Remove Auto Refresh Plus Adware (Firefox Addon Scam)

Can’t Remove Auto Refresh Plus ads? This page includes detailed ads by Auto Refresh Plus Removal instructions!

The Auto Refresh Plus extension should not remain on your computer. Security experts have classified this utility as adware. Unfortunately, this utility is not safe. On the contrary — it exposes your privacy and online security at risk. The parasite is a type of malicious ad-generating program. It corrupts your web browser and pollutes it with advertisements. The adware injects various ads on every website you visit. Banners, in-texts, hyperlinks, video commercials, sliding panels and many more are part of its vast arsenal. Eventually, you will see them all. The Auto Refresh Plus adware is a constant pain in the neck. The more you tolerate it, the worse it becomes. As time passes, the adware gets more and more aggressive. It will drown you in a sea of advertisements. Every website you visit, every link you follow, every video you watch, everything will be heavy on adverts. You will hate the experience. Your Internet connection will seem slower than usual. Your poor browser, too, will be affected badly. It will not be able to display the numerous ads correctly. It will start to freeze and crash frequently. These issues, as frustrating as they are, should not be the focus of your attention. The true problem is something more terrifying. To select the most appealing adverts for you, the Auto Refresh Plus adware is actually spying on you. The parasite monitors your browser-related data. It uses the collected information to turn you into an easy target. Numerous crooks use this utility to reach new victims. With the adware on board, you are also a target. Do not put up with this pest. It is not harmless. Your best course of action is the immediate removal of the adware. Do it now, so you won’t regret it later!

How did I get infected with?

The Auto Refresh Plus adware has an official download from the Chrome Web Store. It is also distributed through stealth and trickery. The parasite hitches a ride with third-party apps. So, be careful what you are giving your approval to. Software developers often attach extra apps to the payload files of their programs. These extras, more often than not, are malicious. To prevent them from installing, opt for the Advanced option in the Setup Wizard. Under it, you will be presented with a list of all extras that are about to be installed. You can deselect them and still install the app you originally planned to set up. Also, read the Terms and Conditions/End User License Agreement (EULA). If you spot anything out of the ordinary, abort the installation immediately. Other adware distribution methods include the good old spam emails, torrents, fake updates and corrupted software copies. Your vigilance can prevent these methods from succeeding. Don’t be careless. Even a little extra caution goes a long, long way!

Why is this dangerous?

The Auto Refresh Plus adware is very annoying. It interferes with every aspect of your daily web browsing. The parasite forces numerous adverts on you. Every time you as much as touch your browser, dozens and dozens of pop-ups cover your screen. You cannot get a simple task finished without being interrupted. Your comfort, however, is not the biggest problem. Your privacy is at risk. The adware threatens to expose sensitive information about you. This utility spies on you. It knows your every online step. Even the Incognito mode of your browser cannot hide you from the parasite. Can you imagine what the crooks may do with this data? All sorts of crooks pay to access this information. They use the adware and its resources to target potential victims. So, don’t get your hopes up the next time you see an irresistible online offer. With the adware on board, it is more likely to be misleading or false than a legitimate one. The adware can easily redirect you to bogus websites. Various online scams are spread through this parasite. Do not reveal personal and financial details online. Not while your computer remains infected. You should not suffer. The Auto Refresh Plus adware is removable. Track this intruder down and delete it on the spot! The sooner you clean your device, the better!

How to Remove Auto Refresh Plus virus

The Auto Refresh Plus 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 Auto Refresh Plus 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 Auto Refresh Plus in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Auto Refresh Plus startup location

STEP 3: Delete Auto Refresh Plus traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Auto Refresh Plus 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 Auto Refresh Plus 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 Auto Refresh Plus 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 Auto Refresh Plus traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Auto Refresh Plus 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 Auto Refresh Plus

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 Auto Refresh Plus, 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 Auto Refresh Plus 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 Auto Refresh Plus 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.