PremiumSearch is a toolbar that may look like a Google toolbar and may change your Internet Explorer homepage and redirect your search requests through PremiumSearch search engine without your consent. PremiumSearch Toolbar may also bombard you with targeted ads. PremiumSearch Adware may install itself on your computer when you visit certain web pages, some of which may contain pirated software or porn. Typically these web pages that install PremiumSearch may also install other spyware onto your PC, like Smitfraud and WorldAntiSpy.

Do You Have PremiumSearch?

When you’re infected with badware — whether it’s PremiumSearch, spyware, adware, a Trojan, or a virus — there are a few key symptoms. Have you noticed…

• Slow computer performance: It just takes one parasite like PremiumSearch to slow your computer dramatically. If your PC takes longer than usual to reboot, or if your Internet connection is unusually slow, you may be infected with PremiumSearch.
• New desktop shortcuts or switched homepage: Badware like PremiumSearch may change your Internet settings to redirect your homepage to another site. Badware can even add desktop shortcuts to your PC.
• Annoying popups: Badware can bombard your computer with popup ads, even when you’re not online. Through these popups, you may be tricked into downloading more spyware.

How to Remove PremiumSearch Manually

Before we get started, you should backup your system and your registry, so it’ll be easy to restore your computer if anything goes wrong.

To remove PremiumSearch manually, you need to delete PremiumSearch files. Not sure how to delete PremiumSearch files? Click here, and I’ll show you. Otherwise, go ahead and…

Remove PremiumSearch Toolbar processes:

Unregister PremiumSearch Toolbar DLL files:

Detect and Remove these PremiumSearch Toolbar files:

Delete these PremiumSearch Toolbar registry values:

Note: In any PremiumSearch files I mention above, “%UserProfile%” is a variable referring to your current user’s profile folder. If you’re using Windows NT/2000/XP, by default this is “C:\Documents and Settings\[CURRENT USER]” (e.g., “C:\Documents and Settings\JoeSmith”). If you have any questions about manual PremiumSearch removal, go ahead and leave a comment.

How Do You Remove PremiumSearch Files?

Need help figuring out how to delete PremiumSearch files? While there’s some risk involved, and you should only manually remove PremiumSearch files if you’re comfortable editing your system, you’ll find it’s fairly easy to delete PremiumSearch files in Windows.

How to delete PremiumSearch files in Windows XP and Vista:

1. Click your Windows Start menu, and then click “Search.”
2. A speech bubble will pop up asking you, “What do you want to search for?” Click “All files and folders.”
3. Type a PremiumSearch file in the search box, and select “Local Hard Drives.”
4. Click “Search.” Once the file is found, delete it.

How to stop PremiumSearch processes:

1. Click the Start menu, select Run.
2. Type taskmgr.exe into the the Run command box, and click “OK.” You can also launch the Task Manager by pressing keys CTRL + Shift + ESC.
3. Click Processes tab, and find PremiumSearch processes.
4. Once you’ve found the PremiumSearch processes, right-click them and select “End Process” to kill PremiumSearch.

How to remove PremiumSearch registry keys:

Because your registry is such a key piece of your Windows system, you should always backup your registry before you edit it. Editing your registry can be intimidating if you’re not a computer expert, and when you change or a delete a critical registry key or value, there’s a chance you may need to reinstall your entire system. Make sure your backup your registry before editing it.

1. Select your Windows menu “Start,” and click “Run.” An “Open” field will appear. Type “regedit” and click “OK” to open up your Registry Editor.
2. Registry Editor will open as a window with two panes. The left side Registry Editor’s window lets you select various registry keys, and the right side displays the registry values of the registry key you select.
3. To find a registry key, such as any PremiumSearch registry keys, select “Edit,” then select “Find,” and in the search bar type any of PremiumSearch’s registry keys.
4. As soon as PremiumSearch registry key appears, you can delete the PremiumSearch registry key by right-clicking it and selecting “Modify,” then clicking “Delete.”

How to delete PremiumSearch DLL files:

1. First locate PremiumSearch DLL files you want to delete. Open your Windows Start menu, then click “Run.” Type “cmd” in Run, and click “OK.”
2. To change your current directory, type “cd” in the command box, press your “Space” key, and enter the full directory where the PremiumSearch DLL file is located. If you’re not sure if the PremiumSearch DLL file is located in a particular directory, enter “dir” in the command box to display a directory’s contents. To go one directory back, enter “cd ..” in the command box and press “Enter.”
3. When you’ve located the PremiumSearch DLL file you want to remove, type “regsvr32 /u SampleDLLName.dll” (e.g., “regsvr32 /u jl27script.dll”) and press your “Enter” key.

That’s it. If you want to restore any PremiumSearch DLL file you removed, type “regsvr32 DLLJustDeleted.dll” (e.g., “regsvr32 jl27script.dll”) into your command box, and press your “Enter” key.

Did PremiumSearch change your homepage?

1. Click Windows Start menu > Control Panel > Internet Options.
2. Under Home Page, select the General > Use Default.
3. Type in the URL you want as your home page (e.g., “http://www.homepage.com”).
4. Select Apply > OK.
5. You’ll want to open a fresh web page and make sure that your new default home page pops up.

PremiumSearch Removal Tip

Is your computer acting funny after deleting any PremiumSearch files? I recommend using a program like File Recover from PC Tools. File Recover saves deleted files that otherwise can’t be recovered by Windows operating sytem.

Want to save time finding PremiumSearch files? Download Spyware Doctor, let it find the PremiumSearch files for you, and then manually delete PremiumSearch files.

How Did You Get PremiumSearch?

Wondering how PremiumSearch ended up on your PC? If you’re infected with PremiumSearch or other badware, perhaps you were using…

• Freeware or shareware: Did you download and install shareware or freeware? These low-cost or free software applications may come bundled with spyware, adware, or programs like PremiumSearch. Sometimes adware is attached to the free software to “pay” developers for the cost of creating the software, and more often spyware is secretly attached to free software to harm your computer and steal your personal and financial information.
• Peer-to-peer software: Do you use a peer-to-peer (P2P) program or other application with a shared network? When you use these applications, you put your system at risk for unknowingly downloading an infected file, including applications like PremiumSearch.
• Questionable websites: Did you visit a website that’s of questionable nature? When you visit malicious sites that are fishy and phishy, badware may be automatically downloaded and installed onto your computer, sometimes including applications like PremiumSearch. I recommend you use Firefox web browser, if you don’t already.

Understanding PremiumSearch

If you’re infected with PremiumSearch, you should know what you’re fighting. I’ll explain some definitions related to PremiumSearch.

PremiumSearch May Be Adware

Adware is software designed to promote advertisements. Often, free utilities may install hidden adware, sometimes to earn money for the author to recover development costs. While adware is not always malicious, it can track your Internet activity and send this and other personal information from your computer to advertisers. When advertisers get this information, you may be a target for pop-up/pop-under advertisements, web browser toolbars, and spam.

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