Remove Istartsurf.com Redirect

Can’t Remove Istartsurf.com hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Istartsurf.com Removal instructions!

Istartsurf.com is an obnoxious website, foreboding bad news. If you see it take over your screen, you’re in trouble. The Istartsurf.com page is a front. There’s an infection, hiding behind it. A browser hijacker, to be precise. The hijacker uses it as a shield to lurk behind, and wreak havoc from the shadows. And, you best believe, it takes full advantage of that. Once the tool settles into your system, it begins to wreck it. It puts you through an utter bombardment of problems. It messes with your browsing, your system reshuffles, even your privacy. Heed experts’ advice, and don’t allow the threat to stay even a second after detection. The more time you grant a hijacker on your PC, the more troubles it throws at you. These tools don’t make for great companions. They force unwanted changes on you. Like, replacing your default search engine and homepage. One day, you come to find it as Istartsurf.com. Did you approve that? No. Is it fact nonetheless? Yes. You have the hijacker to thank for that. It also floods you with an ever-flowing waterfall of advertisements. Your browsing experience turns hellish. When you so much as open your browser, you face intrusions. You see a wall of ads, and get redirected to a myriad of suspicious links. Not only that, but your computer slows down. Your system suffers frequent crashes, as well. It’s a mess. And, it’s one that keeps growing the more time the hijacker remains. So cut its stay short. As brief as possible! Once it announces its existence with the Istartsurf.com page, act! Do your best to discover its hiding place, and remove the cyber threat from your system. It’s the best course of action, you can take.

Remove Istartsurf.com

How did I get infected with?

Do you recall approving the hijacker’s install? No? Well, you must have. Hijackers need permission to enter a user’s system. They don’t appear out of the blue. It may seem that way, but it’s a different story. In actuality, they do seek your consent on their admission. If they don’t get it, no access. In other words, Istartsurf.com means you gave the green light to a hijacker. Don’t beat yourself up too hard, though. These are tricky infections. Don’t expect them to be straightforward in their inquiries. After all, if it outright popped up to ask entry, you’d deny it. The program cannot take that chance. So, it chooses a different approach. It does seek access. Only, it does it in a way, which leaves much room for success. The tool hides behind freeware or spam email attachments. Corrupted links or bogus updates. Do you see the pattern? All methods rely on your distraction, naivety, and haste. If you’re not attentive enough to spot it, it slips right by you. So, be attentive! Be thorough. Always opt to take the extra time to do your due diligence. Even a little extra vigilance can save you a ton of troubles. Choose caution over carelessness. One saves you a heap of troubles. The other invites them in.

Why is this dangerous?

Say, you have nerves of steel, and don’t mind the incessant online intrusions. Should you still get rid of the hijacker, using Istartsurf.com as a front? Yes! And, here’s why. Apart from all the inconveniences, you may classify as minor, you find major ones, as well. The one, towering over all other, the privacy risk. Yes, the infection places your private life in jeopardy. It threatens to steal and expose your personal and financial data. To whom? Well, to the unknown individuals behind it. Cyber criminals with questionable intentions. Are those the people, you want to have access to your private details? Or, would you rather your private life stay private? Make the right choice. Once Istartsurf.com pops up, acknowledge the presence of the cyber threat. Find its hiding place, and delete it. The more you delay, the bigger the pile of problems gets. Don’t delay its removal. Delays only lead to regrets. Hijackers have no place on your computer. Get rid of the one behind Istartsurf.com ASAP.

How to Remove Istartsurf.com virus

The Istartsurf.com 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 Istartsurf.com 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 Istartsurf.com infection, you need to purchase its full version.

STEP 1: Track down Istartsurf.com related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Istartsurf.com startup location

STEP 3: Delete Istartsurf.com traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Istartsurf.com 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.

end-malicious-process

  • Write down the file location for later reference.

Step 2: Locate Istartsurf.com 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 Istartsurf.com virus from the windows registry

  • Once the operating system loads press simultaneously the Windows Logo Button and the R key.

win-plus-r

  • A dialog box should open. Type “Regedit”

regedit

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]

delete backgroundcontainer

  • 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:

hosts-redirect-virus

STEP 3 : Clean Istartsurf.com traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

  • Open Google Chrome

  • In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
  • Remove the Istartsurf.com by clicking on the little recycle bin
  • Reset Google Chrome by Deleting the current user to make sure nothing is left behind

disable Istartsurf.com from chrome

  • Open Mozilla Firefox

  • Press simultaneously Ctrl+Shift+A
  • Disable the unwanted Extension
  • Go to Help
  • Then Troubleshoot information
  • Click on Reset Firefox

remove Istartsurf.com from 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

remove Istartsurf.com from ie

  • Restart Internet Explorer

Step 4: Undo the damage done by Istartsurf.com

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 Istartsurf.com, 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.

safebrowsing-biz-shortcut-removal

  • in the target field remove Istartsurf.com 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 Istartsurf.com 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.

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