Remove Qareaste.info Redirects

Can’t Remove Qareaste.info hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Qareaste.info Removal instructions!

Qareaste.info is bad news. If this deceptive website takes over your homepage, prepare for trouble. Your computer is no longer free of infections. A browser hijacker lurks in the shadows of your OS and wreaks advertising havoc. You are stuck with an ad-generating menace. This intruder follows programming to corrupt your web browsers and to turn them into ad-displaying platforms. Chrome, Firefox, Edge – there is no immune program. The hijacker infects your favorite browsers and floods you with ads and redirects. Brace yourself! The parasite doesn’t miss an opportunity to interrupt you with ads. It inserts banners on every website you visit, opens pop-ups, plays commercials. And it doesn’t stop here. The hijacker also turns random text into hyperlinks, as well as redirects your web traffic to sponsored websites. It goes so far as to insert ads among the search results you are provided with! Don’t interact with its ads, of course. You can’t expect this parasite to be safe, much less trustworthy. Its “Ads by Qareaste.info” often redirect web traffic to dangerous websites. They arise unwarranted expectations at best. At worst, they lure people into online traps. Do not risk falling into one! Your best course of action is the immediate removal of the parasite. Don’t waste time in debates. Take action as soon as the “Powered by Qareaste.info” banners, pop-ups, and hyperlinks pop up.

How did I get infected with?

A browser hijacker is behind the annoying Qareaste.info redirects. This parasite sneaks into your computer and throws you into a whirlwind of “Ads by Qareaste.info.” Don’t, however, mistake the parasite for a virus. This menace is a simple app that has standard limitations. It, for example, can’t get installed without your permission! The parasite, of course, knows how to steal your “yes.” Note that having to asks is not the same as having to do so outright. The hijacker lurks in the fine print and infects your computer when you “forget” to deny it access. Do not make that mistake! No anti-virus app can protect you if you throw caution to the wind. The key to a secure and infection-free computer is diligence. Only your actions can prevent infections. The good news is that even a little extra attention goes a long, long way. So, don’t be lazy. Make the right decision – choose caution over carelessness. Don’t visit shady websites. Download software and updates from reliable (preferably official) sources. And, of course, don’t skip installation steps. Forget about the “Next-Next-Finish” strategy. When available, use the advanced/custom setup option. Deselect the unwanted extras and go through the terms and conditions. Don’t hesitate to abort the installation if you notice anything suspicious!

Why is this dangerous?

The Qareaste.info redirects are just the beginning of an ad invasion. You are dealing with a browser hijacker – a parasite that constantly increases the number of its ads, as well as finds new ways to annoy you. What starts as an occasional banner turns into a sea of coupons and discounts. The parasite uses every chance to interfere with your activities. Whether you type a search query or browse your favorite website, its ads are always there. Click nothing, of course! These annoying pop-ups, hyperlinks, and commercials often redirect traffic to dangerous websites. Don’t focus on that issue, though. The potential online perils are nothing compared to the threats that lurk on your OS. Confused? Just take a look at the “Brought to you by Qareaste.info” pop-ups and you’ll realize the full extent of the hijacker’s corruption. The ads are not random but targeted at you. They are based on the websites you visit, the links you follow, the videos you watch. Even your activities under the Incognito mode trigger ads. That’s because you are under surveillance! The hijacker spies on you from day one and uses your preferences against you. Do you feel comfortable knowing that this menace turns you into an easy target? And what if it leaks the confidential details? The news is bad. That scenario might unfold. The hijacker doesn’t keep the collected information confidential. Quite the contrary – it sells everything. If you run out of luck, some pieces of data, your search queries, for example, may leak personal and financial details. Do not risk it! Protect yourself and your privacy! Remove the hijacker ASAP!

How to Remove Qareaste.info virus

The Qareaste.info 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 Qareaste.info 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 Qareaste.info related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Qareaste.info startup location

STEP 3: Delete Qareaste.info traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Qareaste.info 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 Qareaste.info 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 Qareaste.info 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 Qareaste.info traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Qareaste.info 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 Qareaste.info

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 Qareaste.info, 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 Qareaste.info 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 Qareaste.info 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.