Spicystart.com Hijacker Removal

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

Do you think that the Spicystart.com website is a good alternative to your default search engine? If you do, we have bad news for you. This search engine is associated with a nasty browser hijacker. To determine whether you are infected, answer one simple question: did you, intentionally, let the Spicystart.com replace your homepage or were you urged to do it? Or, maybe, you don’t remember replacing our default homepage at all?! The Spicystart.com browser hijacker is a program which slithers into your PC unnoticed and modifies your favorite browser’s settings. It replaces both your homepage and default search engine. Following a successful installation, the hijacker takes complete control over your browser. The furtive app uses the browser as a spying device. It tracks your online moves and uses the collected information to generate ad-revenue. You must have noticed that you were exposed to an increased number of online commercials, haven’t you? Injecting adverts is one of the main functions of the hijacker. The Spicystart.com utility uses the information it has about you to bombard you with custom-selected advertisements. Ad banners, hyperlinks, in-text and video commercials, pop-ups, you name it. This furtive utility can ruin your browsing experience in seconds. When you think you get used to it, the hijacker surprises you with something new. This malware can redirect your browser to third-party websites. With no apparent reason, your browser will get redirected. You will hate the experience. What is worse, with every passing day, the hijacker will get more and more aggressive. You will see more and more ads. You won’t be able to get any work done uninterrupted. Luckily, there is a silver lining. The Spicystart.com hijacker is removable. If you act promptly, you can delete this intruder completely. We have provided a detailed removal guide below this article. You can also use a trustworthy anti-virus app and delete the infection automatically. You have options. Select your removal method and act!

How did I get infected with?

The Spicystart.com hijacker uses various techniques to travel the Web. The most commonly used one is via software bundles. This method, however, will fail if you pay more attention to the installation process. Whenever you are installing a program, do not rush. Take your time read the Terms and Conditions/EULA. If you are offered an Advanced installation option, by all means, select it. Under the Advanced installation, you will be given the opportunity to modify the installation parameters. If there is additional software about to be uninstalled, you can deselect it. Developers often attach bonus programs to the payload files of many popular apps. These extras, however, are often malicious. Make sure you know what you are giving your approval to. Install only the programs you trust. You should bear in mind that you can deselect all extras and still install the program you originally planned to set up. This is your computer. You decide what to be installed on it. Other malware distribution techniques include spam emails, torrents, and fake software updates. You can prevent these techniques from succeeding. Be always vigilant and doubting!

Why is this dangerous?

The Spicystart.com hijacker is a giant hole in your security wall. This utility exposes its victims to numerous commercials. It, however, doesn’t verify these adverts. All sorts of crooks and hackers take advantage of such apps. They use them to spread corrupted content. One click is all it takes for a virus to be downloaded. By clicking on a malicious advert or link, you may infect your device with more parasites. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell which ads are malicious and which are not. Avoiding the commercials is not an option either. The Spicystart.com hijacker is designed to generate clicks. At the most unexpected times, it will open pop-ups right under the cursor of your mouse. What is worse, it may redirect your browser to infected websites. In fact, with the hijacker on board, you are far more likely to end up on infected or scam websites than on legit ones. Do not trust a word you read. Question everything! If an offer looks too good to be true, it probably isn’t! All these issues aside, we have mentioned that hijacker collects data about you. Yes, it is used for ad-targeting, but it is also sold to third parties. People with questionable interests may get in possession of sensitive information about you. The hijacker exposes your privacy at risk. Do not let this parasite dictate the way you use your computer. Remove it immediately!

How to Remove Spicystart.com virus

The Spicystart.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 Spicystart.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 Spicystart.com related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Spicystart.com startup location

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

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

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

• Open Google Chrome

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