Remove Cleanserp Virus

Can’t Remove Cleanserp hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Cleanserp Removal instructions!

Cleanserp (Cleanserp.net) is the “search engine that respects your privacy”. Or so it claims. Unfortunately, Cleanserp won’t improve your online experience. Thus dubious program actually bombards you with sponsored search results and causes a mess on your machine. Classified as a browser hijacker, Cleanserp must be immediately uninstalled. The thing with hijackers is, they become more and more dangerous as time passes. If you hesitate for too long and keep the virus on your PC, things will get ugly. Instead of allowing an infection to get out of hand, take action ASAP. Get rid of this deceptive parasite and regain control over your hijacked browsers. The program starts harassing you without wasting time. It firstly modifies your default search engine and browser homepage. After all, hijackers have that name for a reason. These irritating infections force their domains on the victim. That is exactly what Cleanserp does too. It replaces your search engine/homepage with its domain. Thus, you’re stuck with the hijacker every single time you attempt to surf the Internet. Wave your everyday online activities goodbye because this pest isn’t going to allow you to find what you need. On the other hand, it will inject your browsers with sponsored, potentially harmful web links. Remember that nothing generated by an infection of any kind is to be trusted. Cleanserp only displays some very specific, tailored web links. Those may have nothing to do with your search queries but that’s your smallest problem. The search results provided by the hijacker may turn out to be incredibly dangerous. You see, hackers use the pay-per-click mechanism to gain revenue. They cover your PC screen with highly questionable web links in order to make money. Your safety and your browsing experience remain completely out of the picture. You could be positive some of the web links generated by Cleanserp lead directly to malware. The question is, are you going to risk it? Clicking could compromise your machine further without you even knowing it. Make sure you stay away from the parasite’s misleading search results. Cleanserp might also bring along some sponsored pop-up ads and product commercials. Those can’t be trusted either. You could come across some random program updates or third-party pop-ups. Long story short, stay away from anything Cleanserp generates. This program has no intention of helping you out. Then why would you keep it on board?

How did I get infected with?

The parasite probably relied on a freeware/shareware bundle to get installed. Bundles offer all kinds of infections a quick and efficient way to travel the Web. Protecting your computer isn’t a challenging task, though. All you have to do is pay attention to what you agree to download. There could be a rich variety of viruses attached to a seemingly safe bundle. It is up to you whether the parasite will successfully slither itself onto your device. To prevent virus installation, you have to watch out for intruders. No potential threat should be underestimated so don’t be gullible. When installing bundled programs opt for the Custom option in the Setup Wizard. Take your time right now so you don’t have to delete malware afterwards. Make sure your computer remains infection-free. Check out the Terms and Conditions of what you download as well. Same piece of advice goes for the End User License Agreement (EULA). Unless you’re in control of the installation process, it might be hackers. Many people choose to skip steps and end up infecting their machines. Watch out for malware before some sneaky parasite gets downloaded behind your back.

Why is this dangerous?

The hijacker lies to your face and promises numerous functionalities. What it delivers are sponsored web links and a poor PC performance. Due to the parasite’s presence, your PC speed is now slowed to a crawl. Your overwhelmed browsers also freeze and/or crash. As a result, using your very own computer in general becomes unpleasant. Cleanserp makes sure you’re effectively bombarded with fake search results and unreliable pop-up ads. Restrain yourself from clicking any of those because clicking would be a mistake. The infection redirects you and even jeopardizes your privacy. Its developers get free access to your search queries, IP addresses, email addresses, passwords. Your browsing history gets monitored too. It goes without saying that hackers are the last people who should be having your sensitive details. To delete the parasite manually, please follow our detailed removal guide down below.

How to Remove Cleanserp virus

The Cleanserp 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 Cleanserp 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.

WARNING! Stopping the wrong file or deleting the wrong registry key may damage your system irreversibly.
If you are feeling not technical enough just use Spyhunter Professional Malware Removal Tool to deal with the problem!
>>Download SpyHunter – a Professional Remover.

Please, keep in mind that SpyHunter’s scanner tool is free. To remove the Cleanserp infection, you need to purchase its full version.

STEP 1: Track down Cleanserp related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Cleanserp startup location

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

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

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

• Open Google Chrome

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

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 Cleanserp, 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 Cleanserp 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 Cleanserp 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.