong>Reset Firefox<\/strong>&#8221;\u00a0button in the upper-right corner of the &#8220;<em>Troubleshooting Information<\/em>&#8221; page.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21534\" title=\"Reset Firefox to its default settings\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Reset-Firefox-button.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Reset Firefox to its default settings]\" width=\"642\" height=\"404\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Reset-Firefox-button.jpg 642w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Reset-Firefox-button-300x188.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>To continue, click on the &#8220;<strong>Reset Firefox<\/strong>&#8221;\u00a0button in the new confirmation window that opens.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21535\" title=\"Click on the Reset Firefox button\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Reset-Firefox-to-default-settings.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Click on the Reset Firefox button]\" width=\"637\" height=\"407\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Reset-Firefox-to-default-settings.jpg 637w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Reset-Firefox-to-default-settings-300x191.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 637px) 100vw, 637px\" \/><\/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<p><strong>Note<\/strong>: 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.<br \/>\n\n<\/div><p class=\"tabtitle\">Google Chrome<\/p>\n<div class=\"tabcontent\">\n\n<ol>\n<li>Click on Chrome&#8217;s main menu button, represented by three horizontal lines (<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17686\" title=\"Google Chrome's main menu button\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/reset-Chrome-button.png\" alt=\"[Image: Chrome's main menu button]\" width=\"29\" height=\"29\" \/>) .When the drop-down menu appears, select the option labeled <strong>Settings<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17687\" title=\"Click on Settings button\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-1.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Click on Settings button]\" width=\"301\" height=\"455\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-1.jpg 301w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-1-198x300.jpg 198w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 301px) 100vw, 301px\" \/><\/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=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17688\" title=\"Click on Show advanced settings link\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-2.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Click on Show advanced settings link]\" width=\"666\" height=\"615\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-2.jpg 666w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-2-300x277.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 666px) 100vw, 666px\" \/><\/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=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17689\" title=\"Click on Reset browser button\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-3.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Click on Reset browser button]\" width=\"651\" height=\"482\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-3.jpg 651w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-3-300x222.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 651px) 100vw, 651px\" \/><\/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=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17690\" title=\"Click on Reset button to restore Chrome to default settings\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-4.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Click on Reset button to restore Chrome to default settings]\" width=\"651\" height=\"482\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-4.jpg 651w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-4-300x222.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 651px) 100vw, 651px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad1539418342\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_318930-ad_309691-placement_360589\" 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=\"3818335085\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"malwarebytes\">STEP 3: Remove Search Protection by Spigot with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free<\/h2>\n<p>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free uses industry-leading technology to detect and remove all traces of malware, including worms, Trojans, rootkits, rogues, dialers, spyware, and more.<br \/>\nIt is important to note that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware works well and should 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=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/download-malwarebytes\" 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 Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Once downloaded, close all programs, then double-click on the icon on your desktop named &#8220;<em>mbam-setup-consumer-2.00.xx&#8221;<\/em> to start the installation of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18896\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware setup program\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware-Setup.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware setup program]\" width=\"107\" height=\"107\" \/><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18096\" title=\"User Account Control icon\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/UAC-prompt.jpg\" alt=\"Picture of User Account Control\" width=\"13\" height=\"16\" \/> You may be presented with a User Account Control 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.<\/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-18898\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Setup Wizard\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-2-0-installation.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Setup Wizard]\" width=\"538\" height=\"419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-2-0-installation.jpg 538w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-2-0-installation-300x233.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 538px) 100vw, 538px\" \/><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-18897\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Final Setup Screen\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-2-0-final-screen.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Final Setup Screen]\" width=\"528\" height=\"412\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-2-0-final-screen.jpg 528w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-2-0-final-screen-300x234.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Once installed, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will automatically start and you will see a message stating that you should update the program, and that a scan has never been run on your system. To start a system scan you can click on the &#8220;<strong>Fix Now<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18899\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-fix-now.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Click on the Fix Now button to start a scan]\" width=\"669\" height=\"496\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-fix-now.jpg 669w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-fix-now-300x222.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 669px) 100vw, 669px\" \/><br \/>\nAlternatively, you can click on the &#8220;<strong>Scan<\/strong>&#8221; tab and select &#8220;<em>Threat Scan<\/em>&#8220;, then click on the <strong>&#8220;Scan Now&#8221;<\/strong> button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18903\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Threat Scan\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-threat-scan-option.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Threat Scan]\" width=\"645\" height=\"423\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-threat-scan-option.jpg 645w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-threat-scan-option-300x196.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 645px) 100vw, 645px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now check for updates, and if there are any, you will need to click on the &#8220;<strong>Update Now<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18906\" title=\"Click on Update Now to update Malwarebytes Anti-Malware\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-2-0-update-now.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Click on Update Now to update Malwarebytes Anti-Malware]\" width=\"650\" height=\"419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-2-0-update-now.