What is Cactus-search.com

Cactus-search.com is a questionable browser extension that can take over web browsers without users’ consent. Due to this reason, it can be categorized as a browser hijacker. Browser hijacker usually spreads around via other freeware installations and changes browser configuration once it achieves the target browser. As a result, users are forced to use Cactus Search unless they get rid of the browser hijacker. Even though it looks like a legitimate search engine, you should not become deceived, as it is designed for only one aim – to generate advertising revenue from users’ clicks on links or redirects to third-party websites. The thing is commercial content is not controlled by the search engine creators so there is a huge possibility to get exposed to malicious content or even install malware on the system. You can remove Cactus-search.com in two different ways. If it is difficult for you to deal with the manual removal of OptimumSearch, you should definitely use the automatic method.

Brief overview:

Name	Cactus Search
Type of threat	Browser hijacker
URL address	https://cactus-search.com/
Symptoms	Browser hijacker changes homepage and search engine of browser so that users are forced to use them. It fills the targeted browser with commercial content in form of pop-ups, banners, in-text links, audio/video ads, etc. Also, hijacker can occasionally cause redirects to third-party websites
Infiltration	Freeware programs, illegal software, software cracks, torrents, fake updates
Manual Removal	To eliminate threat manually, you should remove all files and applications related to the browser hijacker
Removal Tool	To completely get rid of hijacker, We recommend using SpyHunter. This is the only way you can be 100% sure that all components of the threat are removed from the system.

How to uninstall Cactus-search.com hijacker from your computer?

The easiest and most modern way of removing pop-ups, trojans, ransomware, or other viruses is to use automatic removal tools. See our Anti-malware tools below for further instructions.

Recommended Anti-malware tools:

Also, you can try to uninstall Cactus-search.com hijacker manually.

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Sometimes, an extension cannot be removed because it is supposedly “Managed by your organization”. If this is your case, we recommend that you also use this guide – How to remove Managed by your organization from Chrome?

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Step 1: Remove Cactus-search.com hijacker from Control Panel/Applications

Windows XP:

1. Click Start.
2. Control Panel.
3. Then click Add or Remove Programs.
4. Find Cactus-search.com hijacker.
5. Click Uninstall.

Learn more about uninstallation of programs in Windows XP.

Windows 7/Windows Vista:

1. Click Start.
2. Then Control Panel.
3. Click Uninstall a Program.
4. Find Cactus-search.com and click Uninstall.

Learn more about uninstallation of programs in Windows 7.

Windows 8/Windows 8.1:

1. Open the Menu.
2. Click Search.
3. After that click Apps.
4. Then Control Panel.
5. Then as in Windows 7, click Uninstall a Program under Programs.
6. Find Cactus-search.com, select it and click Uninstall.

Learn more about uninstallation of programs in Windows 8 (8.1).

Windows 10:

1. Click on the Start button (or press the Windows key) to open the Start menu, click on the Settings at the top.
2. Click on App & features on the left menu.
3. On the right side, locate Cactus-search.com and click it, then click on the Uninstall button.
4. Click on Uninstall to confirm.

Learn more about uninstallation of programs in Windows 10

Note: If you can’t find required program, sort programs by date in Control panel and search for last installed programs.

Mac OSX:

1. Open Finder
2. In the Finder sidebar, click Applications
3. If you see Uninstall Cactus-search.com or Cactus-search.com Uninstaller (or other suspicious apps that you’ve never installed), double-click it and follow instructions
4. Drag unwanted application Cactus-search.com from the Applications folder to the Trash (located on the right side of the Dock)

Learn more about uninstallation of programs in Mac OSX

After that uninstall Cactus-search.com from your browser.

Step 2: Remove Cactus-search.com from browsers

Google Chrome:

If you cannot remove the extension from Google Chrome, as the delete icon is greyed out and the extension is marked as “managed by your organization”, you should first perform steps described in the How to remove Managed by your organization from Chrome? article and only then proceed with the removal.

1. Open Google Chrome
2. Click on 3-dots icon in the upper right corner and select Tools.
3. Choose Extensions.
4. Find Cactus-search.com.
5. Click the trash can icon to remove it.

Learn more about removing extensions from Chrome.

Safari:

1. Open Safari
2. Click Safari menu.
3. Choose Extensions.
4. Find Cactus-search.com or other suspicious extensions.
5. Click Uninstall button to remove it.

Learn more about removing extensions from Safari.

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Firefox.
2. Push Shift + Ctrl + A.
3. Choose Cactus-search.com.
4. Click Disable or Remove button.

Learn more about removing extensions from Firefox.

Microsoft Edge:

1. Press Settings and more button
2. Choose and Click on Extensions
3. Find Cactus-search.com extension and click settings
4. Press Uninstall button
5. Start Edge again

Learn more about removing extensions from Edge.

Internet Explorer:

1. Open IE.
2. Push Alt + T.
3. Click Manage Add-ons.
4. Select Toolbars and Extensions.
5. Click Disable Cactus-search.com.
6. Click More information link in the left-bottom corner.
7. Click Remove button.
8. If this button is grayed out – perform alternative steps.

Learn more about removing extensions from IE.

Step 3: Resetting your browser search and homepage settings

Reset browser setting in Safari:

1. Open Safari.
2. Click on the Safari menu.
3. Choose Reset Safari….
4. Click Reset button.

Learn more about resetting browser settings in Safari.

Reset browser setting in Google Chrome:

1. Click the Chrome menu (3 bar button) in the top right corner.
2. Choose Settings.
3. Click Show advanced settings.
4. Go to Reset browser settings section.
5. Click Reset browser settings.
6. In the dialog that appears, click Reset.

Learn more about resetting browser settings in Google Chrome.

Reset browser setting in Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Mozilla Firefox.
2. Go to Help.
3. Go to Troubleshooting information.
4. Click Reset Firefox… button.

Learn more about resetting browser settings in Mozilla Firefox.