Raccoon Trojan Threat Removal

This article can help you to remove Raccoon Virus. The step by step removal works for every version of Microsoft Windows.

Raccoon is a malicious cyber threat. It’s part of the Trojan family, and you’d do best to remove it ASAP. To ignore its presence, is to set yourself up for a horrendous experience. These types of threats cause quite the troubles. And, Raccoon is no exception. It wastes no time to spread its clutches throughout, and corrupt your PC. The nasty tool eats up space and resources. It uses both your CPU and GPU to their limits. Thus, slowing down your computer’s performance to a crawl. But lagging is far from your only grievance. Raccoon’s presence leads to frequent system crashes, and screen freezes. Certain applications may begin to suffer difficulties running. Oftentimes, you discover files that have gotten corrupted, or have even disappeared. The Trojan floods your screen with a variety of error messages, warnings and alerts. And, as if that’s not enough of a bother, it also floods you with ads. Yes, your screen gets swarmed with a plethora of pop-up, in-text, and banner ads. You also get redirected to a bunch of suspicious third-party sites. And, that is, when you can actually go online. Yes, the Raccoon threat can restrict, or even block your web access. But the incessant online interference still pales in comparison to everything else, it throws at you. The Trojan meddles with your Registry, Task Manager and system settings. You discover changes, which you neither approved nor had knowledge of. What’s more, Raccoon’s existence can lead to your computer restarting on its own accord. Don’t put up with all that unpleasantness. Avoid the consequences of having Raccoon on board. As soon as you become aware of the infection’s stay, act against it. Do your best to remove it at once. That earns you the gratitude of your future self. Its prolonged stay earns you nothing but headaches and regret.

How did I get infected with?

Raccoon uses the old but gold methods to invade. And, not only does it manage that, but does it undetected. Yes, the tool sneaks into your system unnoticed. How? Well, as stated, it turns to the usual antics. That includes, pretending to be a false system or program update. Like, Java or Adobe Flash Player. Or, using freeware and spam emails as an entry point. And, of course, hiding behind corrupted sites, links or torrents. The Trojan has quite a few tricks to choose from However, its success rests on you. You’re the last line of defense. If you do your due diligence, you can catch the threat in the act. You can spot it, trying to invade, and prevent it from slipping past you. Caution helps you to do that. Vigilance helps you to keep a system free of infections. The lack thereof leads to the opposite. Infections, like Raccoon, prey on distraction, haste and gullibility. Don’t oblige. Don’t ease the tool’s covert infiltration. Always take the time to be thorough. Be attentive. Attention goes a long way.

Why is this dangerous?

The Raccoon menace doesn’t only wreak havoc on your PC. Apart from endangering your system’s well-being, it also endangers your privacy. Yes, the Trojan follows programming to steal your personal and financial details. And, then, expose them to the cyber criminals behind it. Make no mistake. Given enough time on your PC, the tool achieves this goal. You see, it begins to spy on your activities as soon as it settles. The Raccoon tool monitors every click, every page, all you do. Including, the data you input. Like, credit card and bank account information, passwords and logins. But the Trojan doesn’t only observe your actions. It also keeps a thorough record of them. Once it deems it has collected enough data via its espionage, it sends it. Are you willing to allow that? To let it expose the stolen data to strangers with questionable intentions? Don’t! Don’t put up with the infection’s mess-making! Do yourself a favor, and get rid of it ASAP. Prevent it from fulfilling its thieving agenda. Ensure your system’s safety. Locate and remove the Raccoon threat at once.

Manual Raccoon Removal Instructions

The Raccoon 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 Raccoon 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 Raccoon related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Raccoon startup location

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

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Raccoon 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 Raccoon 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 Raccoon 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 4: Undo the possible damage done by Raccoon

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 Raccoon, 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!!!

 

• Check your scheduled tasks to make sure the virus will not download itself again.

How to Permanently Remove Raccoon 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 virus leftovers or temporary files.