Remove Istream.link Redirect

Suddenly Istream.link took over your homepage and you cannot remove it.

Istream.link (by Keen Internet Technologies Ltd.) is a hijacker. Yes, it’s advertised as a practical search engine. No, it’s no such thing. This is not the first time we’ve come across a seemingly safe yet malicious program. However, hackers rarely tend to tell the truth about the parasites they constantly develop. You can’t expect honesty out of cyber criminals, can you? Istream.link was created solely to harass you despite its promises. This program will not enhance your browsing experience a bit. For starters, the virus adds a browser extension immediately after installation. It goes without saying istream.link doesn’t bother to ask for your permission beforehand. Now that the PC is compromised, your preferences don’t matter anymore. Your entire online experience is up to hackers. We shouldn’t have to explain why this is dangerous, right? Istream.link replaces both your browser homepage and search engine with its domain. As you could imagine, this domain is untrustworthy. All istream.link generates are sponsored web links. Furthermore, some of these links lead straight to malware. One single click on a seemingly safe search result. That is all it takes to automatically install more infections on board. Is that what you’re aiming for online, to compromise your PC? If not, stay away from these web links. There were never supposed to be beneficial for you so make no mistake. Istream.link is generating web traffic to some particular pages. This way its developers gain illegitimate revenue. You see, the hijacker’s very last concern is to help you browse the Internet. Istream.link is money-oriented and quite unpredictable. The virus might even display random commercials and questionable software updates. Those are just as dangerous as the search results. Remember, anything brought to you by the hijacker must be avoided. Otherwise, you’d be causing your own computer damage. In addition, the hijacker is known to be jeopardizing your privacy as well. Since the moment of installation istream.link starts spying on your cyber activity. It monitors your browsing history, email addresses, passwords, etc. That’s not all, though. If you’re especially unlucky, istream.link might steal some personally identifiable data. Bank account information and online credentials may get into the wrong hands. Crooks will not think twice before they use your data against you. Do the right thing and prevent further harm. The sooner you uninstall istream.link, the better.

Remove Istream.link

How did I get infected with?

You didn’t install a hijacker voluntarily, did you? Not many people compromise their own machines on purpose. Just like most infections, istream.link travels the Web in silence. For example, the hijacker might have been attached to some software bundle. Do you often download such program packages? In the future, pay attention to what you actually give green light to. There could be some incredibly vicious parasite in the bundle. There might be a whole bunch of infections so take your time. Opt for the Advanced option in the Setup Wizard instead of the Basic one. You have to spot the potential intruder on time; this is why you need to be cautious. Freeware and shareware bundles spread all types of parasites online, including Trojans and ransomware. Next time you rush the process you might end up in a much more problematic situation. Also, stay away from spam messages from unknown senders. Same piece of advice goes for the spam email-attachments you may find in your inbox. Avoid third-party pop-ups and questionable websites. Remember that caution goes a long way so you can’t afford to be neglectful.

Why is this dangerous?

Istream.link constantly redirects you. The problem is, it redirects you to potentially dangerous pages. To prevent malware infiltration, you have to stay away from anything istream.link generates. Chances are, it’s unreliable. As we mentioned already, this program’s developers are focused on their profit. Istream.link doesn’t discriminate between safe and harmful web links so it displays both kinds. There’s no telling which is which unless you click. Clicking could be a terrible mistake, though. Don’t be gullible because this nuisance will not help you surf the Web. It will stubbornly alter your default settings till the moment you get rid of this pest. There’s just one thing to do if you encounter its presence – eliminate the intruder. To do so manually, please follow our comprehensive removal guide down below.

If you perform exactly the steps below you should be able to remove the Istream.link 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.

The Istream.link adware is specifically designed to make money. It generates web traffic, collects sales leads for other dubious sites, and will display advertisements and sponsored links within your web browser.

STEP 1: Uninstall Istream.link from Add\Remove Programs

STEP 2: Clean Istream.link from Chrome Firefox or Internet Explorer

STEP 3: Permanently Remove Istream.link leftovers from the System

Simultaneously press the Windows Logo Button and then “R” to open the Run Command Window

run command

 

Type “regedit

regedit

 

navigate to HKCU\software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main

Modify the string with a value data and set it to google.com for example.

  • Open Google Chrome

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

disable Istream.link 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 Istream.link 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 Istream.link from ie

  • Restart Internet Explorer

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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