Remove Good-search.ml Hijacker

Can’t Remove Good-search.ml hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Good-search.ml Removal instructions!

Your system is no longer infection-free. It now harbors an infection. The Good-search.ml page popping up is proof of that. There’s a browser hijacker, lurking somewhere in the corners of your PC. And, you do NOT want it there. These infections are malicious, meddlesome, and an utter menace. They use slyness and subtlety to sneak into your system, undetected. And, once they succeed and settle, corruption ensues. Consider the Good-search.ml site the hijacker’s grand announcement. It uses the page as a big, bright neon sign to indicate its existence. You best heed its signal. And, act on it at once. Experts advise towards the immediate deletion of the infection. The sooner you get rid of it, the better. It has NO place on your system, and it’d be a mistake to keep it. The hijacker brings NO positives your way. All, it offers you, is a myriad of issue, headaches, and frustration. Avoid the unpleasantness, and remove it ASAP. Its prompt deletion earns you the gratitude of your future self. Its extended stay earns you regret. Choose which way you want to go.

How did I get infected with?

The Good-search.ml site doesn’t pop up out of the blue. Sure, it may seem that way, but it’s not the case. The website shows up, courtesy of the hijacker behind it. But how did it find its way into your PC? Well, it’s rather simple. It’s there because of you. Confused? Don’t be. Let’s explain. The hijacker ended up on your computer, because you agreed to install it. The tool asked if you agree to its admission, and you did. You may not recall the exchange, but it did take place. No hijacker can access a system without going through the inquiry. But don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s not as straightforward as you may imagine. It’s the exact opposite. Yes, the hijacker has to seek your permission on its install. But if it outright pops up to o do, you’d deny it, wouldn’t you? It can’t take that chance, so it’s not straightforward. Instead, it’s sneaky. It does follow the rules to ask for approval. But it does it in the most covert way possible. It uses freeware, fake updates, spam emails, corrupted links. There’s an entire array of methods, it can use. But, here’s the thing. None can prove successful without your carelessness. The tool needs it to slither in unnoticed. It needs you to throw caution to the wind, and rely on luck. To rush, and not bother reading the terms and conditions. To agree to everything it proposes, not knowing what it is exactly. It preys on your carelessness. Don’t grant it! Do the opposite. Don’t give into naivety, haste, and distraction. Be extra careful, and do your due diligence. Even a little extra attention goes a long way. Caution keeps infections away. Carelessness invites them in. Remember that.

Why is this dangerous?

The Good-search.ml page becomes your shadow. You see it at every online turn. Why? Well, because the hijacker forces it on you, at every online turn. No matter what you do, the website makes an appearance. Open a new tab? It’s there. Type in a search? It’s among the results. It’s everywhere. It even appears in place of your preferred homepage and search engine. That’s right. One day, you come to find it there. No, you didn’t consent to the switch. No, you had no clue of its implementation, prior to coming across it. You discover the switch, already in place, as you browse. It’s a surprise. And, you better get used to such surprises. Hijackers have the power to force unwanted changes on you. They don’t have to bother to inform you, or seek your permission. You can see why that’s poses grave danger to your system. What if the infection decides to install malware? What if it decides to flood your PC with malware? It can. The tool can approve the installment of as many malicious programs as it wants. How long do you think your computer will endure such an advance? How long until it gets overwhelmed, and gives up? How long until The Blue Screen of Death? That’s right. The dreaded blue is a possible outcome. It may be a minute possibility. But it is one! Minute doesn’t equal non-existent. So, as minuscule as the odds of the blue may be, are you prepared to take them? And, for what? You have nothing positive to gain from the hijacker. Only unpleasantness. Do your best to avoid it! As soon as you become aware of the hijacker’s stay on your PC, act against it. Locate where it lurks. Then, delete it on discovery. The display of Good-search.ml is your clue. Heed it. The sooner you delete the cyber threat, the better. Protect your system from its hazardous touch. Not to mention, your privacy. Yes, among all else, the tool threatens your security. Given enough time, it WILL steal and expose your private information. The question becomes, will you give it that time? Or, will you act in your best interest, and remove it ASAP?

How to Remove Good-search.ml virus

The Good-search.ml 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 Good-search.ml 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 Good-search.ml related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Good-search.ml startup location

STEP 3: Delete Good-search.ml traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Good-search.ml 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 Good-search.ml 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 Good-search.ml 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 Good-search.ml traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Good-search.ml 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 Good-search.ml

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 Good-search.ml, 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 Good-search.ml 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 Good-search.ml 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.