Mar 8, 2015

Websearch.searchitup.info Virus Removal

My laptop has been hijacked by Websearch.searchitup.info virus since yesterday and the virus replaced my default homepage and won’t let it change it back to Yahoo anyway. It also displayed crazy ads on my browser that disturbed me so much. I’ve searched the web ’til my fingers bleed but still can’t seem to find a way to get rid of the thing. I have already deleted all the suspicious add-ons, also ran every scanner I found on the web, however the virus was still there. I also uninstalled firefox, then reinstalled, didn’t help. What should I do?

Websearch.searchitup.info Description:

Websearch.searchitup.info is a questionable website that imitates itself as a legitimate and trustworthy search engine and then forces users to set it as the default homepage or search provider. In fact, this page is associated with browser hijacker, adware or potentially unwanted programs and it cannot offer users any relevant search results they want. This spam search only displays ads for computer users and it also can redirect computer users to shady websites against their will. The virus attacks web browsers like Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari, and then causes a lot of inconveniences to interrupt user’s browsing activities.

Once installed, it takes control of your web browsers and then changes your home page to its own website where you can see a fake search engine and various ads. Besides, every time you go to Google to search up something, it lags and then when you click a link, it redirects you to a different site. It also installs unwanted applications, browser helper objects (add-ons, extensions, toolbars), and third party programs to your computer without your awareness. A computer attacked by Websearch.searchitup.info hijacker always has frequent errors and browser instability issues. When you try to go online, your browser keeps freezing and may show you “Not responding” error. It always takes a long time to open any webpage or videos. In addition, you will see endless ads on your screen during your browsing sessions. Once you click on the ads, it may force you to visit irrelevant pages again and again and could install other threats to your computer. It is very difficult to remove browser hijacking malware with the help of the commonly available antivirus products. Therefore, Websearch.searchitup.info virus should be removed manually instead.

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

Websearch.searchitup.info Redirect Image:

Websearch.searchitup.info

Potential Dangers Caused by A Hijacker Virus:

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.

How Can Websearch.searchitup.info Hijacker Get On Your PC?

Browser hijacker infection like Websearch.searchitup.info 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.

It May Initiate the Following Symptoms:

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

Malicious Browser Hijacker Manual Removal Guides:

Websearch.searchitup.info 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.

clear browser data

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”

delete browsing history

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

Remove All Cookie

2. End the malicious process from Task Manager.

Once Websearch.searchitup.info redirect 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:

task manager

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.

show-hidden-files

4. Remove all the malicious files related to Websearch.searcholic.info 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

Video Shows You How to Safely Modify Windows Registry Editor:

If your start page was replaced with Websearch.searcholic.info, then your browser must have been hijacked by browser hijacker virus or you may download potentially unwanted programs accidentally without your awareness. Although this page looks like most of the other search providers, it tries to advertise sponsored websites, so you cannot really trust its results. Once the hijacker is installed, it can collect the terms of your search queries, record your browsing history and monitor your online activities without your knowledge. The purpose of the program is to advertise various websites and gain money from clicks on affiliate links. It may not really harm your computer, but it uses unfair techniques to infiltrate into systems and it can violate your privacy. So it is strongly recommended to remove Websearch.searcholic.info virus once it takes over any of your browsers and keep your computer safe.
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 & last updated on March 8, 2015 7:23 am

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