Pokki Update “Virus” Removal

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Pokki Update is not an app you should keep on your machine. Security experts have classified this utility as adware. It sneaks into your OS and takes full control of your web browsers. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge. There is no immune browser. The adware infects them quickly and efficiently. Once successfully established, the adware initiates an aggressive ad bombardment. It injects dozens and dozens of advertisements on every web page you load. Banners, hyperlinks, in-texts, video commercials, etc. The parasite uses its vast arsenal on its victims. You must have noticed that websites that used to be ad-free are now heavy on coupons and discounts. Thank the adware for this. This intruder will drown you in a sea of adverts if you don’t take action against it. The Pokki Update adware gets more and more aggressive with each passing day. Every website you open will have more ads than actual content. Your poor browser won’t be able to display to countless adverts correctly. It will freeze and crash frequently. You won’t be able to get any work done without being interrupted. You will hate the experience. The nasty adware will turn your browsing experience into a nightmare. But wait, these issues are not even scratching the tip of the iceberg. The adware is annoying, yet, it is also dangerous. This parasite jeopardizes your privacy. It spies on you and sells the collected data to third parties. It allows third parties to target you with customized marketing campaigns, too. This intruder is a breach of your security. It may cause serious problems. Do not be negligent. Remove the parasite ASAP!

How did I get infected with?

To reach its victims, the Pokki Update adware uses a lot of trickery. It is promoted on some websites as a useful app. Yet, you may not remember installing it. The majority of its “users” have no idea how did the app manage to bypass their security. Well, the answer is simple. You allowed the pest on board. Not intentionally, of course. The adware hitches a ride with third-party software. If you don’t pay close attention to the fine print, it gets installed. To prevent such infections, you should opt for the Advanced option in the Setup Wizard. Under it, you will be presented with a list of all additional apps that are about to be installed alongside the program you’ve downloaded. Do not be negligent. Examine the list carefully. These third-party tools, more often than not, are malicious. Deselect all suspicious applications. You can deselect all of them and still install the app you originally planned to install. This is your computer. Its security is your responsibility. Always do your due diligence. Other malware distribution methods you should keep an eye out for are the good old spam emails, torrents, and fake updates. Download your software from reputable sources only. Also, be very careful with your inbox.

Why is this dangerous?

The Pokki Update adware is a pain in the neck that is hard to be tolerated. And it shouldn’t. The more you tolerate it, the worse it becomes. This nasty parasite can easily get out of hand. It gets more aggressive with the time passing. Yet, don’t forget that it also spies on you. The more time it has, the bigger the chance it steals some sensitive information. Don’t underestimate the adware. It knows your every online step. Even the Incognito mode of your browser cannot hide you. The adware knows everything you do online. What’s worse, it knows how to use the information. In theory, if you type “sneakers” into a search engine, the adware will display ads for sports shoes. In practice, however, the adware sells access to the collected data. A capable advertiser needs very little to successfully target you with customized marketing campaigns. Unfortunately, the adware is not selling the data to numerous crooks. Some of these people are criminals. They target your wallet and are ready to do anything to get your money. They use the adware to spread misleading content. They also redirect web traffic to scam websites. Do not reveal sensitive information online. With the Pokki Update adware on board, you are far more likely to be redirected to bogus websites than to legitimate ones. To keep your private information private, your best course of action is the immediate removal of the intruder. Do not waste your time. Clean your computer immediately!

How to Remove Pokki virus

The Pokki 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 Pokki 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 Pokki in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Pokki startup location

STEP 3: Delete Pokki traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Pokki 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 Pokki 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 Pokki 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 Pokki traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Pokki 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 Pokki

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 Pokki, 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 Pokki 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 Pokki 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.