Erasing iTheatre Search Plus (Browser Hijacker/PUP)

What is iTheatre Search Plus? And how does it function?

iTheatre Search Plus is a browser extension that supposedly functions as a search engine. It also claims to provide users with unique features and search tools as well as movies. At first glance, it may look like a harmless search engine with a handful of features but it’s not your typical search engine since it is actually categorized as a browser hijacker by security experts.
If you ended up installing this browser hijacker, you will quickly notice that your default search provider, homepage and new tab page, are not the same as before. This isn’t a surprise since iTheatre Search Plus isn’t categorized as a browser hijacker for nothing – if installed, it will modify the default settings of your browser. After its installation, you will notice sudden changes in the behavior of your browser. One of these changes is the increase number of advertisements such as banners, pop-ups, in-text links and so on. And as if that is not annoying enough, these ads can also redirect you to suspicious parts of the web. Moreover, this browser hijacker also uses tracking technology to obtain information related to your browsing like search queries, browsing history, IP address, websites you frequently visit, and many more.
Even though iTheatre Search Plus is not that harmless, that doesn’t mean that it can’t really do any harm to your computer. As mentioned, it can redirect you to suspicious websites and these sites might contain malicious content or program that could harm your computer. So before it reaches that point, you have to erase iTheatre Search Plus from your computer as soon as you can.
How is iTheatre Search Plus distributed over the web?
Although iTheatre Search Plus is distributed in the Chrome Web Store, just like a common browser hijacker, it is also distributed in free sharing sites as a part of software bundles. Along with other suspicious programs, it is packed as one of the optional components in free software packages. And the thing about optional components is that you won’t know their existence unless you select the Custom or Advanced installation setup. This is why if you really have to install software bundles, do so using the recommended setup and not the standard one to prevent unwanted programs like iTheatre Search Plus from getting installed in your computer.
Erase iTheatre Search Plus from your browser and computer by following the removal instructions provided below.
Step 1: First, you have to flush the DNS cache. To do that, just, right click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator). From there, type the “ipconfig /flushdns” command and hit Enter to flush the DNS.
Step 2: Next, close the browser infected with ITheatre Search Plus but if you are unable to do so, you can close it via Task Manager. Tap Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open the Task Manager and from there, end the browser’s process.
Step 3: After that, restart your computer and then open all the browsers infected by ITheatre Search Plus. Reset all the affected browsers to default to their default state.
Google Chrome

Open Google Chrome, then tap the Alt + F keys.
After that, click on Settings.
Next, scroll down until you see the Advanced option, once you see it, click on it.
After clicking the Advanced option, go to the “Restore and clean up option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
Now restart Google Chrome.

Mozilla Firefox

Open Mozilla Firefox and tap Ctrl + Shift + A to access the Add-ons Manager.
In the Extensions menu Remove the unwanted extension.
Restart the browser and tap keys Alt + T.
Select Options and then move to the General menu.
Overwrite the URL in the Home Page section and then restart the browser.

Internet Explorer

Launch Internet Explorer.
Next, click the wrench icon for Settings.
Then click Internet Options.
After that, go to the Advanced tab.
From there, click the Reset button. This will reset Internet Explorer’s settings to their default condition.
Now click OK to save the changes made.
Restart your computer.

Step 4: Next, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “appwiz.cpl” in the field and press Enter to open the Programs and Features in Control Panel.
Step 5: From the list of programs installed, look for ITheatre Search Plus or any unfamiliar program that could be related to it under the list of installed programs and once you’ve found it, uninstall it.

Step 6: Edit your Hosts File.

Tap the Win + R keys to open then type in %WinDir% and then click OK.
Go to System32/drivers/etc.
Open the hosts file using Notepad.
Delete all the entries that contain ITheatre Search Plus.
After that, save the changes you’ve made and close the file.

Step 7: Hold down Windows + E keys simultaneously to open File Explorer.
Step 8: Navigate to the following directories and look for suspicious files associated to the browser hijacker such as the software bundle it came with and delete it/them.

%USERPROFILE%\Downloads
%USERPROFILE%\Desktop
%TEMP%

Step 9: Close the File Explorer.
Step 10: Empty the contents of Recycle Bin.
Once you’re done executing the given steps above, follow the advanced instructions given below to ensure the removal of ITheatre Search Plus as well as all the file residues it left behind.
Perform a full system scan using [product-code]. To do so, follow these steps:

Turn on your computer. If it’s already on, you have to reboot it.
After that, the BIOS screen will be displayed, but if Windows pops up instead, reboot your computer and try again. Once you’re on the BIOS screen, repeat pressing F8, by doing so the Advanced Option shows up.
1. To navigate the Advanced Option use the arrow keys and select Safe Mode with Networking then hit
2. Windows will now load the Safe Mode with Networking.
3. Press and hold both R key and Windows key.
1. If done correctly, the Windows Run Box will show up.
2. Type in the URL address, [product-url] in the Run dialog box and then tap Enter or click OK.
3. After that, it will download the program. Wait for the download to finish and then open the launcher to install the program.
4. Once the installation process is completed, run [product-code] to perform a full system scan.
1. After the scan is completed click the “Fix, Clean & Optimize Now” button.