Remove Search.searchgmfs3.com Hijacker

Can’t Remove Search.searchgmfs3.com hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Search.searchgmfs3.com Removal instructions!

Did the Search.searchgmfs3.com website replace your homepage? Did you approve this change? If not, prepare for bad news. This website is the face of a nasty browser hijacker. Take its appearance as a warning and act on it. Your computer is infected. The nasty Search.searchgmfs3.com hijacker has managed to enter your OS unnoticed and is now wreaking havoc. This parasite is an ad-generating utility. It adds its malicious extension to your browser and turns it into an ad-displaying tool. The hijacker injects various adverts on every website you open and redirects your web traffic to sponsored pages. But don’t imagine a few extra adverts. No, the parasite floods your screen with advertisements. Previously ad-free pages are now so heavy on adverts that your browser barely displays them. The hijacker even dares to pause your online videos for commercial breaks. This intruder is very hard to be ignored. If you think that is unbearable now, just wait. The Search.searchgmfs3.com hijacker gets more and more aggressive with each passing day. If you don’t take action against it soon, the parasite will get out of control. There will be so many adverts that your poor browser will fail to display them correctly. It will become sluggish and unresponsive. It may freeze and crash frequently. Can you imagine getting any work done in such conditions? Do not wait to see how aggressive the hijacker can be. Remove it the first chance you get!

How did I get infected with?

To enter your machine, the Search.searchgmfs3.com hijacker relies on your carelessness and naivety. This parasite is not an advanced virus. It cannot install itself, so, it turns to trickery. It lures its victims into installing it unintentionally. Confused? Let’s explain. Many software develops attach extra apps to the payload files of their programs. These extras, more often than not, are malicious programs like the Search.searchgmfs3.com hijacker. If you rush through the installation process of such a bundle, you are very likely to install the extras. To prevent this, always opt for the Advanced/Custom/Manual option. Under it, you will be presented with a list of all extras. Deselect them. If you truly needed such software, you would have downloaded it by yourself. Don’t let others decide how you should use your computer. Install only the programs you want! Also, read the terms and conditions/EULA. If you don’t have the time to do so, use an online EULA analyzer. If you detect anything out of the ordinary, abort the installation. Other parasite distribution methods you should keep an eye out for are the good old spam emails, torrents, and fake updates. Even a little extra caution goes a long way! So, don’t be negligent, always do your due diligence!

Why is this dangerous?

The Search.searchgmfs3.com hijacker is extremely intrusive. It can ruin your browsing experience in seconds. Unfortunately, it may do more than that! This intruder is dangerous. It jeopardizes both your privacy and security. The parasite opens your browser to surveillance and targeted ads. It monitors your browsing-related data and uses the collected information to target you with customized ads. In other words, it spies on you and uses the collected information against you. This parasite knows your every online step. Which websites you visit, what search inquiries you make, what links you follow. Even the Incognito mode of your browser cannot hide you. Everything is recorded and analyzed. You wouldn’t wish this information to become a possession of cyber-criminals, would you? That is what you risk! The Search.searchgmfs3.com hijacker sells access to the data. Anyone willing to pay can use the parasite and its resources to promote. Numerous crooks do. They use the hijacker to reach potential victims. They show you what you want to see, but when you click on their adverts, bad things happen. You might get redirected to fake web stores that sell nonexistent goods. You also risk ending up on scam and potentially infected pages. Do not put yourself through this madness. Remove the Search.searchgmfs3.com hijacker before it lures you into some online trap!

How to Remove Search.searchgmfs3.com virus

The Search.searchgmfs3.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.searchgmfs3.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.searchgmfs3.com related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Search.searchgmfs3.com startup location

STEP 3: Delete Search.searchgmfs3.com traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Search.searchgmfs3.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.searchgmfs3.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.searchgmfs3.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.searchgmfs3.com traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Search.searchgmfs3.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.searchgmfs3.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.searchgmfs3.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.searchgmfs3.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.searchgmfs3.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.