Setleaf “Virus” Removal (Chrome, Firefox, IE)

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Setleaf is yet one more dangerous program online. It has been classified as an adware-type virus as well as a PUP (potentially unwanted program). Just like all similar infections, this one takes over your browsers. Setleaf injects them with its impressive pile of sponsored pop-ups. In other words, this pest brings to you a huge variety of potentially corrupted advertisements. In addition, the virus redirects you and causes a poor PC performance. Don’t underestimate this seemingly harmless program. Instead, get rid of it on the spot. The parasite sneaks itself on board behind your back. What follows are numerous changes in your default browser settings. Once again, this infection doesn’t bother to seek your permission. Don’t forget this is a nasty creation of cyber criminals. Setleaf was developed to create trouble. As you can see, it succeeds. A brand new extension gets added to your browsers. This way, the parasite begins to cover all websites you visit with pop-ups. As mentioned, the advertisements you’re about to witness are sponsored and highly questionable. Any web link that is displayed by a cyber parasite could be leading you to malware. Therefore, you’re one click away from installing more infections. Are you really willing to test out the limits of your luck? Setleaf might generate some real pop-ups ads. It might also generate some fake ones that appear to be real too. How can you tell which commercial is safe and which ad is corrupted? Well, you can’t. The only way to find out is by clicking the pop-up but if you choose the wrong one, things will get messy. Thanks to the adware/PUP, you’re constantly one click away from dangerous, vicious parasites. Keep in mind that the Web is full of infections so you have to think in advance. In order not to compromise your safety further, stay away from the ads. There’s no guarantee the program updates Setleaf could generate are safe either. The virus displays sponsored, tricky web links. Its purpose is to help cyber criminals gain revenue online. In order not to become a sponsor of crooks, avoid their devious pop-up ads. Setleaf turns browsing the Web into a cyber nightmare as the commercials cover your PC screen on a daily basis. At the least, you will be wasting your time dealing with obnoxious, invasive ads. Save yourself the headache and tackle the adware/PUP right now. You won’t regret it.

How did I get infected with?

One notoriously popular method involves freeware bundling. It is both efficient and super stealthy which makes it hackers’ favorite. How does this technique work? All that hackers have to do is attach the virus to a bunch of programs. When installing bundled freeware or shareware, take your time to check out the bundle. Go through the programs you’re about to download one by one. You might spot a potential intruder that’s trying to land on board. In this case, deselect the parasite before it manages to invade your PC. Trust us when we say, prevention is a lot less time-consuming than fighting an infection. Put your safety first and watch out for malicious programs. Crooks might attach all sorts of viruses to a single deceptively safe bundle. That includes some of the most destructive parasites – Trojan horses and ransomware. Always opt for the Custom or Advanced option in the Setup Wizard. Do not get tempted into skipping installation steps as that leaves your machine vulnerable to malware. Also, we’d recommend that you check out the Terms and Conditions. Same thing goes for the End User License Agreement (EULA). Only download programs you trust and avoid unverified websites.

Why is this dangerous?

The infection works with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer. It effectively takes control over all your browsers. Consider your online activities destroyed as Setleaf is quite aggressive and persistent. This program causes a pile of pop-ups, pop-unders, banners, interstitials and video ads. Restrain yourself from clicking any of those open because you might worsen your situation. All web links currently on your PC screen are sponsored and some of them are dangerous. Hackers use the pay-per-click mechanism to make money at your expense. That means you’re stuck with unreliable commercials as long as the infection is present. Stay away from the pop-ups Setleaf generates because none of them is trustworthy. The intruder might even cause some serious privacy issues. It collects your sensitive details such as browsing history, search queries, usernames, passwords, etc. As a result, hackers monitor every single step you take online. To delete Setleaf manually, please follow our detailed removal guide down below.

