“Comet Search” Browser Hijacker Removal (How to Instructions)

The Comet Search is a potentially unwanted program that is typically distributed through software bundle packages. This, in turn has resulted in unintentional installation. Once inside the application and it was modified, the web browser settings in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or MS Edge will now enable deceptive activities without consent of user. One example is the changes in the homepage, the user will be redirected easily to a malicious site using an implanted search engine in the settings. In relation to this, users who browse through the Comet Search hijack affected browser would quickly notice that all their searches are redirected to Yahoo.

The PUPs such as this browser hijacker could be encountered in numerous ways though the most common descriptions of them are they install their software without asking user permission. This happens because the developers use bundles, deceptive ads, suspicious websites, and other methods that can be used.

Name	Comet Search
Type	Browser hijacker
Distribution	The extension can be downloaded from official sources, although most users install it through software bundle packages downloaded from third-party sites, as well as deceptive advertisements encountered online
Symptoms	An unknown browser extension installed on the web browser; all search results redirected to Yahoo or another engine; sponsored links and ads shown at the top of the results; overall increased amount of advertisements
Associated risks	Installation of other unwanted programs/malware, information disclosure to unknown parties (privacy risks), financial loss
Elimination	To get rid of the browser hijacker, you should access the settings of your web browser and delete the extension; in case browser changes do not disappear, you might want to search for unwanted programs installed on your system – do it manually as per instructions below or scan the machine with anti-malware tool such as iolo System Mechanic.
Further steps	If you found additional unwanted programs or malware installed on your system, you should also reset your web browsers and then attempt to fix virus damage with our provided guide.

In relation to the statements above, the Browser hijackers are generally not perceived as a high security threat. Indeed, the main goal of Comet Search is to change web browser settings and use the built-in resources to deliver sponsored links in search results. Despite this, many users would want to remove the settings changed by the browser hijacker. Clicking illegitimate sites could lead to information breach and potential loss.

Even though the Yahoo search is a legitimate browser, the reason of the redirect and unwanted searches does not reflect the tech giant. The search results are filtered through the hijacker, so users might struggle to find relevant information.

You may see that the ads are not random searches, but the Comer Search use tracing of user activity through site data and cookies as well as other technologies. The following note will be seen:

“We may use standard Internet technology, such as web beacons, cookies and other similar technologies, to track your use of the CometSearch Services (see our cookies policy). Web beacons are small pieces of data that are embedded in images on the pages of sites.“

The collected data includes the following:

• Provided personal data (name, email, phone number, username and password, etc.);
• Browser-related information (type, language settings);
• Software installed on the device and all the connected devices;
• IP address
• Search information (links clicked, keywords, time stamp, pages viewed, search history, etc.).

The PUPs should not be your main browser and removal process is essential. This is the reason why some can cause major browsing inconvenience as well as reducing computer security. Because of that, experts recommend the removal of the Comet Search before it cause further damage. If you want quick and easy removal, opt for an automatic scan using iolo System Mechanic.

The Reasons Behind Hijackers Such As “CometSearch” Sneaking Into Your Computer

The most known way that it could enter your computer is through software bundles and unwanted installation process. In addition to this bundles that we are not so knowledgeable that it could infect our device, there are other ways too. One of them is through Freeware websites of which the users are keen to download applications that are believed to be free. But, the truth behind these apps is used for monetization; these include advertisements, pay-per-install schemes, and others. As a result, each user who installs such programs becomes a monetization vector, and many apps attempt to abuse that fact.

How to Prevent Browser Hijackers, Adware, and Scareware?

Most likely Comet Search has been installed on your computer together with some free software that you’ve recently downloaded. But, there are ways on how you can safeguard your device from falling victim to hijackers and cyber threats.

• If possible, download apps from official sources and avoid third party sites;
• During the installation, always pick Advanced mode instead of Recommended one to stay in control of the process;
• Decline all the deals and offers;
• Remove ticks from checkboxes (unless it is ToS agreement);
• Read the fine print;
• Install powerful security software that would warn you about PUPs.

Most likely Comet Search has been installed on your computer together with some free software that you’ve recently downloaded. But, there are ways on how you can safeguard your device from falling victim to hijackers and cyber threats.

• If possible, download apps from official sources and avoid third-party sites;
• During the installation, always pick Advanced mode instead of Recommended one to stay in control of the process;
• Decline all the deals and offers;
• Remove ticks from checkboxes (unless it is ToS agreement);
• Read the fine print;
• Install powerful security software (we recommend iolo System Mechanic) that would warn you about PUPs.

Easier, Automatic Uninstallation and Checking of CometSearch and Other Unwanted Applications

Most of users online can just uninstall a program fast but all that they need to do is to access the web browser settings as well as the CometSearch removal would not be a difficult process. In case you are wondering how you can do it in just one click, you should follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome and delete everything
2. Reset Google Chrome (or another) web browser as explained below

Finally, you should also check your computer for other potentially unwanted programs and malware by scanning it using a recommended anti-malware tool such as iolo System Mechanic.

If you do not want to install further, although these tools are powerful anti-malware software, you can try manual removal. Just follow the guide below for each system and browser:

• Remove it from Windows
• Remove it from Mac OS

Remove the CometSearch from Windows

1. Go to Control Panel
2. Choose the Programs under the options in menu
3. Access the list of installed software
4. Wait for the uninstallation process to be completed
5. Uninstall software and click ok to save the changes

Delete the CometSearch from Mac OS X system

No wonder that even Macintosh OS is affected. To remove it from the application folder:

1. Go to Menu then Applications
2. In the App folder, Find the CometSearch related Entries
3. Click and drag the application to Trash

Remove CometSearch entirely on the system by accessing the Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files.

