Remove Search.elifaint.com Hijacker

Can’t Remove Search.elifaint.com hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Search.elifaint.com Removal instructions!

There’s a browser hijacker on your computer. The appearance of the Search.elifaint.com page, is proof of the invasion. The sooner you accept the infection’s presence, the faster you can act against it. These types of tools have no place on your PC. The more you allow them to stay, the worse your situation gets. Hijackers wreak havoc, and make a mess of everything. They threaten the well-being of your system with an endless barrage of issues. Ones that evolve, and grow in severity. Don’t allow the escalation. If you extend the hijacker’s stay, you’re setting yourself up for a bad time. Not only does it deteriorate your system’s performance. But it also jeopardizes your privacy. The infection threatens to steal data from you, via espionage. Then, expose said data to the unknown individuals behind it. Make no mistake. Given enough time on your computer, the infection fulfills its thieving agenda. That’s why, it’s crucial that you don’t give it that time. Don’t extend the infection’s stay beyond the point of detection. Once Search.elifaint.com pops up, take notice, and take action. Acknowledge that your PC is no longer free of threats. Find where the hijacker lurks. Then, remove it. The sooner it leaves your system, the more problems you’ll avoid. Do what’s best, and remove the cyber menace ASAP.

How did I get infected with?

The tool, behind Search.elifaint.com, dupes you. It gets you to approve its admission. All, while keeping you clueless. How? Well, it’s simple. It preys on your distraction, haste and naivety. And, of course, uses the old but gold invasive methods. The hijacker has its pick. It can pretend to be a bogus system or program update. Like, Adobe Flash Player or Java. It can lurk behind corrupted sites, links, or torrents. Or, turn to spam emails and freeware. There’s a plethora of methods, it can use to try to slip past you, unnoticed. It’s up to you to catch it in the act, and foil its attempts. Don’t let it slither past you. Be vigilant enough to spot it, and keep it out. Caution helps you to do so. The lack thereof does not. Carelessness has the opposite effect. It invites threats, like the hijacker, into your PC. Your carelessness eases their covert infiltration. So, make sure not to provide it. Always take the time to be extra thorough, and do your due diligence. Even a little extra attention can save you a ton of issues. Keep that in mind, next time you allow anything off the web, into your PC.

Why is this dangerous?

Search.elifaint.com turns into your online shadow. The hijacker makes sure to force it on your screen, non-stop. It uses every chance it gets, to display it. Open a new tab, and it’s there. Type a search, and it’s among the results. Each ad, you see, is ‘Powered by Search.elifaint.com.‘ And, you get bombarded with an ever-flowing array of them. Banner, pop-up, and in-text ‘Ads by Search.elifaint.com.‘ Also, the page shows up in place of your default homepage and search engine. Did you approve the witch? No. Did you have even a semblance of a clue as to its implementation? No. One day, you find it, already in place. That’s what you can expect from the hijacker, hiding on your system. It puts you through a full-on bombardment of ads and redirects. It causes frequent system crashes. And, because of its influences, lagging turns into a part of your daily routine. Add to all that unpleasantness, the privacy hazard, and it’s clear. The hijacker menace is a threat, you shouldn’t underestimate. If you do, you’ll regret it. Spare yourself a multitude of troubles, and ensure your privacy remains private. Cut the infection’s stay as short as possible. Its prompt removal earns you the gratitude of your future self. Delays bring you nothing but issues and regret.

How to Remove Search.elifaint.com virus

The Search.elifaint.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 Search.elifaint.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 Search.elifaint.com related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Search.elifaint.com startup location

STEP 3: Delete Search.elifaint.com traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Search.elifaint.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 Search.elifaint.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 Search.elifaint.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 Search.elifaint.com traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Search.elifaint.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 Search.elifaint.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 Search.elifaint.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 Search.elifaint.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 Search.elifaint.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.