SearchOffModule

from Goobzo Ltd.

Remove SearchOffModule by Goobzo

What is SearchOffModule?

The SearchOffModule browser adware interferes with your Internet browsing by taking control over your browser on the web pages you attempt to view. It does this by injecting advertisements that would normally not appear on the web page, which may include search links, text links, video, product comparisons and reviews, coupons, graphics or banners, or other content displayed through your browser. If there is an offer which matches your online behavior, you will receive a pop up notification while using Internet Explorer, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. It does this on any web page you visit by tracking your online behavior and feeding this back to its remote ad servers.

Overview

During setup, the program registers itself to launch on boot through a Windows Schedule Task in order to automatically start-up (this is typically done to avoid any UAC prompts). It adds a background controller service that is set to automatically run. Delaying the start of this service is possible through the service manager. The main program executable is smw.sys. Typically most users end up uninstalling this just after a few days. The software installer includes 10 files and is usually about 5.31 MB (5,570,807 bytes). Updater.exe is the automatic update component of the software designed to download and apply new updates should new versions be released.

Possible malware installed by this program
Starts automatically
Adds a background Windows Service
Installed as part of a co-bundle
Displays unwanted advertisements
The wisdom of the crowd agrees, you should remove it!

Warning, multiple anti-virus scanners have detected possible malware in SearchOffModule.

smw.sys (bfa7e63ff5e61f26e5b4126fad2da897) has been flagged by the following 13 scanners:
Anti-Virus software	Version	Detection
AhnLab-V3	2015.07.20	PUP/Win32.ShopperPro
Antiy-AVL	1.0.0.1	GrayWare[AdWare:not-a-virus]/Win32.Shopper
AVG	2016.0.3015	Generic
AVware	1.5.0.21	Goobzo (fs)
Bkav FE	1.3.0.6979	W32.HfsAdware
Dr.Web	9.0.0.0228	Adware.Shopper.866
ESET-NOD32	9.11967	a variant of Win32/ShopperPro.C potentially unwanted
IKARUS anti.virus	t3scan.1.9.5.0	PUA.ShopperPro
Jiangmin	KV150816	AdWare/Shopper.kp
Malwarebytes	v2015.08.16.07	PUP.Optional.Goobzo.SID.A
SUPERAntiSpyware	9687	Adware.ShopperPro/Variant
Vba32 AntiVirus	3.12.26.4	AdWare.Shopper
VIPRE Antivirus	42164	Goobzo (fs)

View all 13 all detections

SearchOffModule 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

Displayed publisher: Goobzo

Installation folder: C:\Program Files\common files\goobzo\gbupdate

Uninstaller: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Goobzo\GBUpdate\smUninstall.exe

Estimated size: 5.31 MB

Files installed by SearchOffModule

Program executable:	smw.sys (Malware detected)
Path:	C:\Program Files\common files\goobzo\gbupdate\smw.sys
MD5:	bfa7e63ff5e61f26e5b4126fad2da897

Additional files:

Updater.exe - Update Helper
smci32.dll (by Search Module) - SBWatchman (Search Module Update Service)
sma.exe - W (agent)
smu.exe (by Search Module)
rlz_id.dll
SBIEBrowserHelperObject.dll
smi32.exe
smp.exe
SMUninstall.exe

Behaviors exhibited

2 Scheduled Tasks (Boot/Login)

Updater.exe is automatically launched at startup through a scheduled task named SMWUpd.
smp.exe is automatically launched at startup through a scheduled task named Smp.

Service

smu.exe runs as a service named 'Search Module Update' (SMUpd).

How do I remove SearchOffModule?

You can uninstall SearchOffModule 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 SearchOffModule, 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 SearchOffModule.
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.