Search9.askthepotato.com Pop-ups Removal

Can’t Remove Search9.askthepotato.com hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Search9.askthepotato.com Removal instructions!

There’s a browser hijacker, lurking on your computer. These types of tools make for horrible companions. The tool invades undetected, via slyness and subtlety. Then, reveals its presence with Search9.askthepotato.com page. That’s why, as soon as you spot it, you must heed it as the warning it is. And, take immediate action on it. Hijackers are dangerous and damaging, and have NO place on your PC. The best thing you can do, after you find one on board, is to remove it. Otherwise, you’ll regret it. To extend its stay, is to set yourself up for a horrendous experience. These types of programs spread corruption, and make a mess of your system. The one, behind Search9.askthepotato.com, is no exception. It causes lagging, crashes, and interferes with your browsing, on a daily basis. What’s more, it places your privacy in jeopardy. That’s right. The cyber threat follows programming to spy on you, from the moment it settles. It begins to track your online activities, and keep a thorough record of everything you do. That includes, pages you frequent, links and ads you click, and all the data you input. Like, passwords logins, credit card and bank account details. And, what do you suppose it does with it? Well, once the infection deems it has stolen enough, it exposes it. Yes, it hands it over to the cyber criminals that published it. That means, strangers with agendas get access to your sensitive data. And, can use it as they see fit. That won’t end well. Don’t allow it. Ensure your system’s well-being, and keep your privacy private. Get rid of the nasty hijacker ASAP. It’s the best thing you can do.

How did I get infected with?

Hijackers are masterful in the art of invasion. Not only do they manage to slither their way into your PC. They do it undetected. And, that’s despite having to ask for your approval on their entry. Oh, yes! No hijacker can enter without your permission. It has to inquire whether you, the user, agree to allow it in. Only if you do, can it continue. No consent, no entry. That’s why, hijackers turn to all manner of trickery, when it comes to asking for approval. The old but gold invasive methods come in rather handy. The tool lurks behind spam emails, freeware, corrupted sites, links, and torrents. It also uses fake system or program updates. It has an array of methods to choose from. Neither one can prove successful, without you. You provide the key ingredient to its covert invasion. Carelessness. The hijacker preys on it. It needs you to rush, and give into naivety. To throw caution to the wind, and skip doing due diligence. Don’t ease its infiltration! Don’t leave your fate to chance. Don’t choose carelessness over caution. One helps you to spot infections in the act of trying to sneak in. It lets you catch them in the act, and deny them entry. The other has the opposite outcome. Make the right choice.

Why is this dangerous?

Search9.askthepotato.com becomes the bane of your browsing. The hijacker makes sure to force it on you, at every turn. Open a new tab, and it’s there to greet you. Search the web, and it appears among the results. No matter what you do, Search9.askthepotato.com shadows your every move. All the ads, that get thrown your way, are ‘Ads by Search9.askthepotato.com.‘ Pop-up, in-text, and banner ads ‘Powered by Search9.askthepotato.com.’ The website also shows up in place of your default homepage and search engine. Did you ask for the reshuffle? Did you consent to its implementation? No. No, you didn’t. But it’s fact. And, that’s what you can expect from the nasty infection. It has free rein over your PC. And, it can force a variety of changes on you. Replacing your preferred homepage is the least it can do. The hijacker can also approve the installment of malware. It can allow as many malicious programs into your system as it wants. And, what then? How long until your system gets overwhelmed, and waves the blue flag? Granted, the odds of you seeing The Blue Screen of Death, are rather minute. But ‘minute’ does not equal ‘non-existent.’ So, ask yourself. Are you willing to take such a risk? Or, would you rather, avoid the gamble, and ensure your system’s well-being? Do yourself a favor, and pick the latter. Find the hijacker’s exact hiding place. Then, delete it. The sooner it leaves, the better.

How to Remove Search9.askthepotato.com virus

The Search9.askthepotato.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 Search9.askthepotato.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 Search9.askthepotato.com related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Search9.askthepotato.com startup location

STEP 3: Delete Search9.askthepotato.com traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Search9.askthepotato.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 Search9.askthepotato.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 Search9.askthepotato.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 Search9.askthepotato.com traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Search9.askthepotato.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 Search9.askthepotato.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 Search9.askthepotato.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 Search9.askthepotato.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 Search9.askthepotato.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.