My homepage has always been Google then suddenly it has been changed to Topfindings.net. I know it is some kind of hijack virus but I cannot get rid of it. I’ve looked over tons of information of how to remove it manually, but I can’t find any of the files associated to this hijacker. I downloaded Malwarebytes to scan my PC and it detected some PUPs, but it didn’t make any changes after I removed those PUPs. This site is still taking over Internet Explorer browser. My computer is Windows 8.1 if that helps. Please help!!!
Topfindings.net is another spam search site that closely associated with adware, browser hijacker or potentially unwanted programs. This website is questionable. It masquerades as a helpful search engine to take over user’s web browser (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer), but it will never display reliable search results for computer users. This bogus search provider only shows you altered search results which are usually filled with suspicious links and pop-up ads. It modifies your browser settings in order to change your default homepage, redirect URLs and Web searches to its own page and generate traffic to boost affiliate payment. Browser hijacking malware is not something new but it is a popular online fraud that frustrates most computer users nowadays. This threat can create a lot of troubles once upon detection. It can display various ads which can be in different forms such as in-text, pop-up, pop-under, contextual and banner advertisements on the side of your web browser whenever you are online. As a result, your surfing experience will be interrupted terribly.
Furthermore, Topfindings.net hijacker can inject its malicious extensions to user’s web browser which usually cause slow network speed and browser crash problem. Once the browser is hijacked, new tab/window with various advertisements can be opened without your permission. Those ads may alert you that your computer has some viruses and then force you to purchase a fake antivirus program. They are not only annoying, but malicious as well. Once you click on any of the ads, you could be redirected to corrupted websites that could install malware to your system without asking for any permission. Although this webpage looks regular, in comparison to the most popular web browsers like Google, Yahoo and Bing, Top Findings Search is not that reliable. As stated in “Privacy Policy” on its web page, it contains tracking cookies that can be used to collect your information like IP address, PC’s location, email address and chat history. No one guarantee if those collected information is safe and will never be leaked out or used by criminals for illegal purposes. Not to mention that Topfindings.net hijacker can reduce PC performance and disconnect Internet frequently. We highly suggest computer users remove Topfindings.net hijacking malware as soon as it is found.
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.
Browser hijacker infection like Topfindings.net may enter your system as an add-on for your browser or bundled-up with some free software. Most of time, it can be downloaded from a website you visited, something you clicked on, or a pop-up that you did not request to view. You may not even know when and how you download this browser hijacker which compromises your internet security until you find your computer is fully messed up. A hijack virus is a type of computer virus known for its ability to disrupt your Internet browsing. It can redirect your Internet searches to random sites, disallow you from visiting certain Web sites, and change your Internet home page. In addition, it is able to slow your computer, decrease your available memory, and flood your computer with popup advertisements. When you detect the presence of such malicious hijacker, a complete removal is needed without any hesitation.
1. You keep getting random pop-ups opening in new browser tabs.
2. When clicking on Google search links you get taken to sites that have nothing to do with the subject you searched for.
3. Anti-virus and firewall software won’t start.
4. Internet stops working.
5. Unknown software has been installed without your authorization.
6. You can’t access reputable sites unless you type the URL into the navigation bar
Topfindings.net hijacks your browser to redirect your web search results and changes the homepage and browser settings. To completely uninstall it from an infected system, manual removal is the first choice because sometimes antivirus software cannot pick up the exact computer threat timely or remove it permanently. Now most browser hijackers are quite similar to spyware and adware threats and therefore cannot be removed with the help of popular antivirus products. Users can follow the manual guide here to get rid of this browser hijacker completely.
1. Clear all the cookies of your affected browsers.
Since this tricky hijacker virus has the ability to use cookies for tracing and tracking the internet activity of users, it is suggested users delete all the cookies before a complete removal.
Google Chrome:
Click on the “Tools” menu 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”
To remove all cookies click on the “Remove All Cookies” button
2. End the malicious process from Task Manager.
Once Topfindings.netVirus Hijacker is installed, computer user may notice that CPU usage randomly jumps to 100 percent. At any time Windows always has many running processes. A process is an individual task that the computer runs. In general, the more processes, the more work the computer has to do and the slower it will run. If your system’s CPU spike is constant and remain at a constant 90-95%, 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 to quickly bring up Task Manager Window：
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 related to Ads by Topfindings.net hijacker manually.
%AppData%Local[random].exe
C:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\*.exe
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main StartPage
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Topfindings.net is a browser hijacker that can take over Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and even Safari. It usually comes bundled with other freeware that can be downloaded from the Internet. For instance, when you download and install some media players or PDF generator from unreliable website, there is a chance that Topfindings.net hijacker will be downloaded and installed alongside without your awareness. When it is installed, it performs tons of malicious activities on your machine especially for interrupting your browsing sessions. It changes your default homepage and refuses to let you change it back to your favorite sites. Meanwhile, it will flood the corrupted web browsers with advertisements in all kinds of forms, such as pop-up, pop-under, in-text, banner or contextual advertisements. New tab or even window with advertisement on it can be opened on any of your web browsers as well. The only goal of such virus is to use the artificial traffic to boost affiliate payments. Although it can be used to search some information, there is no chance of knowing what kind of websites it redirects you to and whether the website is safe or not. Topfindings.net is associated with browser hijacker and adware so it must be deleted without any delay.
Note: If you are not a computer expert and have no idea how to perform the removal, please contact experts from YooCare Online Tech Support for further help.
Published by on October 25, 2015 7:26 am, last updated on October 25, 2015 7:26 am
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