Remove PDFSearchly browser hijacker

PDFSearchly browser hijacker is a pretty harmless computer infection that mainly changes browser’s settings so that you are redirected to portal.pdfsearchly.com whenever you open your browser. This is done to promote a questionable search engine that would redirect to highly questionable websites.

 

The site that is set as the homepage by the hijacker

PDFSearchly is promoted as an extension that helps convert documents to PDFs but is classified as a browser hijacker. Hijackers often have somewhat useful features to conceal the fact that they are actually computer pests that aim to redirect to sponsored websites. They mainly aim to generate traffic and revenue but are not considered to be particularly harmful infections. However, they are plenty annoying with the unwanted changes they make.

As soon as this hijacker enters your computer, you will immediately know because of the changes to your browser. Your homepage will set to portal.pdfsearchly.com, and this is the site that will load every time you open your browser. You will also quickly realize that you cannot undo the changes until you remove PDFSearchly browser hijacker from the computer. The changes to the homepage are made to force you to use the search box on the site, which if used would redirect you to a few sponsored websites and then to a legitimate search engine like Google or Yahoo.

You may not be aware of this, but hijackers use a pretty sneaky installation method called software bundling to get into computers. It’s a method that allows them to be attached to legitimate free programs and install alongside without requiring any additional permission. We strongly suggest you carry on reading to learn how you can avoid allowing hijackers to enter in the future.

The thing about hijackers is that while they are not malicious by themselves, having one installed on a computer can bring serious trouble. The main feature of a hijacker is to redirect to sponsored websites, and those sites are not always safe. So if you find it installed on your computer, do not ignore it, and remove PDFSearchly browser hijacker as soon as possible.

How did PDFSearchly browser hijacker enter your computer

If you have this hijacker installed on your device, you likely are unaware of how to correctly install free software. Free programs, especially the ones you download from those free software websites, will come with extra offers that are permitted to install alongside automatically. Those offers can be anything from browser extensions to adware, browser hijackers and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). They are technically optional but are hidden initially during installation, which prevents users from stopping their installation.

While it may not seem like it, it’s very important that you always pay attention to how you install freeware. During the process, opt for Advanced (Custom) settings instead of Default, despite the installation window saying that Default is the recommended option. Advanced settings will allow you to review everything that has been added to the program. If the settings show that something has been added, you need to deselect it/them. All you need to do is uncheck the box(es). If you opt for Default settings, the offers will be hidden and be permitted to install alongside without needing your explicit permission.

It should be mentioned that you won’t pick up serious malware infections this way but the ones that you can will pile up and eventually affect your computer’s performance. So if you don’t want your computer to be filled with junk programs, always make sure that you’re installing freeware correctly.

Is PDFSearchly browser hijacker dangerous?

Because of how browser hijackers behave, their presence is immediately noticeable. Though not all users may recognize them for what they are. The main sign of a browser hijacker being installed is changes to browser’s settings. This particular hijacker will attach itself to all popular browsers, including Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, and set portal.pdfsearchly.com as the homepage. If you know how to do it, you may try to change the settings back once you notice they have been changed, but will quickly realize that it’s not possible. While the hijacker is installed on the computer, you will not be able to nullify any of the changes because the hijacker will prevent you from doing so.

PDFSearchly is a very typical browser hijacker. The portal.pdfsearchly.com that it sets as your homepage looks identical to a lot of other browser hijacker promoted websites. It has a PDF converter, currency/cryptocurrency converter, a calculator as its main features, as well as a search box. The website may seem useful to those who use those features often but there are a lot of much more reliable sites that have the same features.

The site will display a search box but we don’t recommend using it. If you try to search the web using it, you will be redirected to two different sites and then to a legitimate search engine such as Google, Bing or Yahoo. If you’re not paying attention, you may not even notice that you’re redirected to these random websites because it only lasts a couple of seconds. These redirects are the main purpose of browser hijackers. The redirects may seem harmless enough at first, but hijackers can redirect to potentially dangerous websites. You could end up on sites that are hiding malware or promoting scams so you should be very careful to quickly get rid of the hijacker.

Lastly, we should mention that browser hijackers track your browsing activities. They won’t record personal information but they do collect data like sites you visit, what you search for, your IP address, etc. This data can then be shared with unknown  third-parties. There’s no reason why you should put up with this kind of intrusive behaviour, especially when you’re getting nothing in return.

PDFSearchly browser hijacker removal

Browser hijackers can be tricky infections so it may be difficult to delete PDFSearchly browser hijacker manually. WiperSoft detects and can uninstall PDFSearchly browser hijacker from your computer, in addition to also changing back your browser’s settings. Using an anti-virus program is much more convenient than trying to remove PDFSearchly Browser Hijacker manually.