How to Remove FastDataX Adware

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The FastDataX app is not essential for your OS. On the contrary, it prevents you from using your computer normally. Security researchers have categorized this utility as adware. It is a nasty ad-generating parasite. The adware uses trickery to enter your machine in complete silence. It scans your OS for installed web browsers and adds its malicious extension to them. Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, there are no immune browsers. The adware infects them alike. It takes full control of your favorite browsers and initiates an aggressive ad bombardment on you. The FastDataX adware uses a pay-per-click scheme to generate revenue. It injects various adverts on every website you open and redirects your browser to sponsored pages. At first, it seems like a minor annoyance. Yet, as the time passes, it becomes a pain in the neck that is hard to be tolerated. And it shouldn’t! This utility is not safe. Numerous crooks use it to target potential victims. They spread corrupted and misleading ads. They also redirect web traffic to scam websites. The nasty FastDataX adware turns you into a target. Do not allow this. Remove this intruder before it lures you into some online scheme!

How did I get infected with?

The FastDataX adware did not materialize by magic. Neither did it hack your computer. It was you the one who installed it. That is right. You did it. You infected your machine. Not intentionally, of course. The adware tricked you. It arrived hidden in a software bundle and tricked you into installing it. The best thing you can do now is to learn from your mistakes. Do not let other parasites deceive you ever again. Download your apps from reputable sources only. When you start their installation, opt for the Advanced option in the Setup Wizard. You will be surprised how often, the apps arrive bundled with extra programs. These extras, however, are not to be trusted. More often than not, they are malicious. So, examine them carefully. You can deselect either or all of them and still install the program 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. This is your computer. Its security is your responsibility. Do not be lazy! Always do your due diligence. Other malware distribution methods you should keep an eye out for are the good old spam emails, torrents, and fake updates. Your caution can prevent these methods from succeeding!

Why is this dangerous?

The FastDataX adware is extremely intrusive. It bombards you with adverts. Websites that used to be ad-free are now so heavy on advertisements that your browser barely loads them. Your poor browser cannot keep up with the aggressive advertising. It freezes and crashes frequently. You cannot get any work done in such conditions. It is very frustrating. But, do not focus on your discomfort. There is something much darker going on behind your back. To target you with appealing advertisements, the FastDataX adware actually spies on you. The parasite monitors your every online move. It knows about every website you open, every link you follow, every video you watch. Even the Incognito mode of your browser cannot hide. Everything you do online is analyzed and cataloged. The collected data may not strike as too sensitive, but a capable advertiser needs very little to successfully target you with customized marketing campaigns. What if this capable advertiser has bad intentions? As we already mentioned, many crooks use the adware as an advertising platform. They use the collected data to prepared irresistible adverts. They show you what you want to see, but when you click on their ads, you end up on bogus websites. If you are extremely unlucky, you may end up on infected web pages too. The FastDataX adware is too hazardous to be kept on board. Remove it as soon as possible!

How to Remove FastDataX virus

The FastDataX 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 FastDataX 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 FastDataX in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate FastDataX startup location

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

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

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

• Open Google Chrome

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

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 FastDataX, 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 FastDataX 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 FastDataX 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.