Feb 28, 2014

DownloadActivate.com Redirect Removal Guide

My browser is infected by DownloadActivate.com, this site has taken over my whole browser and I can not remove it at all. All the browsers including Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome are infected by this nasty redirect virus. How can I remove this site from my browser? Will it damage my files and data? Should I try anti-virus program or other security tools? Any help will be appreciated.

What is DownloadActivate.com Redirect Virus :

DownloadActivate.com is a malicious site which will show fake message to cheat the naive PC users. Usually Internet Explorer is the first target but Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome can be infected as well, PC user may get the virus infection while opening some infected programs and processes. Once the virus process has been activated, DownloadActivate.com redirect virus will infect the browser immediately but most of the PC users don’t notice it. This site will be shown automatically and frequently on one browse, however, this redirect virus will infect all the browsers when the time goes by. The browser hijack redirect can cause chaos on the infected browser and whole computer which makes PC users annoyed, this DownloadActivate.comsite needs to be removed completely to keep the infected computer safe.

In general, cyber criminals will force some fake message and publish on the DownloadActivate.com site, they use this way to let PC users download some programs and processes. Some PC users may follow its instruction because they have no idea about this nasty redirect virus infection. If PC users install the programs offered by this site, their machines will be infected by other threats easily and the infected machine will be in a high-risk situation of being attacked by cyber criminals. This browser hijack redirect has been one of the most nasty redirect viruses on the Internet, PC users need to be careful while surfing on the Internet.

The following instructions require certain levels of computer skills. If you’re not sure and are afraid of making any critical mistakes during the process, please live chat with YooCare Expert now.

The Screen shot of the DownloadActivate.com Redirect

DownloadActivate-com-virus

Symptoms of Infection:

Once the infected computer is infected by the browser hijack redirect virus, it will cause terrible virus infection. The infected computer will run much slower than before, PC users will have to spend more time opening a webpage or watching a video. Sometimes the browser can crash frequently which makes PC users annoyed, the browser hijack virus is able to redirect the infected PC to visit other malicious website with different viruses and threats on it, and lots of the popping-up webpage will appear while surfing on the Internet. In a word, the browser hijack redirect virus can cause chaos and problems on the infected computer.

How Can This Virus Attack the Computer?

How did you get DownloadActivate.com virus on your computer? Usually these kinds of the viruses will be planted to some programs especially free programs, .exe, .bat or other executable processes and unsafe links. The computer will get the virus infection when the PC users install, open or click on these infected files. Sometimes the virus can even attack the computer by the files on the USB stick as well. Most of the unsafe website and forum will contain the virus infection, the computer can be infected while visiting these webpages.

Manual Removal Guides:

The browser hijack redirect virus is an extremely dangerous threat on the infected computer. Registry and other system settings can be modified by it completely, that is the reason the nasty redirect virus can escape the tracking of the security tools like anti-virus program or firewall. It is strongly suggested that PC user should get rid of this redirect virus in a manual way to uninstall it. Learn more from the manual removal guide below.

1. Clean cookies

* Internet Explorer: Tools → Internet Options →the General tab, Delete the Cookies button can be directly seen in IE6, IE7 is to click the Delete Browsing History button then tick Cookies and click Delete.

* Firefox:Tools → Options → Privacy → Remove Individual Cookies → Delete corresponding cookies in the cookies showing box.

* Opera:Tools → Preferences → Advanced → Cookies →Delete corresponding cookies in Management Cookies.

2. Clean add-ons and extensions

* Internet Explorer:

(1). Click Start, type: Manage browser add-ons

(2). Hit Enter on your keyboard

(3). Click Manage add-on and disable all the suspicious add-on.

* Firefox:

(1). Click the Firefox menu and click Add-on

(2). Click Extensions, select the related browser add-on and click Disable.

* Google Chrome:

(1). Click the Customize and Control menu button →Tools→ click Extensions

(2). Select the related Extension and click Disable.

3. Show hidden files and folders.
a. For XP: Press Win+E together, click on Tools, then choose Folder Options

For Vista, 7 and 8: Press Win+E together, click on Organize, then choose Folder and search options.
b. 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. Open Registry entries. Find out the malicious files and entries of the virus and then delete all.

Attention: Always be sure to back up your PC before making any changes.

a. Press Win+R to get the Run window. In the “Open” field, type “regedit” and click the “OK” button.

Run

regitry editor

b. All malicious files and registry entries that should be deleted:

%AllUsersProfile%\random.exe

%AppData%\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Templates\random.exe

%Temp%\random.exe

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\[RANDOM CHARACTERS].exe

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion

(2). Find out and remove the associated files of this browser hijacker virus.

Video Shows You How to Safely Modify Windows Registry Editor:

Summary

DownloadActivate.com is a malicious website to collect information from the infected browser and the whole computer, the entire information on the infected browser will be in an unsafe situation once this virus process has been installed. What is bad, this malicious site can also mess up system settings and registry so that it can replace the homepage and other items easily, PC have to take long time on opening browsers and other programs. DownloadActivate.com is not a reliable site, PC users need to remove this site completely to protect the data. Next time if this redirect virus has infected the browser, PC users had better get rid of it without any hesitation.

If you are not sure which files are related to malware, please contact experts from YooCare Online Tech Support for further help.

Published by & last updated on February 28, 2014 11:37 am

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