How to Remove Status77 Search Redirect

Can’t Remove Status77 Search hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Status77 Search Removal instructions!

The Status77 Search website is often reported for suspicious behavior. This page is the face of a nasty browser hijacker. Unfortunately, it is true. Your computer is no longer infection-free. You have the Status77 Search hijacker on board. The good news is, this pest is not a full-fledged virus. It is a malicious ad-generating app. Yet, you should not underestimate it. The hijacker may cause virus infections. The thing is, this utility is a type of advertising platform. Yet, unlike other such platforms, it doesn’t distinguish between legit and malicious websites. The Status77 Search hijacker has no verifying mechanism. It does not check what kind of content is promoted via its services. Neither does it verify the advertisers. Hackers and people with questionable interests often take advantage of such programs. They use them to spread corrupted, and very often, malicious content. With the hijacker on board, you are very likely to be redirected to scam websites. So, be vigilant and doubting. If an offer looks too good to be true, it probably isn’t. You will see a lot of appealing commercials. Be strong! Question everything. The reason why you see such intriguing ads is simple. The hijacker targets you. This program spies on you. Everything you do online is recorded. Even the Incognito mode of your browser cannot hide you from the hijacker. This parasite exposes your privacy at giant risk. Do not put up with this situation. The Status77 Search hijacker is removable. We have provided a manual removal guide below this article. Yet, if you prefer automated solutions, you can also download a trustworthy anti-virus program. Choose your removal method and act!

Remove Status77 Search

How did I get infected with?

The Status77 Search hijacker uses a lot of trickery to reach its victims. It hitches a ride with other software. We are talking about software bundles. Developers often attach “bonus” programs to the installation files of many free apps. These extras, however, are not necessarily useful. In fact, more often than not, these are malicious. Be careful what you approve on board. Before you click on that “I Agree” button, read what you are actually agreeing to. Read the Terms and Conditions or do some online research. Install only the apps you trust. Or don’t install them at all. Bear in mind that you can deselect all extras and still install the program you originally planned to set up. This is your computer. You decide what to be installed on it. Again, it is you the one who should keep it virus-free. Always do your due diligence. Even a little extra caution goes a long, long way. Other malware distribution methods include malvertising, torrents, spam emails and bogus software updates. Your caution can prevent these techniques from succeeding!

Why is this dangerous?

The Status77 Search hijacker is a menace that should be removed upon detection. The furtive app enters your computer in complete silence and wreaks havoc. It bombards you with an endless stream of commercials and redirects your browser. You can barely use your machine because of this intruder. Yet, these issues are nothing compared to what the hijacker does behind your back. This malicious utility is never idle. It lurks in the shadows and collects information about you. It knows which pages you visit, what search inquiries you make, which ads you click on. The collected data is supposed to be used for better ad-targeting. But in reality, anyone willing to pay can get access to it. The Status77 Search hijacker sells the data to third parties. It is also “lending” it to the people who use the hijacker as an advertising platform. All sorts of crooks can target you with custom campaigns. Think twice before you click on the next “great deal.” it might as well be a scam. Or worse, it might be a corrupted link. One click is all it takes for a virus to be downloaded. There, unfortunately, is no way to distinguish the malicious adverts from the legit once. Your best course of action is the immediate removal of the Status77 Search hijacker. The sooner it is gone, the better!

The Status77 Search 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 Status77 Search 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 Status77 Search related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Status77 Search startup location

STEP 3: Delete Status77 Search traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Status77 Search 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 Status77 Search 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 Status77 Search 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 Status77 Search traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

  • Open Google Chrome

  • In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
  • Remove the Status77 Search by clicking on the little recycle bin
  • Reset Google Chrome by Deleting the current user to make sure nothing is left behind

disable Status77 Search 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 Status77 Search 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 Status77 Search from ie

  • Restart Internet Explorer

Step 4: Undo the damage done by Status77 Search

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 Status77 Search, 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 Status77 Search 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.

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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