Should I remove Search Assistant?
What percent of users and experts removed it?
86% remove it14% keep it
What do people think about it?
(click star to rate)
How common is it?
Global Rank #27,319
Reach 0.0058%
Lifespan of installation (until removal)
< 46.68 days
694.68 days >
Average installed length: 365.00 days
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Search Assistant 1.74
What is Search Assistant?
This is a web browser plugin that is potentially unwanted and ad-supported. In addition to displaying advertisements, as part of the installation process the publisher may offer changes to the web browser settings. Such changes may include the following:
- Modifying/changing the default home page URL
- Changing the search provider (built-in search box) and search pages
- Changing the new tab page
- Updating some browser settings which might lower overall security
Within Internet Explorer the toolbar runs as a Browser Helper Object (BHO), in Google Chrome it is an extension and in Firefox it is an addon.
Overview
The primary executable is named sprotector.dll. A majority of users end up uninstalling this less than a week of it being installed. The setup package generally installs about 3 files and is usually about 1.53 MB (1,600,071 bytes).
- Malware detected in the program
- Typically distributed through a pay-per-install bundle
- Displays unwanted advertisements
- Hijacks the web browser's home page
- Hijacks the browser's default search provider
- The experts agree, you should remove it!
Warning, multiple anti-virus scanners have detected possible malware in Search Assistant.
| sprotector.dll (0603547a50f0f44af39c712e3206dfba) has been flagged by the following 12 scanners: |
| Anti-Virus software | Version | Detection |
| avast! |
2014.9-130526 |
Win32:SProtector-A [PUP] |
| AVG |
2014.0.3449 |
Generic5 |
| Bitdefender |
1.0.20.730 |
Adware.Generic.377349 |
| Comodo Security |
16296 |
ApplicUnwnt |
| Dr.Web |
9.0.0.0146 |
Adware.BGuard.11 |
| Emsisoft Anti-Malware |
8.13.05.26.01 |
Adware.Generic.377349 |
| ESET-NOD32 |
7.8359 |
a variant of Win32/SProtector.A |
| Fortinet FortiGate |
5/26/2013 |
Adware/Fam.NB |
| F-Secure |
11.2013-26-05_1 |
Adware.Generic.377349 |
| G Data |
13.5.22 |
Adware.Generic.377349 |
| MicroWorld-eScan |
14.0.0.438 |
Adware.Generic.377349 |
| VIPRE Antivirus |
17980 |
Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT |
| psupport.dll (898bdcc577a2b49e8eacaf18ddbb3e7b) has been flagged by the following 22 scanners: |
| Anti-Virus software | Software version | Detection |
| Lavasoft Ad-Aware |
12.0.163.0 |
Gen:Variant.Adware.BHO.Bprotector.1 |
| AhnLab-V3 |
2014.01.24.00 |
PUP/Win32.ADownloader |
| Avira AntiVir |
7.11.126.212 |
Adware/BHO.Bprotector.12 |
| avast! |
8.0.1489.320 |
Win32:Adware-BID [Adw] |
| Baidu-International |
3.5.1.41473 |
Adware.Win32.BHO.40 |
| Bitdefender |
7.2.5028.0 |
Gen:Variant.Adware.BHO.Bprotector.1 |
| Comodo Security |
17665 |
UnclassifiedMalware |
| Dr.Web |
|
Adware.BGuard.42 |
| Emsisoft Anti-Malware |
3.0.0.596 |
Gen:Variant.Adware.BHO.Bprotector.1 (B) |
| ESET-NOD32 |
9331 |
a variant of Win32/SProtector.A |
| F-Secure |
11.0.19100.45 |
Gen:Variant.Adware.BHO.Bprotector.1 |
| G Data |
24 |
Gen:Variant.Adware.BHO.Bprotector.1 |
| Kingsoft AntiVirus |
2013.4.9.267 |
Win32.Troj.Generic.a.(kcloud) |
| Malwarebytes |
1.75.0.1 |
PUP.Optional.SProtect.A |
| McAfee |
5.600.0.1067 |
Generic PUP.a |
| McAfee-GW-Edition |
2013 |
Generic PUP.a |
| MicroWorld-eScan |
12.0.250.0 |
Gen:Variant.Adware.BHO.Bprotector.1 |
| NANO AntiVirus |
0.28.0.57380 |
Trojan.Win32.BGuard.cqshad |
| Sophos |
4.97.0 |
BProtector |
| Symantec |
20131.1.5.61 |
Adware.BL |
| Vba32 AntiVirus |
3.12.24.3 |
AdWare.BHO |
| VIPRE Antivirus |
25750 |
Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT |
| uninstall.exe (b42ff5f0d5e1b6331b9243ca6c78656e) has been flagged by the following 4 scanners: |
| Anti-Virus software | Software version | Detection |
| avast! |
8.0.1489.320 |
NSIS:SProtector-B [PUP] |
| Dr.Web |
|
Adware.BGuard.11 |
| ESET-NOD32 |
9190 |
Win32/SProtector.B |
| VIPRE Antivirus |
24882 |
Sprotector (fs) |
View all 38 all detections
Search Assistant has been found to be bundled with 3rd party software. If you have not purposefully installed this, you should be safe uninstalling it.
