How to Remove Smoke Loader Trojan

This article can help you to remove Smoke Loader Virus. The step by step removal works for every version of Microsoft Windows.

Smoke Loader falls under the Trojan umbrella. It’s a malicious infection, you do NOT want to encounter. If you do, brace yourself. You’re in for a bad time. Trojans are an utter nightmare. They slither into your system via slyness and subtlety. Then, once inside, wreak havoc. Corruption ensues not long after invasion. You start to face a variety of grievances. The tool meddles with every aspect of your system. It modifies your Windows registry and browser settings, forcing unwanted reshuffles on you. It deletes important registry keys and files. And, then, adds harmful ones. The cyber threat slows down your computer’s performance to a crawl. It causes frequent system crashes. It makes using the programs you have an utter pain. You often get dll missing errors, or no responding errors, when you open certain programs. Going online becomes quite the hellish experience. And, it gets worse. Smoke Loader can install as malware on your PC. Yes, if it feels like it, it can flood your system with infections. Whichever way you look at it, that’s dreadful. Do yourself a favor, and don’t allow the infection to run rampant on your PC. Do your best to get rid of it ASAP. The sooner, the better.

How did I get infected with?

Smoke Loader resorts to the usual trickery to invade. It turns to the old but gold means of infiltration. And, not only succeeds in slithering into your PC. But manages to do so, while keeping you oblivious. Yes, you have no idea that the Trojan has taken residence on your system. And, that’s despite you, giving it permission to do so. Oh, yes. You gave it the green light of admission. The Trojan sought your consent on its entry. And, you gave it. If the exchange hadn’t taken place, you wouldn’t be in your current predicament. The inquiry is mandatory. But that doesn’t mean it’s straightforward. It’s quite the opposite. Yes, the Trojan asks if you agree to install it. But, no, it doesn’t do it outright. If it did, you’d deny it, wouldn’t you? To avoid the risk of rejection, the tool uses deception. It does follow the rules to seek your consent. But it does it in the most covert manner possible. The usual tactics involve the use of freeware and spam emails. The Trojan can also lurk behind corrupted links or sites. As well as, pretend to be a program or system update. Like, Adobe Flash Player or Java. The methods, it can turn to, are prolific. But they all rely on your carelessness. The Trojan needs you to be careless enough NOT to spot it. It needs you to give into naivety, haste, and distraction. To skip doing your due diligence. That increases its chances of successfully sneaking past you, unnoticed. Don’t make it easier for the infection to invade. Be thorough. Be vigilant. Choose caution over carelessness.

Why is this dangerous?

The worst part, of harboring Smoke Loader, is the security risk. The Trojan threatens your private life. It follows programming to steal information from you. Only to, then, expose it to the people that published it. That’s right. Once the infection settles on your computer, it begins to spy on you. It keeps tracks of your browsing habits, and records everything. Let that sink in for a moment. The cyber threat gathers data from your online activities. And, then sends it to the third-parties, responsible for its release. That means, these strangers get a hold of your sensitive details. Are you willing to trust them with your personal and financial information? Make no mistake. Given enough time on your PC, the Trojan WILL fulfill its agenda. It WILL steal your data, and then expose it. Is this something, you want? Do you expect it to have a single positive consequence? Don’t fool yourself. It will NOT end well for you. Keep that scenario from unfolding, and protect your system’s well-being. As soon as you become aware of the Trojan’s presence, act against it. Cut its stay as short as possible. That earns you the gratitude of your future self.

Manual Smoke Loader Removal Instructions

The Smoke Loader 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 Smoke Loader 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 Smoke Loader related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Smoke Loader startup location

STEP 3: Delete Smoke Loader traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Smoke Loader 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 Smoke Loader 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 Smoke Loader 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 4: Undo the possible damage done by Smoke Loader

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 Smoke Loader, 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!!!

 

• Check your scheduled tasks to make sure the virus will not download itself again.

How to Permanently Remove Smoke Loader 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 virus leftovers or temporary files.