How to remove AnchorFree redirect virus from Google Chrome, Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox? Why your homepage is replaced and your browser is redirected to websites like search.anchorfree.net, www.anchorfree.com or Home.anchorfree.com? Follow the guides below to find out an effective manual way and completely remove this nasty redirect virus.
AnchorFree Redirect is an annoying issue that can be downloaded to computers in different ways. It may come to your PC directly from its web site www.anchorfree.com or it can be also downloaded together with other freeware software. As soon as it is installed, it changes your home page to search.anchorfree.net without asking for your permission to do that. This website is another fake search engine site with a limited reputation on the web and it is used to promote the program called Hotspot Shield. Although this program claims it protects your privacy and enables you to access any blocked websites and content, no one know if it is true or not until the program is installed. A part of PC users who download Hotspot Shield will find out it is such a pain for them to go online after the tool is installed.
AnchorFree Redirect can add new toolbar, change your homepage and default search provider. More than that, pop-up advertisements could be displayed while you are browsing the net. If unfortunately you click on any of the notifications, you will put your computer in a risky situation because it may bring you other viruses or you will be redirected to other websites you don’t want at all. AnchorFree is a browser hijacker triggered by a search virus programmed to hijack Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Mozilla Firefox browsers, you should eliminate it as quickly as you can once upon detection.
It belongs to browser hijacker virus which can totally mess up your browser setting.
It changes your default DNS configuration and blocks you accessing your favorite sites.
It may install some malware in your computer to make bad influence without your consent.
It degenerates your computer performance gradually.
Once your computer is attacked by AnchorFree redirect, it may force the victim to visit ads site randomly and also take over the victim’s web browser completely, forcing all online activity through the AnchorFree website. Malware associated with this redirect virus will often also include a rootkit component designed to conceal the presence of this malware as well as disabling any legitimate security programs that it detects on the infected computer. Hence, if you want to completely remove this nasty virus, a manual removal is needed.
Considering AnchorFree redirect can’t be fixed by any security tools, uses can use the manual guide below to fix this issue without any risk.
1. Clear all the cookies of your affected browsers.
Since tricky hijacker virus has the ability to use cookies for tracing and tracking the internet activity of users, it is suggested users to delete all the cookies before a complete removal.
Google Chrome:
Click on the “Tools” menu and select “Options”.
Click the “Under the Bonnet” tab, locate the “Privacy” section and click the “Clear browsing data” button.
Select “Delete cookies and other site data” to delete all cookies from the list.
Internet Explorer:
Open Internet explorer window
Click the “Tools” button
Point to “safety” and then click “delete browsing history”
Tick the “cookies” box, then click “delete”
Mozilla Firefox:
Click on Tools, then Options, select Privacy
Click “Remove individual cookies”
In the Cookies panel, click on “Show Cookies”
To remove a single cookie click on the entry in the list and click on the “Remove Cookie button”
To remove all cookies click on the “Remove All Cookies button”
2. End the malicious process from Task Manager.
Once this dangerous redirect is installed, computer user may notice that CPU usage randomly jumps to 100 percent, slowing down the computer. If your system’s CPU spike is constant, users should check from Task Manager and see if there is a suspicious process occupying the system resources and then end it immediately.
(The name of the virus process can be random.)
Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc at the same time and it will open up task manager directly. Then change to “Processes” tab.
3. Show hidden files and folders.
Open Folder Options by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization, and then clicking Folder Options.
Click the View tab.
Under Advanced settings, click Show hidden files and folders, uncheck Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) and then click OK.
4. Remove all the malicious files manually.
%AppData%Local[random].exe
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\run\
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Temp
AnchorFree Redirect Virus is a typical browser hijacker that blocks you from browsing the web pages while you are trying to surf on your Internet browser. Other damages it can bring on your PC include: 1. Home page or other settings are changed on your computer. 2. You can’t navigate to certain web pages, such as antispyware and other security software sites. 3. A seemingly endless barrage of ads pops up on your screen. 4. New toolbars or Favorites are installed that give you icons and links to web pages that you don’t want. 5. Your computer runs sluggishly. Since this virus intends to replace your current home page with its own search box and bring you such inconvenience, it is suggested to get rid of AnchorFree redirect virus quickly without any hesitation.
Kindly Reminder: If you failed to remove the virus, please contact YooCare PC experts now for instant help to avoid any mistake such as data lost and system crash during the manual removal.
Published by on July 5, 2013 4:05 am, last updated on July 5, 2013 4:05 am
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