Search.hgomaps.go Redirects Removal

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

Search.hgomaps.go is bad news. This website is the face of a browser hijacker. If it has managed to replace your homepage, if “Ads by Search.hgomaps.go” pop up out of the blue, the news is bad. Your computer harbors a parasite. A sneaky hijacker lurks in the corners of your OS and wreaks advertising havoc. Brace yourself! The intruder is a complete and utter menace. It sneaks into your computer and throws you into a whirlwind of reshuffles. The hijacker performs various browser modifications. The most obvious one is, of course, the replacement of your homepage. The parasite, however, doesn’t stop just here. It also changes your default search engine and modifies the websites you visit. The hijacker inserts various sponsored content on every web page you load. It displays banners, turns text into hyperlinks, opens pop-ups, and plays video commercials. And if you are not sure, that’s dangerous. You are dealing with a parasite. You can’t expect the hijacker to be safe, much less trustworthy. Everything “Brought to you by Search.hgomaps.go” is unreliable and potentially dangerous. Spare yourself many future headaches. As soon as the Search.hgomaps.go website pops up, take action. Find where the hijacker hides and delete it upon detection. The sooner, the better.

How did I get infected with?

A hijacker displays the Search.hgomaps.go website. This parasite sneaks into your computer and makes a mess out of your browser. The intruder is so aggressive, that users often mistake it for a virus. Luckily, that’s not the case. The parasite is a simple app that follows standard installation strategies. It needs you, the user, to approve its access. It can’t get installed without your “Yes.” The parasite is bound to seek your consent. It, however, knows how to ask. The hijacker lurks in the shadows and steals your approval in the sneakiest way possible. This parasite hides in software bundles, fake updates corrupted links, and spam messages. Its tricks prey on your naivety. Your caution, on the other hand, prevents them from succeeding. So, make the right decision. Choose caution over carelessness. Always take the time to do your due diligence! Download software and updates from reliable sources only and forget about the “Next-Next-Finish” setup strategy. When available, use the advanced/custom setup option. Deselect the unwanted bonus apps and go through the terms and conditions. Don’t hesitate to abort the installation if you notice anything suspicious!

Why is this dangerous?

The Search.hgomaps.go ads are a nightmare. They flood your browser and ruin your user experience. Their great number is also an issue. The numerous “Powered by Search.hgomaps.go” ads overload your browser and cause performance problems such as freezing and crashes. You face an avalanche of errors and malfunctions. Sadly, you also face a security threat. Just take a close look at these “Ads by Search.hgomaps.go” and you’ll realize the full extent of the problem. You are under surveillance! The ads are targeted at you. They are based on the websites you visit, the links you follow, the videos you watch. Even your activities under the Incognito mode trigger ads. That’s because you are being spied upon non-stop! The hijacker studies your every online move and uses the gathered data to turn you into an easy target! And as if that’s not bad enough, but it also shares the collected information. Do you think that ends well? The hijacker sells every bit of data to unknown parties with questionable plans. If you run out of luck, some pieces of data, your search queries, for example, may leak personal and financial details. Don’t risk it! Protect yourself and your privacy. Remove the hijacker ASAP!

How to Remove Search.hgomaps.go virus

The Search.hgomaps.go 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.hgomaps.go 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.hgomaps.go related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Search.hgomaps.go startup location

STEP 3: Delete Search.hgomaps.go traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Search.hgomaps.go 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 Search.hgomaps.go 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.hgomaps.go 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 Search.hgomaps.go traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Search.hgomaps.go 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 Search.hgomaps.go

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.hgomaps.go, 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 Search.hgomaps.go 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.hgomaps.go 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.