Remove Search.searchgmfs.com Hijacker

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

The Search.searchgmfs.com page screams “Infection!” So, if it starts to take over your screen, know that you’re in trouble. There’s a browser hijacker, somewhere on your computer. It’s hiding in the shadows, wreaking havoc. Hijackers are sneaky. They slither their way in undetected, and so did the one, you’re stuck with now. It managed to invade without you realizing it. And, it’s now announcing its existence with the display of the site. Consider the Search.searchgmfs.com site its grand reveal. It’s a clue. You best heed it. Once you spot it on your screen, take notice, and act! Acknowledge the page as the hint to a hijacker invasion. Then, do your best to discover the exact hiding place of the threat. As soon as you locate it, delete it! The sooner you get rid of it, the better. Understand that the longer it remains, the worse your predicament gets. So, follow experts advice! Cut the hijacker’s stay as short as you can! You’ll avoid a ton of troubles, and earn the thanks of your future self.

How did I get infected with?

How do you imagine you ended up with a hijacker? Do you remember installing the program? Well, odds are, you don’t. But that doesn’t change the fact, you did. The hijacker asked whether you agree to its installment, and you did. If that weren’t the case, you wouldn’t get stuck with Search.searchgmfs.com, non-stop. So, how do you agree to allow a tool into your PC, and not realize it? Well, simple. The hijacker didn’t outright ask for your permission. It turned to slyness and subtlety, and the old but gold means of infiltration. Like, freeware, spam emails, corrupted links. The tool can even pose as a fake system or program update. For example, an Adobe Flash Player impostor. It’s up to you to be attentive enough to spot the deception. Caution is crucial! If you wish to keep infections out, be extra thorough when installing anything off the web. The web is a dangerous place. So, take your time to be thorough. Read the terms and conditions, look for the fine print. Do your homework! Even a little extra vigilance goes a long way. Remember to choose caution over carelessness. One keeps infections away. The other invites them into your system.

Why is this dangerous?

Search.searchgmfs.com is an obnoxious website. The hijacker makes sure you see it all the time. Any time, you do anything at all online, the site shows up. Type in a search? Search.searchgmfs.com is among the results. Open a new tab? Search.searchgmfs.com is there to greet you. The hijacker intercepts your every move, and redirects you. And, not only to Search.searchgmfs.com. But also to other suspicious-looking pages. Not to mention, the bombardment of ads, it forces you to endure. Oh, yes. The tool puts you through an entire waterfall of advertisements, every type you try to browse. It doesn’t leave you to browse uninterrupted. That continuous disruption doesn’t go unnoticed for long. Soon after the online interference begins, you face consequences. Your system starts to suffer frequent crashes. Your computer’s performance slows down to a crawl. It’s quite the mess. And, still, these are the minor inconveniences. The absolute worst issues, concerns your privacy. The tool, lurking behind Search.searchgmfs.com, spies on you. It doesn’t only intrude on your browsing activities, but tracks them, as well. It catalogs every single move you make. That includes, your personal and financial details. After the infection determines it has gathered enough data, it proceeds to send it. Yes, it hands them over to the strangers, who published the hijacker, in the first place. Cyber criminals with questionable intentions. Those aren’t the people, you want to get access to your private life. Protect yourself, and your system’s well-being. Locate and delete the cyber threat at once. The sooner, the better.

How to Remove Search.searchgmfs.com virus

The Search.searchgmfs.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.searchgmfs.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.searchgmfs.com related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Search.searchgmfs.com startup location

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

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Search.searchgmfs.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.searchgmfs.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.searchgmfs.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.searchgmfs.com traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

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