How to Remove APUSX.COM Redirects

Can’t Remove APUSX.COM hijacker virus? This page includes detailed APUSX.COM Removal instructions!

The appearance of the APUSX.COM website is a bad sign. This page is related to a nasty browser hijacker. If it has replaced your homepage or if you get constantly redirected to it, be sure. Your computer is no longer infection-free. The APUSX.COM hijacker is extremely intrusive. It is programmed to modify your browsers’ settings and to prevent you from restoring them. If you have more than one browser installed, be sure, the parasite has infected them all. Following a successful installation, the hijacker scans your system for vulnerable browsers. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, there are no immune browsers. The hijacker slithers into your system and wreaks havoc. This pest has only one goal — to generate revenue for its owners. To do so, it uses aggressive and misleading marketing strategies. Do not underestimate the hijacker. This pest uses a pay-per-click scheme. Basically, when you click on adverts provided by the hijacker, its owners will get paid. And so, they programmed their creation to be extremely intrusive. The parasite blocks its competitors’ adverts and replaces them with its own. Additionally, it injects extra banners, hyperlinks and in-text ads on every website you open. It redirects your browser to sponsored third-party pages and pauses your online videos for commercial breaks. Yet, these annoyances are far not the only issue you will have to endure. To carry out its malicious processes, the APUSX.COM hijacker consumes an enormous amount of computer resources. It may cause your browser to freeze and crash frequently. Some older machines may experience system crashes. The hijacker prevents you from using your computer normally. It is more than a simple nuisance. Don’t ignore the parasite. It is not harmless. This pest cannot distinguish between legitimate and bogus websites. It may redirect you to scam and infected websites. Do yourself a huge favor, clean your computer immediately.

How did I get infected with?

To infect its victims, the APUSX.COM hijacker relies on slyness. This pest is not an ingenious virus. It cannot install itself. The parasite is a simple computer program. Like any other program, it needs your permission. Yet, it doesn’t need to ask openly. The APUSX.COM hijacker is usually distributed via software bundles. Be very careful what kind of apps you install. Developers often attach “bonuses” to the payload files of their programs. Always opt for the Advanced/Custom installation option in the Setup Wizard. This option is not complicated. It is a bit more manual. That’s all. Under it, you will be presented with a list of all additional programs that are about to be installed. Pay close attention to the fine print. These third-party apps, more often than not, are malicious. You can deselect all extras and still install the program you originally planned to set up. Make sure you know what you are giving your approval to. Read the Terms and Conditions/End User License Agreement (EULA). If you spot anything out of the ordinary, abort the installation immediately. The APUSX.COM hijacker tricked you once. Don’t let other parasites fool you. Be vigilant and doubting. Only your caution can keep your computer virus-free.

Why is this dangerous?

The APUSX.COM hijacker is extremely annoying. It redirects your web traffic, bombards you with advertisements and pauses your online videos. These issues, however, are nothing compared to the things the hijacker does behind your back. This parasite monitors your online activities. It knows which websites you visit, what links you click on, what search inquiries you make. Everything you do online is recorded and analyzed. The collected data is saved on a remote server. And that is a huge problem. Anyone who uses the hijacker as an advertising platform can access this information. All sorts of crooks can use it to target you with customized marketing campaigns. Think twice before you click on the next “great” deal. It might as well be deceiving. With the APUSX.COM hijacker on board, you are far more likely to be redirected to scam websites that to legitimate ones. Do not trust a word you read. All these coupons and discounts are not trustworthy. All sorts of dodgy websites use the hijacker. If you are extremely unlucky, you may end up on infected websites too. The APUSX.COM hijacker is too hazardous to be kept on board. Act against the infection!

How to Remove APUSX.COM virus

The APUSX.COM 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 APUSX.COM 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 APUSX.COM related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate APUSX.COM startup location

STEP 3: Delete APUSX.COM traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down APUSX.COM 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 APUSX.COM 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 APUSX.COM 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 APUSX.COM traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the APUSX.COM 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 APUSX.COM

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 APUSX.COM, 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 APUSX.COM 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 APUSX.COM 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.