Free-rewards.info “Malware” Pop-up Removal

Can’t Remove Free-rewards.info ads? This page includes detailed ads by Free-rewards.info Removal instructions!

Free-rewards.info is an obnoxious and deceitful website. It aims to trick you. The site pops up, and states you won a prize. All, you have to do to claim it, is click a link, a banner, a box, anything! It’s crucial that you click nothing! The page is unreliable, so trust nothing it displays. Accept that all, it tries to convince you of, is lies. It’s one elaborate lie that you mustn’t fall for. First off, the website isn’t a message that clues you into your winnings. There is no prize. The website is a message that clues you into the existence of an adware infection. That’s right. Free-rewards.info is a big, bright sign that indicates the presence of a cyber threat. Your computer is no longer infection-free. There’s now a harmful tool, calling it home. You’d do best to heed that warning. And, act on it ASAP. Adware programs are dangerous, malicious, invasive, and damaging. Don’t underestimate them. Don’t make that mistake. It’s one, you’ll severely regret. The tool, using Free-rewards.info as a front, does NOT deserve a place on your computer. Do your best to remove it the first chance you get. After you see Free-rewards.info, try to find the infection’s exact hiding place. Then, delete it on discovery. The sooner you get rid of it, the better.

How did I get infected with?

Adware applications are masterful in the art of deceit. They use slyness and subtlety to slither into your system. And, they don’t only gain access, but also invade unnoticed. So, did the infection behind Free-rewards.info. Yes, it managed to sneak in undetected. You may find that confusing, considering it must get your approval on its install. Well, in reality, it’s pretty simple. Sure, the program has to ask you, the user, if you agree to install it. But it doesn’t have to do it straightforward. So, it doesn’t. Instead of outright popping up to seek your consent, it’s quite covert. The adware’s most common method of deceit is freeware. It preys on users’ naivety and distraction. And, gains their permission, without them even realizing it. Don’t give into carelessness when installing freeware! Or, anything else for that matter. The web is a dangerous place. Treat everything with the necessary vigilance. Always take the time to do your due diligence. Attention is imperative, if you wish to keep an infection-free PC.

Why is this dangerous?

Free-rewards.info disrupts your browsing all the time. It becomes your shadow. Every time, you so much as touch your browser, it appears. The site shows up when you browse the web, open a new tab, it’s everywhere. And, it’s not even your biggest concern. Yes, you get redirected, non-stop. But you also get flooded with advertisements. Pop-up, banner, in-text. Your screen gets overrun. And, it doesn’t take long before that affects your system. It starts to suffer frequent crashes. Your computer’s performance slows down to a crawl, as well. Going online becomes a web of frustration, headaches, and altogether immense annoyance. And, even that pales in comparison. The worst part, of harboring adware, is the privacy risk. The infection threatens to steal your personal and financial details. Only to, then, expose it to cyber criminals. The ones, who unleashed it onto the web, in the first place. Don’t allow unknown individuals with agendas get a hold of your private life. Protect it! Keep these people away from your information. Don’t let their infection remain long enough to succeed with its malicious intentions. As soon as it reveals itself, take action! The appearance of Free-rewards.info is your first clue. Heed it. Find where the adware lurks. Then, delete it. Its prompt removal earns you the gratitude of your future self. Its extended stay earns you regret.

How to Remove Free-rewards.info virus

The Free-rewards.info 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 Free-rewards.info 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 Free-rewards.info in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Free-rewards.info startup location

STEP 3: Delete Free-rewards.info traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Free-rewards.info 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 Free-rewards.info 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 Free-rewards.info 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 Free-rewards.info traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Free-rewards.info 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 Free-rewards.info

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 Free-rewards.info, 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 Free-rewards.info 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 Free-rewards.info 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.