Metacrawler.com

Metacrawler.com is a search engine-consolidating website that gathers the results of Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc and presents them in its search page. Although malware analysts have found that Metacrawler.com is a safe website that isn't associated with any noticeable PC threats, there are many less reputable websites than Metacrawler.com that borrow Metacrawler.com's content while using browser hijackers to promote their own domains. If you're redirected to a website that uses Metacrawler.com's results, see such sites as your default homepage or experience other Metacrawler.com-related browser issues, your PC is infected by a browser hijacker and may also be compromised by other types of malware. Since most browser hijackers that promote the innocent Metacrawler.com and Metacrawler.com-exploiting websites will try to evade standard removal methods, application of anti-malware software to find and delete all PC threats from your machine should be considered the easiest solution.

Twice-Copied Content with PC Threats That Promote Metacrawler.com... Through Their Chosen Portal

As a site that combines the results of several search engines for its own profit, Metacrawler.com can be considered guilty of having an overly-generous content-borrowing philosophy, but there are no signs of Metacrawler.com being linked to malware distribution, browser attacks or any other behavior that would merit Metacrawler.com as an untrustworthy website. Despite these signs, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers are also forced to note that many types of browser hijackers will promote disreputable websites that, themselves, borrow content from Metacrawler.com, often (but not always) through a malicious toolbar or other type of browser plugin.

Search.fantastigames.com is the most recent example that SpywareRemove.com malware research team has seen of a site that exploits Metacrawler.com for this purpose and uses browser-hijacking malware to redirect you to itself and gain free traffic without even bothering to provide any original content. Your homepage may be locked to a Metacrawler.com portal, you may be redirected when you try to use any other search sites and your overall browser performance is likely to be reduced. Contact with these sites usually is not directly dangerous, since browser hijackers for Metacrawler.com-dependent websites tend to be distributed through unrelated software channels (most predominantly, torrenting networks and freeware sites).

Climbing Out of the Pit with Metacrawler.com as the Bottom

If you're experienced browser attacks that promote Metacrawler.com or sites that are related to Metacrawler.com, you should also be aware that such attacks may include information-stealing functions, such as web page injection attacks or form-grabbing. Even though contact with Metacrawler.com can be considered perfectly safe, the presence of browser hijackers that force you to visit Metacrawler.com should never be considered anything other than a security risk to be stamped out by an anti-malware application of your choice.

SpywareRemove.com malware research team recommends that you use the most extensive system-scanning options that are available, and additionally suggest using Safe Mode or, if required, a boot from a USB drive, which can block related PC threats that may try to protect a browser hijacker. Some browser hijackers are installed along with such high-level threats as rootkits and banking Trojans – neither of which are likely to display obvious symptoms to let you know that they're attacking your PC.