Yahoo Search Hijacker Removal

Can’t Remove Yahoo Search hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Yahoo Search Removal instructions!

Did someone replace your preferable homepage with the Yahoo Search one? If you’ve discovered unwanted changes in your browser’s settings, you are in for trouble. These reshuffles were forced on you not by a person, but by a parasite. Unfortunately, your device is no longer infection-free. Somewhere in the corners of your OS, the Yahoo Search hijacker lurks. This invader targets your web browsers. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera, there is no immune program. The hijacker corrupts all installed web browsers and turns them against you. The parasite follows orders to manipulate your user experience. It replaces both your homepage and default search engine. It doesn’t matter how persistently you try, the parasite won’t let you restore your presences. You are stuck with its search engine. At first glance, it appears that you are forced to use the Yahoo search engine. Sadly, that’s not the case. The hijacker uses a “customized” version of the engine, which displays manipulated results. The Yahoo Search hijacker is a type of unethical advertising tool. It displays ads and gets paid when you click on them. So, it displays hidden ads in the search results you are provided with. When you use the fake search engine, you get exposed to numerous sponsored links. The parasite, of course, doesn’t mark these entries as adverts. You can never know which results are organic and which are ads. The hijacker also injects ads on every website you load. It is also capable of loading sponsored websites in new tabs and windows. The Yahoo Search hijacker floods you with advertisements. It ruins your browsing experience. Do not put up with this situation. Spare yourself many future headaches. Remove the hijacker for good!

How did I get infected with?

The Yahoo Search hijacker is not an ingenious virus. It cannot hack your computer. The parasite cannot enter your OS without an invitation. As you can imagine, though, it knows how to steal one. The parasite hides in software bundles, fake updates, torrents, and spam emails. It lurks in the shadows and waits for you to make a mistake. All it needs to succeed is one second of carelessness. Do not make its job easier. No anti-virus app can protect you if you act carelessly. Only your caution can keep your device secure and virus-free. Don’t visit shady websites. Download your software from reputable sources only. When installing an app, pay attention to the fine print. Forget about the “Next-Next-Finish” installation strategy. When available, use the advanced/custom setup option. Read the terms and conditions before you agree to them. And don’t be afraid to abort the installation process if you detect something suspicious. Choose caution over carelessness. One keeps the parasites away, the other – invites them in.

Why is this dangerous?

Do not ignore the Yahoo Search hijacker. This parasite is not a mere annoyance. It is quite dangerous. It jeopardizes both your security and privacy. The hijacker spies on you from the moment it invades. It monitors your browsing-related data. When it deems it has enough information, it proceeds to send it to its owners. How do you think that ends for you? You are dealing with crooks. They use the collected information, as well as sell access to it. Anyone willing to spend some money can use the hijacker and its resources. Numerous crooks do! They use the collected data to create irresistible adverts and ingenious scams. The crooks show you what you want to see, but when you click, bad things happen. And since you cannot distinguish the ads from the organic search results, you are very likely to follow the crooks’ deceptive links. Be very careful what you do online. The Yahoo Search hijacker turns you into an easy target. This parasite is very likely to redirect you to scam, phishing, and infected websites. Don’t risk it! Do what’s best for you and your system’s well-being. Remove the Yahoo Search hijacker before it lures you into an online trap!

How to Remove Yahoo Search virus

The Yahoo Search 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 Yahoo Search 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 Yahoo Search related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Yahoo Search startup location

STEP 3: Delete Yahoo Search traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Yahoo Search 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 Yahoo Search 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 Yahoo Search 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 Yahoo Search traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Yahoo Search 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 Yahoo Search

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 Yahoo Search, 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 Yahoo Search 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 Yahoo Search 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.