You might have been convinced that Vista Search offers a beneficial service, but that is questionable. It certainly does allow surfing the web via its search tool, portal.vista-search.com, but that does not mean that the service is beneficial or reliable. In fact, our malware experts are warning that if you install the PUP (potentially unwanted program), you could be exposed to suspicious search results. The problem is that these results can be represented via Yahoo Search, and so many users could just assume that they are legitimate and trustworthy. That is not the case. In reality, webcoapps is responsible for injecting sponsored links into the results you see, and who’s to say that they can be trusted? In fact, we do not even know who could use the PUP to show what. That is why it is no surprise that many users choose to delete Vista Search. Luckily, the removal of this PUP is not a huge task.
Only Google Chrome users could download Vista Search at the time of research, and they could only do it via chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/vista-search/cdiakgkbkfoakidepdpkcoojihiaafbi. Of course, the installer of this potentially unwanted program could have been introduced to you when you were trying to download something else entirely. Bundled downloaders are very popular these days, and the creators of less known or malicious programs love them because they can be used to spread something like Vista Search. A much more attractive program could be brought to the front, and all less known and perhaps less reliable programs could hide behind it. If that is how you downloaded the PUP, you have to make sure that you inspect your system. Install a malware scanner that is trustworthy, and it will let you know right away if there is anything malicious that you need to delete. If you need removal guides, use our search box at the top, or post a comment below, and we will provide you with the information you need.
The interface of Vista Search engine – which is represented at portal.vista-search.com – offers a calculator, and file/currency converters. This is an attractive addition. However, the main service is the web search tool, and if you type keywords into the presented dialog box, you are automatically redirected to Yahoo Search. Some users might feel like that is not a big deal whatsoever, but it is. That is because the PUP modifies the search results that are shown, which makes them questionable and potentially unreliable. Of course, Vista Search promises to offer enhanced services, which might automatically make you think that these services are meant to be better somehow. In reality, the PUP modifies the results for its own benefit. If you click on the ads/sponsored links included, the creator of the extension is likely to earn money. The problem is that we do not know who this creator supports and if the ads can be trusted.
If you enjoy Vista Search, you might decide that it is a good idea to keep this tool around. If that is your decision, you also have to be okay with information-tracking technologies and ads appearing in your search results. If you are not comfortable with that – and rightfully so – we recommend removing Vista Search from your Google Chrome browser. You can do that yourself, and we have created a step-by-step guide to make sure that you know exactly how to get rid of the PUP. This is a great option, but once you have your browser cleaned, you might remain vulnerable. If legitimate security software does not exist to guard you, you should take this opportunity to install it. You can even use it to delete Vista Search and other PUPs or threats if they exist.