Remove Search.snowballsam.com Redirects

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

The Search.snowballsam.com site is bad news. It’s a big bright neon sign that screams ‘Trouble!’ If you spot it on your screen, know that it’s there, courtesy of a hijacker. That’s right. There’s a browser hijacker, hiding somewhere in the corners of your PC. And, you best believe, it’s wreaking havoc. The more time it spends on your system, the more it corrupts it. So, with time, your grievances worsen. Issues start out small. You might even find them bearable, insignificant. But as time progresses, they evolve. What begins as a browsing interference grows into a security risk. Yes, you can expect the hijacker to put your privacy in jeopardy. It follows instructions to spy on you. From the second it settles on your system, its espionage starts. The infection keeps a close eye over every single move you make. And, it doesn’t stop at observing alone. It also records everything. Think about that for a moment. The dangerous cyber threat tracks and records your browsing activities. That includes, access to your personal and financial details. Do you think that ends well? Are you going to allow that? To have your private information stolen and exposed? Are you willing to trust the cyber criminals, behind the hijacker, with your privacy? Do what’s best for you, and your system’s well-being. Remove the infection the first chance you get. The more you delay, the worse your predicament gets. So, act fast. Locate its exact hiding place. Then, delete it on discovery. The tool, behind Search.snowballsam.com, has NO place on your PC. Get rid of it ASAP.

Remove Search.snowballsam.com

How did I get infected with?

The hijacker, lurking behind Search.snowballsam.com, tricked you. It used the old but gold means of infiltration, and duped you. The tool got you to approve its installment. And, it did so, without you even realizing it. If you wonder how that’s even possible, it’s pretty simple. As stated, the tool turns to trickery. The usual antics involve freeware, spam emails, corrupted links. It can even pretend to be a bogus system or program update. Like, Java or Adobe Flash Player. The infection preys on your naivety. It relies on you to throw caution to the wind, and leaving your fate to chance. It needs you to rush, and skip doing your due diligence. Do NOT oblige! Don’t make it easier for the cyber threat to slither its way in. Always take the time to be thorough. Every time, you install tools, updates, anything off the web, do your research. Read the terms and conditions. Know what you agree to. Look for the fine print. Even a little extra attention goes a long way. Choose caution over carelessness. It provides the better alternative.

Why is this dangerous?

The Snowball Sam application forces the Search.snowballsam.com site on you. If you listen to its developers, it’s all good. The program helps you! It’s legitimate and useful. It claims to assist with finding movie streams, you can enjoy online. And, doesn’t that sound amazing? It would have been a great feature, if it were true. But it’s not. Nothing the Snowball Sam tool promise is reliable. It falls flat on every promise. Don’t buy its lies, but see through them. Behind the sugary layer of marketing, you find a dreadful cyber threat. One that messes up your system’s well-being, and puts your privacy at risk. Don’t extend the infection’s stay any further beyond the point of detection. Get rid of it as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Otherwise, you WILL get flooded with grievances. The hijacker meddles with every aspect of your system. It turns your browsing experience into hell. When you go online, you get bombarded with intrusions. You get redirected to Search.snowballsam.com, as well as flooded with ads. Every type of ad there is, you see on your screen. Banner, pop-up, in-text. It’s a mess. And, there are consequences to the incessant interference. You suffer frequent system crashes. Your computer slows down to a crawl. Spare yourself all the headaches and frustration that follow a hijacker. Keep your private information from getting stolen and exposed. Delete the infection behind Search.snowballsam.com, ASAP! Your future self will thank you for it.

How to Remove Search.snowballsam.com virus

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

STEP 2: Locate Search.snowballsam.com startup location

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

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Search.snowballsam.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.

end-malicious-process

  • Write down the file location for later reference.

Step 2: Locate Search.snowballsam.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.snowballsam.com virus from the windows registry

  • Once the operating system loads press simultaneously the Windows Logo Button and the R key.

win-plus-r

  • A dialog box should open. Type “Regedit”

regedit

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]

delete backgroundcontainer

  • 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:

hosts-redirect-virus

STEP 3 : Clean Search.snowballsam.com traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

  • Open Google Chrome

  • In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
  • Remove the Search.snowballsam.com by clicking on the little recycle bin
  • Reset Google Chrome by Deleting the current user to make sure nothing is left behind

disable Search.snowballsam.com from chrome

  • Open Mozilla Firefox

  • Press simultaneously Ctrl+Shift+A
  • Disable the unwanted Extension
  • Go to Help
  • Then Troubleshoot information
  • Click on Reset Firefox

remove Search.snowballsam.com from 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

remove Search.snowballsam.com from ie

  • Restart Internet Explorer

Step 4: Undo the damage done by Search.snowballsam.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.snowballsam.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.

safebrowsing-biz-shortcut-removal

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

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