Remove Search Query Router Virus Completely

Can’t Remove Search Query Router hijacker? This page includes detailed Search Query Router Removal instructions!

Search Query Router (search.queryrouter.com) is a browser hijacker. In other words, it’s a pesky cyber infection that has nothing but trouble in store for you. Hackers do present the parasite as a useful search engine. It is not. This program is the nth deceptive creation of cyber criminals. The sooner you take action, the better. Hijackers become more and more dangerous as time passes. That means you procrastinating is in no way beneficial for you. Put your safety first and tackle the virus. You won’t regret it. Just like all other hijackers out there, Search Query Router modifies your browsers. After all, it isn’t called a hijacker for no reason. Both your default search engine and homepage get altered. The parasite replaces them with its own questionable domain. Was your permission required? Not even slightly. Keep in mind that this program’s very last concern is your online experience. It was originally supposed to provide quick, accurate search results. Instead, the parasite bombards you with sponsored and unsafe web links. This is a PC infection. It lies to your face in order to trick you into clicking its links. By clicking, you help the parasite’s developers gain profit. Yes, it’s just that simple. Thanks to the pay-per-click mechanism, crooks make money at your expense. Search Query Router will not enhance your browsing experience. It will bring malware straight to your PC screen. The virus also adds an extension to your browsers. You won’t be able to get rid of irritating web links and random pop-ups on a daily basis. As mentioned, hackers gain revenue that way. They also present the hijacker as a safe program. There is nothing safe about a nasty browser hijacker so don’t be gullible. If you click a corrupted link, you accidentally install viruses. Voila. Due to the parasite’s unwanted presence, there are many corrupted links on your PC screen. There are some safe ones as well. However, you can’t tell which is which unless you click. Is that a risk you’d be willing to take? You could land on malicious websites filled with parasites. Eventually, you could cause your own machine even greater damage. Search Query Router may generate pop-up ads in various shapes. Those are just as unreliable as the search results. Make no mistake when it comes to your security. The virus may even display fake program updates. It serves as a back door to malware. To top it all, this pest may jeopardize your privacy by stealing data. Tackle this infection ASAP.

How did I get infected with?

One notoriously popular method is called freeware bundling. There is a reason why this tactic is a hackers’ favorite. Bundles are a perfect combination of stealthy and effective. Hence, you might infect your PC without even knowing that you do. How exactly does the scheme work? All you have to do is download some program bundle off of the Internet. If hackers have attached some malicious bonus there, you install the virus as well. That is why we recommend that you opt for the Custom or Advanced option in the Setup Wizard. Pay attention to what you give green light to. Also, take some time to check out the Terms and Conditions. Reading those is not a fun activity. It could help you prevent malware infiltration, though. If some sneaky intruder manages to slither itself on board, you will have to uninstall it. That is a much more time-consuming and problematic task than prevention is. Save yourself the headache. Go through the EULA (End User License Agreement) as well. Remember, skipping installation steps leaves your entire PC system vulnerable. The Web is infested with potential threats so you can’t afford any mistakes. If you notice some unwanted “bonus” program in the bundle, simply deselect it.

Why is this dangerous?

The hijacker works with all three of your preferred browsers. Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer get modified. A brand new (malicious) plugin gets added to them. Behind your back, of course. You have to stay away from anything your browsers now display. Chances are, it’s dangerous. Restrain yourself from clicking the parasite’s misleading search results. Same thing goes for the pop-ups, pop-unders, banners and other ads you may come across. None of those is reliable enough for you to trust it. Hackers’ goal is to boost the web traffic to some specific pages. That’s why they redirect you. Crooks are aiming for profit so your safety remains out of the picture. Search Query Router also collects your browsing-related information. It steals browsing history, search queries, IP addresses, usernames and passwords. Can you tell where your details get sent? Into the hands of cyber criminals. To delete the hijacker manually, please follow our detailed removal guide down below.

How to Remove Search Query Router virus

The Search Query Router 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 Query Router 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 Search Query Router infection, you need to purchase its full version.

STEP 1: Track down Search Query Router in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Search Query Router startup location

STEP 3: Delete Search Query Router traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Search Query Router 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 Query Router 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 Query Router 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 Query Router traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Search Query Router 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 Query Router

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 Query Router, 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 Query Router 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 Query Router Virus (automatic) Removal Guide

Please, have in mind that once you are infected with a single virus, it compromises your system 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.