Remove FreeContent.stream Malware

Can’t Remove FreeContent.stream hijacker virus? This page includes detailed FreeContent.stream Removal instructions!

FreeContent.stream is a highly questionable domain. It is associated with a browser hijacker. If you see adverts provided by this URL or if the page has managed to replace your homepage, brace yourself. The news is bad. Unfortunately, your computer is no longer infection-free. Somewhere in the corners of your OS, the nasty FreeContent.stream hijacker is lurking. It is an intrusive ad-generating type of malware which jeopardizes your security. This parasite enters your computer undetected and wreaks total havoc. It is a menace that causes only grievances. The hijacker is programmed to take full control of its victims’ browsers. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, all known browsers are vulnerable to this parasite’s influence. The hijacker forces your trusted browser to display numerous averts. You must have noticed that websites that used to be ad-free are now so heavy on ads that your browser barely displays them. That is right. It’s the hijacker. It injects ads on every web page you load. It also redirects your web traffic to sponsored pages and pauses your online videos for commercial breaks. And, you best know, that has consequences. The hijacker has no security mechanism. It doesn’t distinguish between corrupted and legitimate websites. Numerous crooks take advantage of the malware. They redirect web traffic to scam and potentially infected pages. Do not risk your computer’s health. Remove the FreeContent.stream hijacker before it gets the chance you cause serious harm. The sooner this parasite is gone, the better!

How did I get infected with?

The FreeContent.stream hijacker is not an ingenious virus. It is a simple computer application. And just like any other app. It needs your permission to get installed. Which means only one thing: you installed this intruder. That is right, you did it. Not intentionally, of course. The hijacker tricked you. It stole your permission. The parasite hides in software bundles, fake updates, and torrents. If you rush through an installation process, you are very likely to end up with more programs than you anticipated. Many software developers attach additional programs to the payload files of their programs. These extras, more often than not, are malicious. To prevent them from installing, use the Advanced/Custom/Manual installation option. Under it, you will be presented with a list of all extras. Deselect them. If you truly needed such software, you would have downloaded it by yourself. This is your computer. You decide what to be installed on it. Don’t let others make this decision for you! Also, be very careful with your inbox. The crooks tend to write on behalf of well-known organizations. They attach corrupted files, as well as malicious links to their messages. One click is all it takes for malware to be downloaded. Make sure you don’t interact with unverified messages!

Why is this dangerous?

The FreeContent.stream hijacker has no place on your computer. It prevents you from using your browser normally. The intruder bombards you with countless adverts. None of which is verified. These adverts may arouse unwarranted expectations at best. At worst, they will redirect you to scam or infected websites. Numerous crooks use the hijacker to lure potential victims into online schemes. They redirect your browser automatically to these pages. They also spread misleading and false adverts. The crooks customize their adverts. They prepare irresistible ads for you. Confused? Let’s explain. The FreeContent.stream hijacker monitors your browsing-related data. It knows your habits, preferences, and needs. The collected data is stored on a remote server. Everyone who uses the hijacker as an advertising tool can access and use the data. The crooks do. They use the hijacker to show you what you want to see, but when you follow their ads, bad things happen. The nasty FreeContent.stream hijacker turns you into an easy target. Do not put up with it. Remove this intruder before it lures into some online scheme!

How to Remove FreeContent.stream virus

The FreeContent.stream 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 FreeContent.stream 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 FreeContent.stream related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate FreeContent.stream startup location

STEP 3: Delete FreeContent.stream traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down FreeContent.stream 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 FreeContent.stream 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 FreeContent.stream 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 FreeContent.stream traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

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

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 FreeContent.stream, 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 FreeContent.stream 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 FreeContent.stream 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.