Remove “Ads by PublicHotspot” Adware

Can’t Remove PublicHotspot ads? This page includes detailed ads by PublicHotspot Removal instructions!

If you see “ Ads by PublicHotspot” content, prepare for trouble. These pop-ups are warnings. There is a parasite on your device. The “Ads by PublicHotspot” adware uses trickery to slip in unnoticed and wreaks utter havoc. The adware takes over your favorite web browsers in complete silence. Yet, once successfully established, changes its behaviors. It becomes very intrusive. The adware interferes with your every online action. It injects various ads on every website you load, redirects your traffic to sponsored pages, and opens pop-ups. Every time you click on its ads, it gets paid. Thus, the adware floods you with advertisements. This intruder knows no boundaries. It even dares pause your online videos for commercial breaks. The parasite ruins your browsing experience. It also turns you into a target! To present you with relevant ads, the adware actually spies on you. It monitors your browsing-related data. Every website you load, every link you follow, every search inquiry you make, it analyzes everything. As for the collected data — the adware sells access to it. A capable advertiser needs very little to successfully target you. What if this advertiser has bad intentions? Numerators crooks use the “Ads by PublicHotspot” adware to spread misleading content. The crooks prepare customized ads and push them on you. Yet, when you click, bad things happen. Do not put up with this situation. Get back in control of your own browser. Remove the “Ads by PublicHotspot” adware for good!

How did I get infected with?

The “Ads by PublicHotspot” adware cannot hack your computer. This parasite is not a full-fledged virus. It is a simple application. And just like any other app, it needs your invitation. Without your permission, it cannot get installed. As you can imagine, the parasite knows how to steal your approval. It hides in software bundles and torrents. The adware also lurks behind fake updates and corrupted links. A spam email may also deliver the parasite. There are numerous malware distribution methods. You don’t need to know all of them. You should know, however, that your caution can prevent them from succeeding! Always do your due diligence! The key to a secure and infection-free computer is caution. Download your software from reputable sources only. When installing a program, pay attention to the fine print. If available, select the advanced/custom setup option. Also, read the terms and conditions. You can speed up this step by using an online EULA analyzer. If you detect anything out of the ordinary, abort the installation immediately!

Why is this dangerous?

The “Ads by PublicHotspot” adware is very intrusive. It interferes with your every online action. What’s worse, it seems that the parasite gets more aggressive with each passing day. Unfortunately, that’s the reality. The adware tends to intensify its ad-bombardment with each passing day. What’s worse, it also tends to get out of control. Do not wait for this scenario to unfold. You won’t like the consequences. Act against the parasite! The more time this intruder spends on your device, the bigger the chance it seals sensitive information. The “Ads by PublicHotspot” adware has no place on your computer. It ruins your browsing experience and threatens to steal confidential information. To top it all off, the parasite also threatens to infect your computer. The parasite has no security mechanism. Numerous crooks use it to run various schemes. They want you to either reveal your financial details or to install malware. Protect yourself! Remove the “Ads by PublicHotspot” adware before it lures you into an online trap. The sooner this intruder’s gone, the better!

How to Remove PublicHotspot virus

The PublicHotspot 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 PublicHotspot 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 PublicHotspot in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate PublicHotspot startup location

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

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down PublicHotspot 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 PublicHotspot 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 PublicHotspot 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 PublicHotspot traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the PublicHotspot 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 PublicHotspot

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 PublicHotspot, 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 PublicHotspot 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 PublicHotspot 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.