How to Remove Acinster.info Pop-up Ads

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

If the Acinster.info utility has managed to make its way to your web browser, prepare for trouble. Security experts have categorized this parasite as a browser hijacker. It is an aggressive ad-supported app. The hijacker enters your OS in complete silence and takes full control of your web browsers. Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Opera, Safari. There is no immune browser. The hijacker adds its extension to them and initiates an ad-bombardment. The parasite uses a pay-per-click scheme to generate revenue for its owners. Neither your comfort nor security were ever considered. The parasite injects dozens and dozens of unverified adverts on every website you load. It redirects your web traffic to sponsored online platforms and even pauses your online videos for commercial breaks. The more time it spends on your system, the more aggressive it becomes. Hence, the more troubles it causes. The Acinster.info hijacker interferes with every aspect of your daily browsing sessions. It is like a pain in the neck. If you don’t take measures against it, there will be unwanted consequences. Numerous crooks use this utility to advertise. They spread misleading and deceptive content. An unverified advert may arise unwarranted expectations at best. At worst, it will redirect you to scam websites. Do not test your luck. With the Acinster.info hijacker on board, you are more likely to be redirected to bogus websites than to legitimate ones. Spare yourself many future headaches. Remove this intruder now!

How did I get infected with?

The Acinster.info hijacker did not enter your computer on its own. It received help — your help. That is right. You installed this parasite. Not intentionally, of course. Confused? Let’s explain. The hijacker is a simple application. To get installed, it needs your (the user’s) approval. No permission, no admission. Yet, you cannot recall installing it. Well, no one said that the parasite needs to ask openly. Quite the opposite. The hijacker sneaked behind your back. It uses trickery to steal your permission in the sneakiest way possible. We are talking about software bundles, fake updates, and torrents. The key to its success is not the used distribution method. The key is your carelessness. Were you just a bit more careful, you could have prevented this infection. So, learn your lessons. Don’t let parasites like the Acinster.info hijacker trick you ever again. Avoid using torrents. Download your software from reputable sources only. When you start an installation process, opt for the Advanced/Custom/Manual setup option. Many software developers attach third-party apps to the payload files of their programs. These “extras” should be examined carefully. More often than not, they are malicious. Under the Advanced installation, you can deselect the extras and still install the app you originally planned to set up. Make sure you know what you are giving your approval to. Read the Terms and Conditions/End User License Agreement (EULA). If you spot anything out of the ordinary, abort the installation immediately.

Why is this dangerous?

Once the Acinster.info hijacker dupes you into installing it, prepare for trouble. The parasite interferes with every aspect of your web browsing. It redirects your traffic, opens new tabs, covers your screen with pop-ups. Every time you as much as touch your browser, numerous adverts flood your screen. The parasite is an utter menace. Sadly, it is more than annoying. It is quite dangerous. This hijacker has no security mechanism. It doesn’t distinguish between legitimate and bogus websites. It doesn’t verify its adverts, and it does not check the advertisers behind them. This lack of security makes the hijacker a great tool in every crook’s arsenal. All sorts of people use the Acinster.info hijacker as an advertising tool. They spread deceptive content and redirect traffic to questionable websites. Numerous scams are spread through the hijacker. The crooks target your wallet. One way or another, they will lure you into some scheme. Do not risk your security. Remove the hijacker before it causes serious problems. Do not hesitate to do so. The longer you wait, the worse your situation becomes.

How to Remove Acinster.info virus

The Acinster.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 Acinster.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.

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

STEP 2: Locate Acinster.info startup location

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

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

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

• Open Google Chrome

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