Navsmart.info Hijacker Removal

Can’t Remove Navsmart.info hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Navsmart.info Removal instructions!

The appearance of the Navsmart.info website as your new homepage is never a good sign. This website is constantly reported for suspicious behavior. Yet, it is not the website that is the problem. This page is just the face of a nasty browser hijacker. Unfortunately, it is true. You have the navsmart.info hijacker installed on your computer. This parasite causes changes to your web browser. It replaces both your homepage and default search engine. This malicious app is never idle. It works behind your back. It monitors your online activities and sells the data to third parties. Meanwhile, the furtive tool will expose you to numerous advertisements. The longer this pest remains on board, the slower your computer will become. The hijacker has never been meant as a light program. It consumes an enormous amount of computer resources. It can cause your browser to freeze and crash frequently. Some older machines may experience frequent crashes. This, of course, can lead to data loss. Spare yourself the frustration. The sooner you remove this intruder, the better.

How did I get infected with?

The navsmart.info hijacker appeared out of the blue. You haven’t heard this name before, have you? You can’t recall setting this website as your homepage. It seems that your PC changed your homepage on its own. This was the plan. Yet, it was you the one who approved this changes. The hijacker cannot act on its own. It needs the user’s permission. However, it doesn’t need to ask you openly. This furtive app uses sneaky techniques to trick its victims into installing it. The most common distribution method is, undoubtedly, the bundling technique. Developers attach extra programs to the installation files of many free apps. If you are not vigilant, you may install these extras without realizing it. Be vigilant and doubting. When installing a program, opt for advanced setup option. It can be a button or tab. Use it. The advanced installation is your only chance to prevent unwanted apps from being installed. This option may be misrepresented as a suitable option for IT gurus only. The truth is, crooks don’t want you to use it. Under it, you will be presented with a list of all extra apps that are about to be installed. You can deselect them and still install the tool you originally planned to set up. This is your computer. You call the shots. Install only the programs you trust. Be aware, that these third-party apps, more often than not, are malicious. Take your time to understand what you are giving your permission to. Read the terms and conditions. This is a good way to spot breaches. If you think that something looks suspicious, there probably is a good reason for that.

Why is this dangerous?

The navsmart.info hijacker has only one goal – to generate revenue. To do so, it uses a pay-per-click marketing scheme. Basically, for every ad you click on, the owners of the app will get paid. And you will see a lot of ads. This software creates an ad-layer which forces adverts on all open websites. It can also block content from its competitors. You will see only the offers the hijacker allows you to see. Eventually, you will lose track of the current prices on the market. This malicious tool is turning you into an easy target. Don’t allow this. Furthermore, you should know that not all ads are obvious. The navsmart.info hijacker injects fake entries among the search results you are provided with. No matter which search provider you use, the hijacker can and will corrupt the results. This malicious program displays sponsored search results. Yet, it doesn’t mark these entries as adverts. You can never be sure which results are organic and which are commercials. Hackers often get an advantage of this situation. They use hijackers to spread malicious links and adverts. One click is all it takes for a virus to be downloaded on your computer. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell which ads are corrupted and which are not. Your best course of action is the removal of the hijacker. If you act promptly, you can delete it completely. Follow our guide or download a trustworthy anti-virus program. Remove the navsmart.info hijacker for good!

How to Remove Navsmart.info virus

The Navsmart.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 Navsmart.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.

WARNING! Stopping the wrong file or deleting the wrong registry key may damage your system irreversibly.
If you are feeling not technical enough just use Spyhunter Professional Malware Removal Tool to deal with the problem!
>>Download SpyHunter – a Professional Remover.

Please, keep in mind that SpyHunter’s scanner tool is free. To remove the Navsmart.info infection, you need to purchase its full version.

STEP 1: Track down Navsmart.info related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Navsmart.info startup location

STEP 3: Delete Navsmart.info traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Navsmart.info 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 Navsmart.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 Navsmart.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 Navsmart.info traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Navsmart.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 Navsmart.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 Navsmart.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 Navsmart.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 Navsmart.info 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.