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Can’t Remove Youfreenews.net hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Youfreenews.net Removal instructions!
You are probably reading this article because you have discovered that the Youfreenews.net website has managed to replace your homepage. You are not the only one. This website is constantly reported for suspicious behavior. Yet, it is not the website that is the problem. This page is just a facade. It is the face of nasty browser hijacker. The Youfreenews.net hijacker is a malicious program that is installed on your device. It uses pay-per-click marketing system to generate revenue for its owners. No, it is not the system that you should worry about. Such marketing strategies are employed by all big search engines. Yet, the Youfreenews.net hijacker is using it on a level that can be classified as a massive invasion of your personal space and privacy. It uses aggressive and intrusive strategies to generate traffic to specific websites. The malicious app will open pop-up windows at the most unexpected times. It will inject ad banners on websites that are ad-free. Fake entries will appear among the search results you are seeing. The Youfreenews.net website is also part of the scheme. It is designed as an endless news feed. It also has a search bar for easy access to anything on the web. This web page is not safe. The articles are designed with catchy titles to lure you into clicking on them. If you follow such a link, you will be taken to an article containing numerous hyperlinks. One click is all it takes for a virus to be downloaded to your computer. Refrain yourself from clicking on any advertisements and links while the nasty hijacker remains active on your machine. This application has no verifying mechanism. Anyone willing to pay can use it to promote. Hackers often use such applications to spread malicious content. If you have the misfortune to click on such a corrupted link or ad, hell will rise. The Youfreenews.net is limiting your free access to the Internet. You must not put up with this. We are here to help. Follow our guide and remove this intruder for good!
How did I get infected with?
As we already mentioned, the Youfreenews.net hijacker is a program. All applications need the user’s approval and assistance to operate. The hijacker is not an exception. This means only one thing. You were the one who let the hijacker in. Yet, you must not be too harsh on yourself. You were deceived. On one will infect their computer on purpose. Therefore, the crooks have found ways to trick you into giving your approval. The bundling method is probably the most commonly used malware distribution technique. It is an easy way to reach numerous users without putting too much effort. All the crooks must do is to attach their malicious apps to the installation files of some free programs. Once you initiate the installation of such a bundle, you will be presented with two setup options: a standard method and an advanced one. Always choose the advanced installation wizard. Only under it can you see all extra programs that are about to be installed. Deselect them. More often than not, these third party apps are malicious. Stay on the safe side, set up only the program you originally planned to install. Never put your guard down. You never know where an infection may strike from. Other common malware distribution methods are the good old spam emails, fake software updates, and torrents. Always do your due diligence. Little extra caution can spare you tons of problems.
Why is this dangerous?
The Youfreenews.net hijacker is an infection that should not be tolerated. It is jeopardizing your privacy. This app is designed to monitor your online activities. Everything you do online is recorded. Every website you visit, every link you follow, every search inquiry you make. Everything! The collected data is used for “better” advertisement targeting, as well as, sold to third parties. In theory, if you enter “sneakers” into some search engine, the hijacker will show you ads for similar sports shoes only. Yet, in practice, the hijacker will expose you to fake ads. It will also display commercials for adult games and money-making software. Be careful if you have kids. This tool has no parenting control. In fact, you have no control over this app. It may display graphic pictures and unsuitable content to your children. This is just the beginning of the stream of bad news. With the hijacker running on board, you cannot do an objective online research. This app injects fake entries among the search results you are seeing. Among all of them. No matter the provider. Don’t forget that the Youfreenews.net app is installed on your PC. It has full control over your web browsers. Over all of them. If you have more than one installed, be absolutely sure that all of them are infected. You can’t hide from this malicious utility. Your best course of action is its removal. This app can never be beneficial to you. Therefore, don’t hesitate to remove it!
How to Remove Youfreenews.net virus
Please, have in mind that SpyHunter offers a free 7-day Trial version with full functionality. Credit card is required, no charge upfront.
The Youfreenews.net 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 Youfreenews.net 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.
Please, keep in mind that SpyHunter’s scanner tool is free. To remove the Youfreenews.net infection, you need to purchase its full version.
STEP 1: Track down Youfreenews.net related processes in the computer memory
STEP 2: Locate Youfreenews.net startup location
STEP 3: Delete Youfreenews.net traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer
STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus
STEP 1: Track down Youfreenews.net 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 Youfreenews.net 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 Youfreenews.net 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 Youfreenews.net traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer
-
Open Google Chrome
- In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
- Remove the Youfreenews.net 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 Youfreenews.net
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 Youfreenews.net, 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 Youfreenews.net 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 Youfreenews.net 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.