Remove Tapes Setup Malware

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Tapes Setup is yet another adware parasite. It is an ad-generating menace that follows instructions to corrupt your web browser and to throw you into a whirlwind of ads. Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Edge – there is no immune program. The adware corrupts your favorite apps and makes a mess out of them. This menace uses every opportunity to interfere with your activities. It inserts various banners on every website you visit, loads questionable websites, and opens pop-ups. The adware is also behind the annoying notifications that urge you to “Accept” browser modifications. And as if that’s not enough, but the parasite is also the culprit that constantly loads questionable websites in new tabs. Brace yourself! These ads are just the beginning of an ad invasion. Tapes Setup regularly increases the number of its ads, as well as finds a new way to annoy you. Do not put yourself through this advertising torture. Your best course of action is the immediate removal of the intruder. Act as soon as you become aware of the infection. Find where Tapes Setup hides and delete it upon detection!

How did I get infected with?

Fake updates, corrupted links, malvertising, pirated software- there are myriads of adware distribution tricks. Tapes Setup, however, tends to prefer the good old software bundles. This menace travels the web camouflaged as a bonus app to legitimate application. It gets installed when you, the user, “forget” to deny it access. Do not make that mistake! Tapes Setup is one of many parasites that pose as legitimate apps. This time, you were lucky. The adware can’t corrupt your entire OS. If you, however, don’t change your habits, you are likely to get in serious trouble. Don’t be lazy! Always take the time to do your due diligence. Download software and updates from reliable sources and don’t skip installation steps. Forget about the “Next-Next-Finish” setup strategy. If available, use the advanced/custom installation option. Go through the bonus apps and deselect the unwanted ones. Of course, you should not skip the terms and conditions either. If you can’t read the whole document, you can scan it with an online EULA analyzer. Don’t hesitate to abort the installation if you notice anything suspicious!

Why is this dangerous?

Tapes Setup is a menace. It sneaks into your computer and throws you into a whirlwind of ads. Whether you watch a video or browse your favorite website, the adware is always there to irritate you. Its numerous ads are annoying and irritating. Their vast number is also an issue. The countless “Ads by Tapes Setup” burden your computer. They make your browser prone to freezing and crashes. You face an avalanche of errors. You, however, also face a security threat! Just take a close look at the ads and you’ll realize the full extent of the problem. The ads are related to your online activities, aren’t they? Well, the adware doesn’t waste time with random ads. This parasite targets you with a customized ad selection. It spies on you from the moment it invades and uses your preferences to turn you into an easy target! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. When the sneaky menace deems it has enough data, it wastes no time and sells everything. Do you feel comfortable knowing that unknown strangers with questionable agendas buy your data? What if some pieces of data, your search queries, for example, leak confidential details? Do not test your luck! Tapes Setup has no place on your PC. Remove this intruder ASAP!

How to Remove Tapes Setup virus

The Tapes Setup 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 Tapes Setup 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 Tapes Setup in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Tapes Setup startup location

STEP 3: Delete Tapes Setup traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Tapes Setup 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 Tapes Setup 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 Tapes Setup 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 Tapes Setup traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Tapes Setup 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 Tapes Setup

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 Tapes Setup, 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 Tapes Setup 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 Tapes Setup Virus (automatic) Removal Guide

Please, have in mind that once you are infected with a single virus, it compromises your system 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.