ScaryBear Software

The present-day computer infections are way more intricate, insidious and perhaps even delicate than the stereotypical association with hardware crashes, PC access lockout or hacker-initiated remote access. How about a sample of malicious software that only affects the Internet side of one’s cyber life? That’s precisely what Speed Dial Search tends to do.

The above-mentioned entity is technically an adware, meaning that it’s tailored to promote certain services or products online even if the user is reluctant to view the advertisements it generates. This wretched goal is attained through browser hijacking, where the preferences for Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome or other web surfing client get changed without the victim’s consent. So, in this case the homepage and default search engine are simply substituted with http://speedial.com or http://search.speedial.com – the main moneymaking instrument of the Internet rascals behind this entire adware campaign.

Another possible side effect of Speed Dial’s activity on a target computer is the distortion of shortcut settings for various applications. This greatly increases the number of hits to the unwanted landing page on the infested PC. A respective string may simply be added to the Target value, which means that every instance of app launch is going to be followed by the same window popping up. So, what’s so special about that web page from the fraudsters’ perspective and why is this web traffic such a lure to those guys? Once you take a look at the results pages on Search.speedial.com, it doesn’t take a mastermind to realize they’ve got ads literally all over the place – at the top, at the bottom and over to the right. The loads of embedded sponsored links make this business model thrive big time.

Getting infected with this threat is just as unauthorized and covert as its pranks on the compromised machine. It mainly bundles with third-party applications, the most likely ones being multimedia-related (video downloaders, media players), PDF converters, spoof software updates, etc. Note that Speed Dial browser helper object is nowhere to be mentioned in the setup wizards for the above.

The removal part of this article covers a thoroughly tested fix that will help you get rid of Speed Dial virus.

Speed Dial search removal with automatic cleanup tool

An optimal workflow for eliminating the Speedial Search virus is to leverage a security application which will identify all potentially malicious software on your computer and handle it the right way. This approach ensures thoroughness of the removal and system remediation, and allows avoiding unintended damage that might occur as a result of manual malware deletion.

1. Download and install Speedial Search removal software. Launch it and click the Start New Scan button. Wait for the application to check your computer for threats

2. When the app is done scanning your system, it will come up with an extensive list of detected objects. Click the Fix Threats option to have the utility completely remove Speed Dial Search and affiliated infections found on your PC.

Uninstall troublemaking software through Control Panel

– Go to Start menu and select Control Panel on the list

– Click on the Uninstall a program (Add or Remove Programs) button

– Take a good look at the software list displayed. Search for an application installed recently and prior to Speedial Search issues. It’s typically free Flash-related software, file format converters, media apps and the like. When found, the probable culprit should be uninstalled

– Unfortunately, it’s not easy to figure out which program is associated with Speedial Search virus in your case. If you are unsure, stick to the automatic cleanup advice or try the browser reset option described below.

Remove Speed Dial Search virus by resetting the affected browser

FYI: This procedure will lead to the loss of custom browser settings, including bookmarks, cookies, passwords saved, and all browsing history. Please keep this in mind when making a decision to proceed.

Reset Internet Explorer to its defaults

– Go to Tools –> Internet Options

– Select the Advanced tab as shown below and click the Reset button

– Read the warning about the effects of resetting IE. If you are sure, proceed by checking the Delete personal settings option and clicking Reset

Reset Mozilla Firefox

– Go to Help – Troubleshooting Information

– Firefox will come up with the Troubleshooting Information screen. Click the Reset Firefox button to complete the process

Reset Google Chrome

– Go to the Chrome Menu icon and pick Settings on the list

– Click on the Show advanced settings button

– Click on the button reading Reset browser settings

– On the notification box that pops up, review the consequences of Chrome reset and click Reset if it’s ok with you

Double-checking never hurts

To make sure the Speedial Search virus has been removed, consider running an additional security scan as a completion of the cleanup procedure