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-2-0-update-now-300x193.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer for the Search Protection by Spigot virus. When Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is scanning it will look like the image below.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18908\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware while performing a scan\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-scan.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware while performing a scan]\" width=\"642\" height=\"421\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-scan.jpg 642w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-scan-300x196.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When the scan has completed, you will now be presented with a screen showing you the malware infections that Malwarebytes&#8217; Anti-Malware has detected. To remove the malicious programs that Malwarebytes Anti-malware has found, click on the &#8220;<strong>Quarantine All<\/strong>&#8221; button, and then click on the &#8220;<strong>Apply Now<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18909\" title=\"Remove the malware that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware has detected\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-potential-threat-detected.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Remove the malware that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware has found]\" width=\"804\" height=\"654\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-potential-threat-detected.jpg 804w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-potential-threat-detected-300x244.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 804px) 100vw, 804px\" \/><br \/>\nPlease note that the infections found may be different than what is shown in the image.<\/li>\n<li>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now quarantine all the malicious files and registry keys that it has found. When removing the files, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware may require a reboot 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.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18910\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware asking to reboot your computer\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-remove-virus.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware while removing viruses]\" width=\"651\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-remove-virus.jpg 651w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/malwarebytes-anti-malware-remove-virus-300x196.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 651px) 100vw, 651px\" \/><br \/>\nAfter your computer will restart, you should open Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and perform another &#8220;Threat Scan&#8221; scan to verify that there are no remaining threats<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad13120176\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381388-ad_309691-placement_381390\" 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=\"3191649120\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"hitmanpro\">STEP 4: Double check for the Search Protection by Spigot infection with HitmanPro<\/h2>\n<p>HitmanPro is a second opinion scanner, designed to rescue your computer from malware (viruses, trojans, rootkits, etc.) that have infected your computer despite all the security measures you have taken (such as anti virus software, firewalls, etc.). HitmanPro is designed to work alongside existing security programs without any conflicts. It scans the computer quickly (less than 5 minutes) and does not slow down the computer.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>You can download <strong>HitmanPro<\/strong> from the below link:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/download-hitman-pro\" 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 HitmanPro)<\/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). When the program starts you will be presented with the start screen as shown below.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20036\" title=\"HitmanPro startup screen (Click Next)\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/hitmanpro-install.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: HitmanPro start-up screen]\" width=\"598\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/hitmanpro-install.jpg 598w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/hitmanpro-install-300x240.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 598px) 100vw, 598px\" \/><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-20039\" title=\"HitmanPro installation options (Click Next)\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/hitmapro-start-scan.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: HitmanPro setup options]\" width=\"594\" height=\"475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/hitmapro-start-scan.jpg 594w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/hitmapro-start-scan-300x239.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 594px) 100vw, 594px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for Search Protection by Spigot malicious files.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20037\" title=\"HitmanPro scanning for Search Protection by Spigot virus\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/hitmanpro-scanning.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: HitmanPro scanning for malware]\" width=\"594\" height=\"471\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/hitmanpro-scanning.jpg 594w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/hitmanpro-scanning-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 594px) 100vw, 594px\" \/><\/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 Search Protection by Spigot malware.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20038\" title=\"HitmanPro scan results (Click Next)\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/hitmanpro-scan-results.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: HitmanPro scan results]\" width=\"591\" height=\"471\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/hitmanpro-scan-results.jpg 591w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/hitmanpro-scan-results-300x239.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 591px) 100vw, 591px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Click on the &#8220;<strong>Activate free license<\/strong>&#8221; button to begin the <strong>free 30 days trial<\/strong>, and remove all the malicious files from your computer.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20035\" title=\"Click on the Activate free license button\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/hitmanpro-activation.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: HitmanPro Activate Free License]\" width=\"594\" height=\"477\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/hitmanpro-activation.jpg 594w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/hitmanpro-activation-300x240.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 594px) 100vw, 594px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 20px; padding: 10px; border-left: solid 5px #088A08;\">Your computer should now be free of the Search Protection by Spigot. If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove Search Protection by Spigot from your machine, please start a new thread in our <strong><a title=\"Free Malware Removal Support\" href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/forums\/malware-removal-assistance.10\/\" target=\"_blank\">Malware Removal Assistance<\/a><\/strong> forum.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Search Protection by Spigot is a potentially unwanted program that is designed to protect its bundled programs and make sure they remain installed or unchanged by other third party programs. Search Protection by Spigot will &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Remove &#8220;Search Protection&#8221; by Spigot (Removal Guide)\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/remove-search-protection-by-spigot\/#more-30455\" aria-label=\"Read more about Remove &#8220;Search Protection&#8221; by Spigot (Removal Guide)\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30456,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2725],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30455","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\/30455","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=30455"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30455\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30456"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}