Remove Search.watchsportslive.co Hijacker

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

The Search.watchsportslive.co page is the bane of your browsing. You see it all the time. When you so much as touch your browser, it shows up. Type in a search? It lurks among the suggested results. Open a new tab? It appears to greet you. The site haunts your every online move. That’s not only infuriating, it’s also a bad sign. The page’s popping up indicates the presence of a threat. Your computer is no longer infection-free. A browser hijacker now calls it ‘home.’ Consider the site’s display, the first clue of the invasion. And, you best heed it! The website is a warning. Hijackers don’t make for good company. They invade your system undetected. And, while lurking in the corners of your system, corrupt it. The one, using Search.watchsportslive.co as a front, is no different. It’s dangerous, meddling, and has NO place on your PC. It’s a threat. One you should remove ASAP. The longer it remains on your computer, the worse your predicament gets. So, do yourself a favor, and remove it on discovery.

Remove Search.watchsportslive.co

How did I get infected with?

Hijackers are masterful in the art of deceit. So is the one, behind Search.watchsportslive.co. It fooled you into agreeing to install it. All, while keeping you oblivious. How? Well, you made it easier, by choosing carelessness overt caution. Infections, like this one, prey on your carelessness. They need you to rush, and not to bother doing your due diligence. Don’t ease their infiltration! Don’t give into gullibility, and distraction. Don’t skip reading the terms and conditions. Take the time to double-check everything. Look for the fine print. A little extra attention can’t hurt, and it can save you an avalanche of unpleasantness. The usual methods of invasion, hijackers turn to, include the following. They can hide behind corrupted links, or websites. Or, hitch a ride with spam emails, and freeware. Or, even pretend to be a bogus system or program update. Like, Java or Adobe Flash Player. Always be on your guard when installing tools, updates, anything! The web is a dangerous place. To underestimate it is a mistake. One, with consequences, you won’t enjoy. Don’t make it.

Why is this dangerous?

The Search.watchsportslive.co page is bad news. As established, it traces your every online move. It becomes your shadow. But don’t think the site is the only intrusion that gets forced on you. The hijacker also puts you through a full-on bombardment of ads. Pop-up, in-text, banner. Your screen gets overrun with them. It doesn’t take long before these combined intrusions have consequences. But even they pale in comparison to the worst part of having a hijacker, which is the security risk. That’s right. The absolute worst issue, you face, concerns your privacy. The malicious program follows certain instructions. Following invasion, it begins to spy on you. The tool tracks every move you make. Not only that, but it records it, as well. After it determines it has gathered enough data from you, it proceeds to expose it. The hijacker sends the stolen information to the cyber criminals behind it. Unknown individuals with questionable intentions. Those are the people, who get access to your personal and financial details. Are you going to allow that? Are you willing to hand over your private life to strangers with agendas? How about, you keep it private instead? Protect your privacy! And, protect your system from the harmful influences of the cyber threat. Locate and remove the hijacker, behind Search.watchsportslive.co. The sooner you do, the better. Its prompt removal earns you the gratitude of your future self. Its extended stay gets you nothing but grievances and regret.

How to Remove Search.watchsportslive.co virus

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

STEP 2: Locate Search.watchsportslive.co startup location

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

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Search.watchsportslive.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.

end-malicious-process

  • Write down the file location for later reference.

Step 2: Locate Search.watchsportslive.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.watchsportslive.co 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.watchsportslive.co traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

  • Open Google Chrome

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

disable Search.watchsportslive.co 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.watchsportslive.co 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.watchsportslive.co from ie

  • Restart Internet Explorer

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

safebrowsing-biz-shortcut-removal

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

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