Remove Search.gmx.com Hijacker from Chrome, Firefox, Edge, IE

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

There’s a browser hijacker, lurking on your computer. It managed to invade your system, and is now in the process of corrupting it. The tool slithered its way in via slyness and subtlety. And, you’re now stuck with the repercussions of its presence. The initial and most obvious one, is Search.gmx.com. You see the site everywhere. It turns into the bane of your browsing. The hijacker makes sure to force it on you, non-stop. It doesn’t let you make a single move, without displaying the website. Open a new tab? Search.gmx.com pops up to greet you. Type in a search? Search.gmx.com lurks among the suggested results. Not only that, but you also find it in place of your default search engine and homepage. It’s everywhere. And, it’s not alone. Apart from the incessant redirects, you also suffer from a bombardment of ads. Pop-up, in-text, banner. Every type of ad there is, you find on your screen. And, don’t think the incessant online meddling goes unnoticed. It doesn’t. It has repercussions. And, it doesn’t take long before you encounter them. Your system suffers frequent crashes. Your computer’s performance slows down to a crawl. The hijacker turns your browsing experience into utter hell. Don’t let it! Heed experts’ advice, and delete the dreadful infection ASAP. Once it reveals its existence via the page’s popping up, act. Do your best to find its exact lurking place. Then, delete it on discovery. The sooner, the better.

How did I get infected with?

Search.gmx.com pops up, because of you. It appears on your screen, because of the hijacker, you installed. Oh, ye! You gave the green light o the hijacker, lurking behind the page. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t be in your current predicament. But you did, and that’s why you see Search.gmx.com, at every turn. Confused? Let’s explain. Hijackers have to ask if you agree to install them. Only if you say YES, can they proceed with installment. So, they make sure to get your YES. How? Well, they resort to trickery. Sure, they ask if you approve their admission. But they do it in the most covert method possible. They’re so sneaky, that if you’re not careful enough, they slip right by you. And, that’s what they’re counting on – your carelessness. Hijackers prey on it. They need you to rush, and give into naivety. To throw caution to the wind, and rely on luck. To leave your fate to chance, instead of doing your due diligence. Don’t oblige. Don’t make the hijacker’s infiltration easier. Don’t choose carelessness over caution. Do the opposite! Always take the time to be thorough. Vigilance goes a long way. And, it can save you countless issues. Remember that, next time you install tools, updates, or anything else off the web. The usual invasive methods involve freeware, fake updates, spam emails, and corrupted links. Be wary. Be attentive. It’s crucial if you wish to keep an infection-free PC.

Why is this dangerous?

Search.gmx.com is a harbinger of troubles. It announces the presence of the hijacker plague on your PC. And, with it begin the heaps of frustration, headaches, and unpleasantness. The tool doesn’t only mess with online activities. It doesn’t only force reshuffles on you. It’s far more dangerous than that. The hijacker threatens your privacy. That’s right. It follows instructions to steal your personal and financial details. And, then, expose them to the people that published it. Make no mistake. Given enough time, it WILL succeed. So, the question is, will you give it that time? Once the tool invades, it begins to spy on you. It tracks your online habits, and records everything you do. When it determines it has collected enough information from you, proceeds to send it. It hands it over to the cyber criminals, behind it. Let that sink in for a moment. Your personal and financial data in the hands of strangers with agendas. Do you think that ends well? Don’t fool yourself. Protect yourself! Don’t let the infection run rampant on your PC. As soon as you become aware of its existence, act towards its immediate removal. And, remember! The sooner you get rid of it, the better! Don’t delay.

How to Remove Search.gmx.com virus

The Search.gmx.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 Search.gmx.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.

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

STEP 2: Locate Search.gmx.com startup location

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

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Search.gmx.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.

• Write down the file location for later reference.

Step 2: Locate Search.gmx.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 Search.gmx.com 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 Search.gmx.com traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Search.gmx.com 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 Search.gmx.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 Search.gmx.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.

• in the target field remove Search.gmx.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 Search.gmx.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.