How to Remove Setleaf virus

The Setleaf infection is specifically designed to make money to its creators one way or another. The specialists from various antivirus companies like Bitdefender, Kaspersky, Norton, Avast, ESET, etc. advise that there is no harmless virus.

If you perform exactly the steps below you should be able to remove the Setleaf infection. Please, follow the procedures in the exact order. Please, consider to print this guide or have another computer at your disposal. You will NOT need any USB sticks or CDs.

WARNING! Stopping the wrong file or deleting the wrong registry key may damage your system irreversibly.
If you are feeling not technical enough just use Spyhunter Professional Malware Removal Tool to deal with the problem!
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Please, keep in mind that SpyHunter’s scanner tool is free. To remove the Setleaf infection, you need to purchase its full version.

STEP 1: Track down Setleaf in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Setleaf startup location

STEP 3: Delete Setleaf traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Setleaf in the computer memory

• Open your Task Manager by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ESC keys simultaneously
• Carefully review all processes and stop the suspicious ones.

• Write down the file location for later reference.

Step 2: Locate Setleaf startup location

Reveal Hidden Files

• Open any folder
• Click on “Organize” button
  
• Choose “Folder and Search Options”
• Select the “View” tab
• Select “Show hidden files and folders” option
• Uncheck “Hide protected operating system files”
• Click “Apply” and “OK” button

Clean Setleaf virus from the windows registry

• Once the operating system loads press simultaneously the Windows Logo Button and the R key.

• A dialog box should open. Type “Regedit”

• WARNING! be very careful when editing the Microsoft Windows Registry as this may render the system broken.

Depending on your OS (x86 or x64) navigate to:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] or
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] or
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]

• and delete the display Name: [RANDOM]

• Then open your explorer and navigate to: %appdata% folder and delete the malicious executable.

Clean your HOSTS file to avoid unwanted browser redirection

Navigate to %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/host

If you are hacked, there will be foreign IPs addresses connected to you at the bottom. Take a look below:

STEP 3 : Clean Setleaf traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Setleaf by clicking on the little recycle bin
• Reset Google Chrome by Deleting the current user to make sure nothing is left behind

• Open Mozilla Firefox

• Press simultaneously Ctrl+Shift+A
• Disable the unwanted Extension
• Go to Help
• Then Troubleshoot information
• Click on Reset Firefox

• Open Internet Explorer

• On the Upper Right Corner Click on the Gear Icon
• Click on Internet options
• go to Toolbars and Extensions and disable the unknown extensions
• Select the Advanced tab and click on Reset

• Restart Internet Explorer

Step 4: Undo the damage done by Setleaf

This particular Virus may alter your DNS settings.

Attention! this can break your internet connection. Before you change your DNS settings to use Google Public DNS for Setleaf, be sure to write down the current server addresses on a piece of paper.

To fix the damage done by the virus you need to do the following.

• Click the Windows Start button to open the Start Menu, type control panel in the search box and select Control Panel in the results displayed above.
• go to Network and Internet
• then Network and Sharing Center
• then Change Adapter Settings
• Right-click on your active internet connection and click properties. Under the Networking tab, find Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4). Left click on it and then click on properties. Both options should be automatic! By default it should be set to “Obtain an IP address automatically” and the second one to “Obtain DNS server address automatically!” If they are not just change them, however if you are part of a domain network you should contact your Domain Administrator to set these settings, otherwise the internet connection will break!!!

You must clean all your browser shortcuts as well. To do that you need to

• Right click on the shortcut of your favorite browser and then select properties.

• in the target field remove Setleaf argument and then apply the changes.
• Repeat that with the shortcuts of your other browsers.
• Check your scheduled tasks to make sure the virus will not download itself again.

How to Permanently Remove Setleaf Virus (automatic) Removal Guide

Please, have in mind that once you are infected with a single virus, it compromises your system and let all doors wide open for many other infections. To make sure manual removal is successful, we recommend to use a free scanner of any professional antimalware program to identify possible registry leftovers or temporary files.