Remove Queryservice.net Redirect (Virus Removal)

Can’t Remove Queryservice.net hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Queryservice.net Removal instructions!

You must be furious. The Queryservice.net website has managed to replace your preferable homepage. This search engine appears to be useless. No matter what you enter, the results are always dominated by shopping websites. Well, we have bad news. The appearance of this website is a clear sign that your PC is infected with the Queryservice.net hijacker. This parasite is also known as browser redirector and redirect virus. Luckily, the hijacker is not a full-fledged virus. It is a malicious program that wreaks havoc on your device. This menace is programmed to generate revenue via pay-per-click scheme. As all ad-supported programs, this parasite is extremely obnoxious and invasive. You have noticed that your homepage is replaced, yet, this is just one of the changes the hijacker has caused to your computer. The malicious utility has replaced your default search engine and added its extension to all installed browsers. The hijacker has full control over your web browsers. It has turned them against you. Everything you do online is now monitored. The Queryservice.net hijacker collects information about your online behavior. Which pages you visit, favorite websites, browsing history, etc. Everything is recorded and analyzed. The hijacker uses that information to target advertisements for you. Thus, if you enter “sneakers” into some search engine, the hijacker will start to display adverts for sports shoes. Every website you visit will be covered in coupons, discounts and “great deals” for similar shoes. You will hate the experience. Ad-blocking tools are useless against the hijacker. Its intrusive ads will interrupt you constantly. You won’t be able to get any work done. On top of that, your browser will start to freeze and crash frequently. All this is due to the hijacker working in the background. The furtive app is so invasive that it hinders your browsers’ normal operations. Do not put up with this. Remove the hijacker.

How did I get infected with?

As any other application, the Queryservice.net hijacker needs a permit to be installed. And it has it. It has your approval to make changes to your computer. Unfortunately, this is the truth. The hijacker has managed to trick you into admitting it into your system. Don’t be too harsh on yourself, though. You were cleverly deceived. The hijacker used trickery to gain your approval. It has arrived hidden in a bundle. The freeware/shareware bundling technique is the most common cause of such infections. This method is quite simple. Developers attach extra programs to the installation files of many free apps. When you start the installation of such a bundle, you will face two setup options. Choose the Advanced/Custom one. Under it, you will be given a choice. The choice to select the ads you wish to install and deny the set up of the unwanted ones. Do not rush through the installation process. Read the terms and conditions/EULA. As annoying as this step may be, it is the only way to spot breaches. Make sure you understand what you are admitting on board. This time you were lucky. The Queryservice.net hijacker can be removed. Yet, others, dangerous viruses use the same technique to reach its victims. Always keep your guard up. Do not open suspicious emails, don’t follow links blindly, and keep your anti-virus app up to date.

Why is this dangerous?

The Queryservice.net hijacker is a typical member of its malicious family. It is intrusive, obnoxious and hard to be tolerated. Yet, many PC users appear to have nerves of steel. And they will cause them. The Queryservice.net hijacker is not just annoying. It is a hole in your security wall. Viruses can use it to enter into your system. Hackers often use browser hijackers to spread malicious content. If you click on a corrupted ad, you will either land on a website that is a part of a scam or download a virus. And you must have noticed the ads, haven’t you? They are simply everywhere. The hijacker injects them on every opened website. Your videos are being paused for commercial breaks. Pop-up messages appear out of the blue. Yet, these are just the obvious adverts. There are more. Adverts you don’t know of. Obscured ones. The Queryservice.net injects fake entries among the search results. Among all search results, no matter the provider. These entries, most of the time, are adverts. With the adware on board, you cannot do an objective online research. You cannot use your computer freely. There is no point in keeping the hijacker. If you act promptly, you can remove it with ease. Do not waste time. Take action now!

How to Remove Queryservice.net virus

The Queryservice.net 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 Queryservice.net 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.

STEP 1: Track down Queryservice.net related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Queryservice.net startup location

STEP 3: Delete Queryservice.net traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Queryservice.net related processes 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 Queryservice.net 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 Queryservice.net 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 Queryservice.net traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Queryservice.net 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 Queryservice.net

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 Queryservice.net, 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 Queryservice.net 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 Queryservice.net Virus (automatic) Removal Guide

Please, have in mind that once you are infected with a single virus, it compromises your whole system or network 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.