LookSmart.ME Search Redirect Removal

Can’t Remove LookSmart.ME hijacker virus? This page includes detailed LookSmart.ME Removal instructions!

Did the LookSmart.ME website replace your preferable homepage? Did you authorize this change? If not, you are in trouble. This website is associated with a nasty browser hijacker. This parasite enters your system in complete silence and wreaks total havoc. The hijacker corrupts all installed web browsers. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, there is no immune browser. The hijacker adds its malicious extension to them and takes full control. It replaces your homepage, as well as your default search engine. And then, it pollutes your browser with advertisements. This parasite is a malicious ad-generating utility. It is programmed to inject various adverts on every web page you load. You must have already noticed that the websites that used to be ad-free are now heavy on banners and in-text ads. Thank the hijacker for this. Basically, for every ad you click on, the owners of the hijacker will be paid. This scheme, however, is not efficient enough. So, the crooks have programmed the hijacker to do more. The LookSmart.ME hijacker can also redirect your web traffic to sponsored websites. By doing so, it slows down your Internet connection. Now you understand why it takes forever for a website to be loaded. Your poor browser is struggling against the hijacker. Yet, only you can fix this issue. The LookSmart.ME hijacker will not disappear by itself. You should take action against it. If you don’t, there will be consequences. Unfortunately, this intruder is not safe. All sorts of crooks use it to target potential victims. Spare yourself many future headaches. Remove the hijacker before it gets the chance to cause serious harm!

How did I get infected with?

The LookSmart.ME hijacker did not materialize by magic. This parasite is not an ingenious virus either. To enter your OS, it needs your (the user’s) approval. Without your permission, it cannot infect your browser. Don’t be confused. The scheme is simple. The hijacker tricked you. It uses camouflage to lure you into installing it unintentionally. When was the last time you installed a program? Do you remember which installation method you used? If your answer is the Standard one, you should change your habits. This process is completely automatic. Once started, you lose control over it. Software developers often attach extra apps to the payload files of their programs. If you use the Standard installation option, these extras will be installed without your explicit approval. If you select the Advanced method, however, you will be presented with a list of all extras. You can deselect them and still install the program you originally planned to set up. As you can see, it is not hard to prevent infections. All you should do is to be vigilant. Other malware distribution methods you should keep an eye out for are the good old spam emails, torrents, and fake updates. Your caution can prevent these techniques from succeeding!

Why is this dangerous?

The LookSmart.ME hijacker is dangerous. Do not underestimate it. From the moment it entered your system, the nasty parasite is spying on your online activities. That is right. It monitors your every online step. Even the Incognito mode of your browser cannot hide you. The hijacker knows everything. Which websites you visit, what links you follow, what videos you watch. Everything is recorded and categorized. What do you think happens to the collected data? The hijacker sells access to it! Anyone willing to pay can use the hijacker and its resources to target you with customized marketing campaigns. What is worse, the crooks can use it to lure you into online scams. Be very careful what you do online. If an offer looks too good to be true, it probably isn’t. Don’t reveal sensitive information. To keep your financial and personal information private, remove the LookSmart.ME hijacker immediately. We have prepared a manual removal guide below this article. If you are not confident in your computer skills, use a powerful anti-malware tool. Choose your method and act! The sooner you clean your device, the better!

How to Remove LookSmart.ME virus

The LookSmart.ME 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 LookSmart.ME 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 LookSmart.ME related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate LookSmart.ME startup location

STEP 3: Delete LookSmart.ME traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down LookSmart.ME 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 LookSmart.ME 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 LookSmart.ME 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 LookSmart.ME traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the LookSmart.ME 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 LookSmart.ME

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 LookSmart.ME, 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 LookSmart.ME 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 LookSmart.ME 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.