Search.playzonenow.com Hijacker Removal

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

Search.playzonenow.com is a page, you don’t want to see. If it pops up on your screen, you’re in trouble. There’s a browser hijacker on your computer. It managed to invade your system undetected via slyness and finesse. Then, once inside, makes itself known. The infection announces its existence by throwing you into a whirlwind of nuisance. All of a sudden, you can’t seem to surf the web without suffering interference. Open a new tab? Get redirected. Type in a search? Get flooded with in-text, pop-up, and banner ads. Do anything at all online, and see the Search.playzonenow.com. How come? Well, the hijacker forces the page on you, non-stop. It even puts it in place of your default homepage and search engine. Did you ask for the switch? Did you know of its implementation? ‘No’ on all accounts. The hijacker performed the reshuffle, and left you to discover it yourself. Why? Because it can. Hijackers, like the one you’re stuck with, have quite the power over your system. They can force a variety of changes on you, and you have to bear them. Or, do you? Why not cease the waterfall of interference? Do what’s best for your system’s well-being, and remove the cyber threat at once! The sooner you get rid of the infection, the better! Hijackers don’t make for good company. Locate where the one, behind Search.playzonenow.com, lurks. Then, delete it on discovery. The sooner, the better.

How did I get infected with?

The Search.playzonenow.com site seems to appear out of the blue. Well, it doesn’t. It shows up, courtesy of a hijacker. As for the hijacker, it’s on your PC, because you allowed it there. You let it enter your system. Oh, yes! You may not recall, but you gave it the green light of admission. The tool sought your permission on its installation. And, you gave it. Understand that no hijacker can access a PC without user’s approval. Here’s the thing, though. Yes, the tool inquires whether you agree to install it, or not. But it doesn’t do it outright. Oh, no. If it were straightforward, what’s to stop you from saying NO? The program doesn’t risk rejection. Instead, it turns to trickery. It still asks permission. Only, it does it in the sneakiest manner possible. It uses freeware, corrupted links, spam emails. There’s a myriad of ways, it can turn to. But neither can succeed without a key ingredient. Your carelessness. The hijacker needs you to throw caution to the wind, and rush. If you don’t do your due diligence, it’s that much easier for it to invade. Do you wish to ease the infection’s infiltration? Or, would you rather, catch it in the act, and prevent it? Choose caution over carelessness. Always take the time to be thorough. It’s for the best.

Why is this dangerous?

Search.playzonenow.com is quite the obnoxious page. It trumps your every online move, and forces you into a whirl of headaches and frustration. But, as annoying as having a hijacker is, it’s still a minor inconvenience. That’s right. The redirects and ads, the slower performance and frequent crashes they cause. These are all minor nuisances. You face much worse when dealing with a hijacker. The cyber threat threatens your private life. It spies on you from the moment it gains access to your system. The tool begins to track your online activities. And, it doesn’t stop at observing. It also records everything. That’s right. A dangerous infection records every online move you make. That means, it has access to your personal and financial data. And, what do you suppose, it does with that stolen information? It exposes it, of course. The program sends the stolen data to the people, behind it. The cyber criminals, responsible for its release on the web. Do you think you can trust these people with your private life? Don’t be naive. Keep your private information private! Don’t let the infection steal and expose your data! Don’t let it wreak havoc on your system! Protect yourself from its dreadful influences. Accept Search.playzonenow.com as the warning it is. The page clues you into the presence of a hijacker program. Heed it, and act! Locate and remove the threat ASAP. That way, you’ll avoid an avalanche of unpleasantness. The longer you delay its deletion, the worse your predicament gets. Trust experts that you will NOT enjoy the consequences of the hijacker’s stay. Get rid of it the first chance you get.

How to Remove Search.playzonenow.com virus

The Search.playzonenow.com 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.playzonenow.com 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.playzonenow.com related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Search.playzonenow.com startup location

STEP 3: Delete Search.playzonenow.com traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Search.playzonenow.com 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.playzonenow.com 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.playzonenow.com 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.playzonenow.com traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Search.playzonenow.com 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.playzonenow.com

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.playzonenow.com, 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.playzonenow.com 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.playzonenow.com 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.