Remove Search.hgomaps.co Redirects

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

If your web browser keeps getting redirected to the Search.hgomaps.co website, if this questionable website has managed to replace your homepage, or if “Ads by Search.hgomaps.co” pop up out of the blue, you are in for trouble. Your computer is no longer free of infections! A browser hijacker lurks in the shadows of your OS and causes problems. Brace yourself! This intruder performs various unauthorized changes to your browser and throws you into a whirlwind of reshuffles and ads. The hijacker follows instructions to generate ad revenue. It does so by flooding your browser with numerous sponsored links, ads, and commercials. Everything the parasite changes to your browser helps ads invade your computer. And if you are not sure, that’s dangerous. You can’t expect the hijacker to be safe. Its ads are often misleading and corrupted. They arise unwarranted expectations at best. At worst, they lure people into online traps. Do not take necessary risks. Take action as soon as the Search.hgomaps.co website pops up. Find where the hijacker hides and delete it upon detection!

How did I get infected with?

A browser hijacker displays the search.hgomaps.co website. This parasite sneaks into your computer and throws you into a whirlwind of ads “Powered by Search.hgomaps.co.” The intruder is so aggressive and overwhelming that users often mistake it for a virus. Luckily, that’s not true. The hijacker is a simple application. It has standard limitations. This parasite, as sneaky as it is, can’t get installed without your approval. That’s right! The hijacker is bound to seek your consent. It always asks. But it does so in the sneakiest, most deceitful way possible. The hijacker lurks in the shadows and waits for you to let your guard down. It travels the web camouflaged, hidden in software bundles, fake updates, and pirated software. It preys on your naivety! Do not make its job easier. Choose caution over carelessness. Your vigilance is powerful enough to prevent such infections. The good news is that even a little extra attention can spare you an avalanche of problems. So, don’t be lazy. Always take the time to do your due diligence! Don’t visit questionable websites. Download software and updates from reliable sources only. And forget about the “Next-Next-Finish” setup strategy. When available, use the advanced/custom option. Deselect the unwanted bonus apps and go through the terms and conditions. Don’t hesitate to abort the installation if you notice anything suspicious!

Why is this dangerous?

The Search.hgomaps.co ads are like a pain in the neck – they worsen with time. What starts as an occasional browser redirection turns into an ad invasion. Pop-ups appear out of the blue. Commercials pause your videos. Random text turns into hyperlinks. Web pages that used to be ad-free get heavy on coupons and discounts. You can’t so much as touch your browser without getting bombarded with ads. That’s how the hijacker advertises. It uses every opportunity to annoy you with an of some kind. It is meddling, annoying, and irritating. The hijacker, however, is also quite dangerous. Just take a close look at these “Ads by Search.hgomaps.co” and you’ll realize that you are in trouble. You are under surveillance! The ads are based on the websites you visit the links you follow, the videos you watch. Even your activities under the Incognito mode trigger ads. The hijacker spies on your every activity and uses your preferences to turn you into an easy target. And as if that’s not dangerous enough, but it also sells the collected data to third parties. Do you think that ends well? What if some pieces of data, your search queries, for example, leak confidential information? Protect yourself and your privacy. Act against the intruder. Remove the annoying browser hijacker ASAP!

How to Remove Search.hgomaps.co virus

The Search.hgomaps.co 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.hgomaps.co 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.hgomaps.co related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Search.hgomaps.co startup location

STEP 3: Delete Search.hgomaps.co traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Search.hgomaps.co 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.hgomaps.co 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.hgomaps.co 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.hgomaps.co traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Search.hgomaps.co 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.hgomaps.co

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.hgomaps.co, 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.hgomaps.co 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.hgomaps.co 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.