PremierOpinion Malware Removal

Can’t Remove PremierOpinion ads? This page includes detailed ads by PremierOpinion Removal instructions!

The PremierOpinion app is supposed to be a useful app which allows you to participate in online surveys. In exchange for your opinion, you will get paid. In practice, however, the app operates differently. The PremierOpinion app is classified as adware. Following a successful installation, the adware takes full control over your web browser. Its main function is to bombard its victims with commercials. The PremierOpinion adware injects dozens and dozens of banners, hyperlinks, and in-text ads on every website you open. It can also redirect your browser and open pop-ups. This utility is a pain in the neck which gets more and more annoying. Whit every passing day, the adware gets more aggressive. It will start to redirect your browser more often, you will see more advertisements. On top of that, the adware will start to pause your online videos for commercial breaks. You will hate the experience. Apart from your frustration, there is another side effect of the adware. The PremierOpinion adware slows your device down. You must have noticed that your PC underperforms. This is due to the adware running in the background. The question is, what does it do in the background? Well, it spies on you. This app monitors your browser related data. It knows your online habits and uses the collected information against you. The adware bases its commercials on the collected information. If you type “sneakers” into some search engine, you will be exposed to ads for sports shoes. There is a problem, however. The collected data is not used for marketing purposes only. It is also sold to third parties. All sorts of people with questionable interest may get in possession of your data-pack. When the adware is active on your devices, there is nothing private any longer.

How did I get infected with?

The PremierOpinion adware uses a lot of trickery to reach its victims. It travels hidden in torrents, software bundles, and spam emails. You, however, can keep your computer virus-free. These techniques rely on your carelessness. Be vigilant instead. Whenever you are installing a program, take your time to read the fine print. Opt for the Advanced option in the Setup Wizard. Under it, you will be able to see all extra apps that are about to be installed on your computer. Developers often attach “bonus programs” to the installation files of many popular apps. If you use the Standard Setup, these extras will be installed automatically. Under the Advanced option, you can deselect them all. No matter how intriguing these tools appear to be, they are extras. You can deselect them and still install the program you originally planned to set up. Keep in mind that the extras, more often than not, are malicious. Install only the tools you trust!

Why is this dangerous?

The PremierOpinion adware is extremely annoying. If it remains active on your PC for too long, it may also become dangerous. This utility does not verify the ads it displays so freely. Hackers take advantage of the situation. They use adware apps to spread corrupted content. If you have the misfortune to click on a malicious ad, you will download more malware or viruses on your device. There, unfortunately, is no way to distinguish the legit ads from the corrupted. What is worse, the adware may redirect you to infected pages. If such an event occurs, your PC will get infected. But, wait! There is more bad news. You may get redirected to scam websites too. Question everything. With the PremierOpinion adware on board, you are very likely to be exposed to online scams. Free IT support services, financial software, PC optimization tools, free gaming platforms. There are numerous frauds. You should not trust a word you read. You are far more likely to be redirected to scam pages than to legit ones. The PremierOpinion utility is way too hazardous to be kept. We recommend you to remove this parasite as soon as possible!

How to Remove PremierOpinion virus

The PremierOpinion 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 PremierOpinion 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 PremierOpinion in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate PremierOpinion startup location

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

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

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

• Open Google Chrome

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

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 PremierOpinion, 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 PremierOpinion 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 PremierOpinion 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.