Search.privatesearchprotection.com Hijacker Removal

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

Search.privatesearchprotection.com is the lengthy name of a hijacker-related page. Your computer harbors a browser hijacker. The page’s appearance is the infection’s way of cluing you into its existence. You best not ignore it. Hijackers pose an immense threat to both your system’s well-being, and your security. Once they invade, they begin to spy on you. And, in your particular case, that’s pretty ironic. Considering Search.privatesearchprotection.com gets presented as a safe search engine. One that, supposedly, ensures your privacy. It claims to encrypt and redirect your searches. Thus, securing your privacy. Well, it doesn’t. What it does, is feed you lies, and hopes you fall for it. Don’t buy anything it sells you! The site takes over your screen, because an infection forces it on you. It’s neither reliable nor trustworthy. It’s a hazard! Do your best to get rid of the dreadful infection the first chance you get. Don’t waste time in debates. Delays have consequences of the unpleasant variety. Delete the threat now.

Remove Search.privatesearchprotection.com

How did I get infected with?

Search.privatesearchprotection.com seems to pop up out of the blue. But, the fact is, the site appears, courtesy of the hijacker behind it. It managed to invade your PC. And, it’s forcing the site on you, non-stop. But how did it end up on your PC? Hijackers don’t show up out of thin air. They can’t access a system without user’s permission. A hijacker has to ask if you agree to install it. If you say YES, it can proceed with admission. If you don’t, no entry. So, how do you suppose it got you to say YES, while still keeping you in the dark? Well, it duped you. Yes, the infection sought your approval. But it did it with such slyness and finesse, that you didn’t realize it at the time. You were careless at a time, when you should have been extra thorough. That’s what hijackers count on. They prey on your carelessness. Their success relies on you to throw caution to the wind, and leaving your fate to chance. They need you to give into gullibility, and rush. Why would you oblige? Why would you give the infection what it needs, and ease its infiltration? Do the exact opposite! Don’t give into carelessness, but be extra cautious. Always take the time to do your due diligence. Vigilance goes a long way, and it can save you a ton of troubles. Remember that next time you’re dealing with freeware, or supposed updates. Or, anything else, you get off the web. The web is a dangerous place. Don’t underestimate it. Be cautious.

Why is this dangerous?

The hijacker, behind Search.privatesearchprotection.com, is meddlesome. It interferes with every aspect of your system. It forces unwanted changes on you. It messes with your system settings. It has free rein over your PC. The hijacker’s very presence leads to a plethora of problems. You face continuous lagging. Your screen freezes all the time. Your system suffers frequent crashes. Your computer’s performance slows down to a crawl. And, your browsing activities become an utter nightmare. The hijacker doesn’t let you make a single move. Not without forcing an avalanche of intrusions. It meddles with everything you do. If you so much as touch your browser, you face a bombardment of interference. The tool floods you with banner, in-text, and pop-up ads. It redirects you to an array of suspicious-looking sites. The Search.privatesearchprotection.com one is the page you see most of all. As stated, it pretty much takes over your screen. Having a hijacker on your PC is not something you want. These are dangerous, damaging infections. They have no place on your system. Do your best to get rid of the nasty threat, behind the page, ASAP. Once the opportunity presents itself, delete the hijacker. Search.privatesearchprotection.com is your sign of action. Heed it.

How to Remove Search.privatesearchprotection.com virus

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

STEP 2: Locate Search.privatesearchprotection.com startup location

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

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Search.privatesearchprotection.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.

end-malicious-process

  • Write down the file location for later reference.

Step 2: Locate Search.privatesearchprotection.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.privatesearchprotection.com 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 Search.privatesearchprotection.com traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

  • Open Google Chrome

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

disable Search.privatesearchprotection.com 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 Search.privatesearchprotection.com 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 Search.privatesearchprotection.com from ie

  • Restart Internet Explorer

Step 4: Undo the damage done by Search.privatesearchprotection.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.privatesearchprotection.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.

safebrowsing-biz-shortcut-removal

  • in the target field remove Search.privatesearchprotection.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.privatesearchprotection.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.

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