Search-story.com Redirect Removal

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

A hijacker lurks somewhere in the corners of your system. Consider the display of the Search-story.com site as a sign. It’s a clear indication of the invasion. The nasty tool slithered its way in, undetected. Then, once it settled, chose to announce itself via the website. Consider it its grand reveal. It’s a warning, as it warns of troubles to come. You best heed it. Hijackers are quite damaging. They’re dangerous infections that wreak havoc, and mess up your system. For as long as you allow them to remain, they WILL cause trouble. And, issues evolve and escalate with time. So, don’t extend the tool’s stay any longer than you have to. As soon as you become aware of its presence, act against it. Try to find where its lurking spot is, and get rid of it as soon as you do. You’ll manage to avoid a plethora of unpleasantness. Its prompt removal earns you the gratitude of your future self. As well as, ensures the well-being of your system. Its extended stay does the opposite. Make the wise choice. Delete it. ASAP.

How did I get infected with?

The hijacker tricked you. It turned to trickery and finesse, and fooled you. It got you to give it the green light, while keeping you clueless about it. It may seem a bit confusing, so let’s explain. Hijackers can’t access a system without user’s permission. The tool has to ask if yo agree to install it. The program, behind Search-story.com, is bound by the same rules. It has to seek your consent on its installment. And, it can only proceed with the process, if you give it. No permission, no admission. To ensure it gets your YES, the infection makes sure to ask you the right way. It employs the use of the old but gold means of infiltration. It hides behind corrupted links, spam emails, freeware. It pretends to be a fake update. There’s a myriad of methods, it can turn to. It’s up to you to catch it in the act, and prevent its success. If you don’t spot it, attempting invasion, and deny it entry, that’s it. It slips by you. Understand that vigilance is crucial, if you wish to keep an infection-free PC. Don’t make the mistake of rushing, or throwing caution to the wind. Don’t give into naivety. Don’t leave your fate to chance. Always take the time to be thorough. Infections prey on carelessness. Don’t grant it. Choose caution instead.

Why is this dangerous?

After the hijacker infiltrates, prepare for problems. The tool puts you through an utter bombardment of unpleasantness. Your issues tend to begin with your browsing. You start to see the Search-story.com page everywhere you look. It plagues your screen, non-stop. Open a new tab? It’s there. Type a search? It’s among the results. It’s everywhere! It even appears in place of your default homepage and search engine. Did you put it there? No. You neither approved the switch nor had any knowledge of its implementation. Yet, it’s fact. That’s what you can expect from a hijacker That’s how they operate. After they invade, they have free rein over your system. Don’t give them such power over you. Protect your system’s well-being! Locate and remove the threat as soon as the opportunity presents itself. That way, you’ll avoid dealing with the ever-growing pile of problems, the hijacker forces on you. Not to mention, you’ll keep your privacy private. Oh, yes. That’s another issue. The hijacker tries to steal your personal and financial details. So, it can expose them to the cyber criminals behind it. Make no mistake! Given enough time, it WILL succeed! So, the question becomes, will you give the infection the time it needs to wreck your system? And, get a hold of your sensitive information to use as it sees fit? Here’s a suggestion: Don’t! Find and delete the cyber threat at once.

How to Remove Search-story.com virus

The Search-story.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-story.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-story.com related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Search-story.com startup location

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

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

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

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Search-story.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-story.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-story.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-story.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-story.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.