Search.rapidserach.com Removal Guide

Threat Level:
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Category: Browser Hijackers

If you are not careful when visiting freeware hosting websites, your computer could become infected with Search.rapidserach.com, a browser hijacker that replaces your browser’s homepage address. Removing it is highly recommended because if you decide to use it as a regular search engine, then it will show ads and promotions in its search results, and we have found that not all of its promotions and ads are safe to click. Some of them come from unreliable sources. Hence, you should not trust this malicious search engine.

Search.rapidserach.com should come with a dedicated browser extension, but we have yet to find a working sample of it. The extension serves as a tool for replacing the homepage address, and if it is successful, then you might start using Search.rapidserach.com as a regular search engine. We have found that this particular browser hijacker has an extension for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Internet Explorer. If you install this extension accidentally, then it will replace your browser’s homepage automatically.

The reason behind hijacking your homepage in the first place is to make you use Search.rapidserach.com for searching the web. Indeed, many legitimate search engines would like to do it, but replacing the search engine without permission is a malicious, illegal action. Therefore, hijacker and its accompanying search engine are considered malware. Search.rapidserach.com was created to make money for its developers, and the only way it can do that is to advertise and promote third-party content. While you can use it as a regular search engine, you should know that it redirects all search queries to Plusnetwork.com that features customized search results. The problem is that these results can feature unreliable and even malicious links to infected websites, fake websites, and phishing sites. In short, it is apt to promote links to sites that can jeopardize your computer’s security.

It must be noted that this particular hijacker is not different from thousands of others as it was also configured to gather information about you for commercial and promotional purposes. Research has shown that it is apt to collect some anonymous information about you automatically. This information can include your IP address and, by extension, your approximate geographical location, as well as your browsing history, entered search terms, browser type, operating system type, and so on. Furthermore, it can collect personal information, but on a voluntary basis. Unfortunately, its privacy policy does not go into detail about how this can be done. We do not know how personal information can be obtained, but we think that this hijacker might use not so legitimate methods for obtaining it because the more information they get, the more they can personalize the ad campaign for each unique user. Personalized ads make more money because the developers get paid only if you click the ads.

Our research has revealed that Search.rapidserach.com was published by a company known as Stepitapp Ltd. This company is based in Bayonne, New Jersey , United States. It is said that this company develops unwanted software, and this is true because Search.rapidserach.com is an undesirable search engine. Nothing else is known about this company, and it seems that this search engine is its only release, but we will keep tabs on the situation to see if it continues releasing clone browser hijackers.

Undoubtedly, Search.rapidserach.com is a highly malicious search engine that can replace your browser’s homepage address without your knowledge or consent. It was created by an unreliable company for promoting shady content that makes them money. However, it poses a risk to your PC’s security because it promotes questionable content. We recommend that you remove it using our guide included below this article.

How to get rid of this browser hijacker

Google Chrome

  1. Press Alt+F and click More tools.
  2. Click Extensions.
  3. Find the extension.
  4. Click Remove.
  5. Then, press Alt+F keys.
  6. Select Settings.
  7. Click Set pages and enter a new homepage address.
  8. Click OK.

Mozilla Firefox

  1. Press Ctrl+Shift+A.
  2. Click Extensions.
  3. Find the add-on.
  4. Click Remove.
  5. Restart the browser.
  6. Then, Alt+T keys.
  7. In the dropdown menu, click Options and select General.
  8. In the Home page line, type a new homepage address.
  9. Exit the Options menu.

Microsoft Internet Explorer

  1. Press Alt+X.
  2. Select Manage Add-ons.
  3. Open Toolbars and Extensions.
  4. Click Remove the add-on.
  5. Close.
  6. Press Alt+T again.
  7. Select Internet Options.
  8. Enter a new URL in the address line.
  9. Click OK.
Download Remover for Search.rapidserach.com *
*SpyHunter scanner, published on this site, is intended to be used only as a detection tool. To use the removal functionality, you will need to purchase the full version of SpyHunter.

Search.rapidserach.com Screenshots:

Search.rapidserach.com

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