Launch the Folders in Mac:

1. In the Finder, Go to Folder
2. Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter
3. Under the Application Support folder, look for entries related to CometSearch
4. Delete entries

Removal Instructions of Comet Search From Popular Browsers

• Remove it from Internet Explorer
• Remove it from Microsoft Edge
• Remove it from Chromium-based Edge
• Remove it from Google Chrome
• Remove it from Mozilla Firefox
• Remove it from Safari

Uninstallation of CometSearch from Internet Explorer

1. Go to the Menu icon in Internet Explorer
2. Select Manage Add-ons
3. Here, determine the malicious plugins
4. Select the entries associated with CometSearch
5. Choose disable

To change your homepage in case of changes made before:

1. Go again to the menu icon for Internet Explorer
2. Select Internet Options

1. Select the General tab among the options
2. See the homepage section to replace it with your preferred URL
3. Click Apply and then select OK

To Remove Temporary Files:

1. Press the Gear icon again on the Internet Explorer
2. Select Internet Options
3. In the browsing history, choose delete
4. Select the items that you want to remove
5. Press delete

To reset Internet Explorer

1. Click the Gear icon
2. Go to Internet Options
3. Select Advanced tab
4. Click Reset
5. Check Delete personal settings then select Reset

To Remove CometSearch from Microsoft Edge

1. Go to the Menu or the three dots in the right corner of the browser
2. Select Extensions
3. Pick the entries of ads that are related to CometSearch
4. Click on Uninstall

To Clear Browsing History and Data:

1. Click the Menu
2. Pick the Privacy and Security
3. When you are in the clear browsing data section
4. Select what entries to clear
5. Click Clear

Reset Microsoft Edge:

1. Go to the Task Manager
2. Select the More Details option
3. Locate each entry for the Microsoft Edge
4. Click End Task
5. This will reset your Microsoft Edge

In case of a solution failure, apply the advanced reset settings. Before proceeding with this method, keep in mind to back up data.

1. Locate the folder in your computer that contains: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe
2. Select all folders
3. When all folders are selected, right click the mouse
4. Click Delete

1. After doing the steps above, right click on the Start Button
2. Open Windows PowerShell as administrator
3. In a new window, enter the script below beside C:/WINDOWS/system32>Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose

If You are Using a Chromium-based Edge, Here is What to Do

Remove the Extensions from MS Edge Chromium:

1. Open Edge and click select Settings then go to Extensions
2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove

Clear cache and site data

1. Click on Menu
2. Go to Settings
3. Select Privacy and services
4. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear
5. Under Time range, pick All time
6. Select Clear now

To Reset Chromium-based Microsoft Edge

1. Go to Menu
2. Then Select Settings
3. On the left side, Go to Reset Settings
4. Then Go to Restore settings to their default values
5. Confirm by clicking again the Reset

Remove the CometSearch from Mozilla Firefox

Delete extensions

1. Go to the Firefox Menu
2. Select Add-ons
3. Find plugins related to the virus
4. Click Remove

To bring back your homepage

1. Click on the Menu placed at the top right corner
2. Go to Options then select General
3. Delete malicious URL and type in the preferred website or click Restore to Default
4. Click OK to save the changes you have recently applied

Reset Mozilla Firefox

1. Go to Firefox browser Menu
2. Select Help
3. Choose Troubleshooting Information
4. Click Refresh Firefox
5. Select the confirmation to Refresh the Firefox

Remove CometSearch from Google Chrome

Hijackers use this platform to find their prey. Now, remove them by following these steps:

1. Go to the Menu on Google Chrome
2. Click More Tools
3. Select Extensions
4. In a new window, pick malicious extensions on the list
5. Move now to the uninstallation by clicking Remove

Set your Chrome to a Preferred Homepage

1. Go to Settings
2. Select Search Engines
3. Go to open a new page
4. Select add a new page
5. Type the preferred URL

Reset Google Chrome

When the above steps did not work, opt for a Chrome reset

1. Go to Chrome Settings
2. Scroll down and choose Reset Browser settings
3. Click Reset and confirm the action to complete removal of CometSearch

Remove CometSearch from Safari

1. On the Safari Browser, go to Safari on the upper tab
2. Select Preferences
3. In a new Window, select Extensions
4. Select unwanted extensions related to the virus

To set your homepage back to default or your preferred URL

1. Open Safari then go to the Menu section
2. Select Preferences
3. Go to the General tab
4. On the Homepage, change URL

To Reset Safari

1. Go to the Safari Browser then on the menu section, click Safari
2. Choose Reset Safari
3. Then a set of dialog window filled with options, you have to check all of them before clicking Reset again to confirm reset process

Verdict & Last Advice

Every day, a file is as important as a breakfast. Saving your data is not enough because it is best to have proper up-to-date backups, so that you can easily recover after incident of files used as hostage or when lost due to procedures or program reset.

It’s also of utmost importance to use reliable anti-virus software to prevent any data loss or virus infections. For that purpose, it’s no secret, we recommend iolo System Mechanic — it’s truly a great piece of software.