Program details
Installation folder: C:\Program Files\websearch
Uninstaller: "C:\Program Files\WebSearch\uninstall.exe" /FULLPATH="C:\Program Files\WebSearch"
Estimated size: 1.53 MB
Files installed by Search Assistant 1.74
| Program module: | sprotector.dll (Malware detected) |
| Path: | C:\Program Files\websearch\sprotector.dll |
| MD5: | 0603547a50f0f44af39c712e3206dfba |
| SProtector has been detected as 'malware' by multiple antivirus products. TrendMicro classifies it as TROJ_GEN.RCBH1L8. ESET calls it a variant of Win32/SProtector.A. QuickHeal identifies SProtector.dll as Worm.SProtector.A3. Avast... |
Additional files:
-
(Malware detected) uninstall.exe
-
(Malware detected) psupport.dll
How do I remove Search Assistant?
You can uninstall Search Assistant from your computer by using the Add/Remove Program feature in the Window's Control Panel.
- On the Start menu (for Windows 8, right-click the screen's bottom-left corner), click Control Panel, and then, under Programs, do one of the following:
- Windows Vista/7/8/10: Click Uninstall a Program.
- Windows XP: Click Add or Remove Programs.
- When you find the program Search Assistant 1.74, click it, and then do one of the following:
- Windows Vista/7/8/10: Click Uninstall.
- Windows XP: Click the Remove or Change/Remove tab (to the right of the program).
- Follow the prompts. A progress bar shows you how long it will take to remove Search Assistant.
- If for some reason uninstallation fails, please install Microsoft's uninstall fixer utility which will help fix problems with programs that can't be uninstalled at support.microsoft.com.
OS VERSIONS
Win 7 (SP1) 66%
Win Vista (SP2) 2%
|
|
USER ACTIONS
 |
Uninstall it 86%
Keep it 14%
|
|
|
GLOBAL RANK
 #27,319
|
Windows
Which Windows OS versions does it run on?
| Windows 7 |
82.76% |
|
| Windows XP |
12.07% |
|
| Windows 10 |
3.45% |
|
| Windows Vista |
1.72% |
|
Which OS releases does it run on? |
| Windows 7 Ultimate |
31.30% |
|
| Windows 7 Home Premium |
29.57% |
|
| Microsoft Windows XP |
11.30% |
|
| Windows 7 Professional |
11.30% |
|
| Windows 7 Home Basic |
4.35% |
|
| Windows 7 Enterprise |
2.61% |
|
Geography
15.63% of installs come from the United States
Which countries install it?
| United States |
15.63% |
| Saudi Arabia |
13.28% |
| DZ |
10.16% |
| TN |
7.03% |
| MA |
6.25% |
| United Arab Emirates |
3.91% |
| Australia |
3.91% |
| Indonesia |
3.91% |
| India |
3.13% |
| Iran |
2.34% |
| Poland |
2.34% |
| SY |
2.34% |
| Belgium |
1.56% |
| Brazil |
1.56% |
PC manufacturers
What PC manufacturers (OEMs) have it installed?
| Acer |
24.72% |
|
| Dell |
22.47% |
|
| Hewlett-Packard |
21.35% |
|
| Toshiba |
13.48% |
|
| GIGABYTE |
10.11% |
|
| ASUS |
3.37% |
|
| Intel |
2.25% |
|
| Samsung |
2.25% |
|
Common models |
| Dell Inspiron N5110 |
3.92% |
|
| Dell Inspiron N5010 |
2.94% |
|
| HP 500B Microtower |
1.96% |
|
| TOSHIBA Satellite A665 |
1.96% |
|
| Acer Aspire 5750G |
1.96% |
|
| TOSHIBA SATELLITE C660 |
1.96% |
|
About Search Assistant SProtector
Alias distribution of the SProtector class of malware.