Remove Hqfok.com Pop-ups

Can’t Remove Hqfok.com ads? This page includes detailed ads by Hqfok.com Removal instructions!

Hqfok.com is a harbinger of bad news. This questionable website is the face of an adware parasite. If your browser keeps loading it, if “Ads by Hqfok.com” pop up out of the blue, the news is bad. Your PC harbors a parasite. A sneaky adware menace lurks in the shadows of your OS and causes trouble. Brace yourself! The intruder is an invader! It corrupts your web browsers and turns them into ad-displaying platforms. Chrome, Firefox, Edge — there is no immune program. The adware infects your favorite apps and throws you into a whirlwind of advertisements. The adware inserts various banners on every website you visit, opens pop-ups, and plays commercials. This parasite also loads sponsored websites in new tabs and windows. And it doesn’t stop here. This aggressive adware is also behind the annoying notifications that urge you to “Approve” or “Accept” questionable browser modifications. Click nothing! These annoying pop-ups are not mere annoyances. Everything “Powered by Hqfok.com” is unreliable and potentially dangerous. A parasite displays these ads. You can’t expect the adware to be safe, much less trustworthy. Its ads arise unwarranted expectations at best. At worst, they lure people into online traps. Do not test your luck! The adware has no place on your computer. Find where this menace hides and delete it upon detection. That’s your best course of action. Clean your operating system ASAP!

How did I get infected with?

The Hqfok.com website pops up by courtesy of adware. As for the parasite — it travels the web hidden in software bundles, fake updates, corrupted links, and pirated software. The adware hides in the shadows and attacks when you let your guard down. Do not make that mistake! The adware is not an ingenious virus. It is a simple app, and as such, it can’t get installed without your approval. No permission, no admission! The parasite is bound to seek your consent. And it does. It always asks. But it does so in the sneakiest way possible. The parasite hides in the fine print and preys on your naivety. Your caution, however, can prevent its tricks from succeeding. The good news is that even a little extra attention goes a long way. So, don’t be lazy! Always take the time to do your diligence. Don’t visit shady websites. Download software and updates from reliable sources only. And forget about the “Next-Next-Finish” setup strategy. When available, use the advanced/custom option. Deselect the unwanted bonus apps and go through the terms and conditions. Don’t hesitate to abort the installation if you notice anything suspicious!

Why is this dangerous?

The Hqfok.com pop-ups are just the beginning of an ad invasion. An adware parasite hides in the corners of your OS and threatens to drown you in a sea of coupons and discounts. This intruder bombards you with ads from day one. It constantly increases the number of its interruption and tends to get out of the control. The more ads it displays, however, the slower your device gets. Its countless ads overload your browser and make it prone to freezing and crashes. You face an avalanche of errors. You, however, also face a security threat. Just take a close look at the “Powered by Hqfok.com” ads and you’ll realize that you are in serious trouble. The ads are targeted at you! They are based on the websites you visit, the links you follow, the videos you watch. Your activities under the Incognito mode also trigger relevant ads. That’s because you are under constant surveillance! The adware studies your browsing habits and uses your preferences against you. And the worst part is that it doesn’t keep the collected data confidential. Quite the contrary — the parasite sells everything to third parties. Do you feel comfortable knowing that some unknown individuals with questionable agendas buy your data? What if some pieces of information contain personal and financial details? Do not take unnecessary risks! As soon as the Hqfok.com website pops up, take action. Remove the adware before it gets a chance to cause you harm!

How to Remove Hqfok.com virus

The Hqfok.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 Hqfok.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 Hqfok.com in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Hqfok.com startup location

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

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

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

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Hqfok.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 Hqfok.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 Hqfok.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 Hqfok.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 Hqfok.com 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.