How to Remove Search.Findex.digital Pop-up Virus

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

Search.Findex.digital is a harbinger of trouble. If this website takes over your homepage, if “Ads by Search.Findex.digital” pop up out of the blue, the news is bad. Your computer is infected with a browser hijacker. The sneaky parasite lurks in the shadows of your OS and wreaks havoc. Brace yourself! You are stuck with a complete and utter menace. The intruder follows programming to infect your browsers and to affect every aspect of your user experience. This parasite not only replaces your homepage but also changes your default search engine and forces you to use its questionable search tool. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The hijacker also inserts ads on every website you visit, opens pop-ups, plays commercials. And it doesn’t stop here! The intruder also dares load sponsored websites in new tabs, as well as turns random text into hyperlinks. It might also bombard you with notifications that urge you to “Accept” questionable modifications. Click nothing, of course! You are dealing with a parasite. You can’t expect the hijacker to be safe, much less trustworthy. Its ads often redirect web traffic to deceptive and malicious websites. The “Powered by Search.Findex.digital” banners, pop-ups, and hyperlinks arise unwarranted expectations at best. At worst, they lure people into online traps. Don’t test your luck! Remove the hijacker now! That’s your best course of action.

How did I get infected with?

A browser hijacker causes the Search.Findex.digital pop-ups. This parasite sneaks into your computer through trickery and floods you with annoying ads. Don’t, however, imagine cyber-attacks. The hijacker is not an ingenious virus but a simple app. As such, it follows standard installation procedures. The hijacker needs you, the user, to approve its access. No permission, no admission! This menace can’t proceed without your “yes.” The rule seems simple, yet, there is a catch. Having to seek consent is not the same as having to so do outright. The hijacker steals your permission in the sneakiest way possible. It uses bundles, fake updates, corrupted links, spam messages, and pirated software. The parasite lurks in the fine print and infects your PC when you throw caution to the wind. Do not make that mistake! No anti-virus app can protect you if you give into naivety. Only your actions can prevent infections. Your diligence is the key! So, don’t be lazy. Choose caution over carelessness. Don’t visit shady websites. Download software and updates from reliable sources only. And, of course, don’t skip installation steps. Forget about the “Next-Next-Finish” installation strategy. If available, use the advanced/custom setup wizard. Deselect the bonus apps and go through the terms and conditions. Don’t hesitate to abort an installation process if you notice anything suspicious!

Why is this dangerous?

The Search.Findex.digital pop-ups are a plague. You can’t so much as touch your browser without getting bombarded with notifications and banners. These ads follow you around the web and interrupt your every activity. They are meddling, annoying and highly irritating. They, however, are also your warning! Just take a close look at them and you’ll realize that you are in serious trouble. You are under surveillance! The “Brought to you by Search.Findex.digital” ads are based on the websites you visit, the links you follow, the videos you watch. They are targeted at you! That’s how the hijacker operates. It studies your browsing habits and uses your preferences against you. Do you think that ends well? Do you believe that the hijacker uses the collected data for ad targeting only? Do not fool yourself! The parasite not only turns you into an easy target but also threatens to leak the collected data! This menace sells everything to unknown buyers with questionable agendas. Any crook out there can buy your information. And if you run out of luck, some pieces of data, your search queries, for example, might leak personal and financial details! Do not test your luck. Protect yourself and your privacy! Remove the hijacker ASAP!

How to Remove Search.Findex.digital virus

The Search.Findex.digital 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.Findex.digital 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.Findex.digital related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Search.Findex.digital startup location

STEP 3: Delete Search.Findex.digital traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Search.Findex.digital 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.Findex.digital 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.Findex.digital 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.Findex.digital traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

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

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.Findex.digital, 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.Findex.digital 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.Findex.digital 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.