What are Browser Hijackers and How to Remove Browser Hijackers

Almost 100% of the Malware take the help of your browsers to spread and infect your PC and other's PC. And attempting to take control of your browser is an integral part of almost all malware attacks.

What are Browser Hijackers?

One of the techniques used by these malware is browser hijacking. Browser hijacking is the modification of a web browser's settings by malware. The term "hijacking" is used as the changes are performed without the user's permission. Some browser hijacking can be easily reversed, while other instances may be difficult to reverse. Various software packages exist to prevent such modification. But the easiest and most commonly used trick is to look for any undesirable changes made to your hosts file.

What are the Different Types of Browser Hijackers?

Browser hijackers are commonly referred to as homepage hijackers. But not all Hijackers are homepage hijackers. There are other types of hijackers also, which try to hijack different sections and actions of your browser. Other types of browser hijackers are as follows.

Search Hijackers: These are the programs that re-route the user's search and URL requests through a hidden site. Search requests are captured so that paid listings are displayed rather then relevant search results.

Error Hijackers: They will display a new error page when a requested URL is not found.

About:Blank Hijackers: They are the type of browser hijacker that sets the browser home page address window and title to about:blank and displays a fake search engine or portal in the browser. It may also produce pop-up ads.

What a Browser Hijacker Does?

Browser Hijacking is a complex process and any or many of the following actions can be associated with a browser hijacking attempt.

Browser Hijackers can changes web browser's default home page to a particular web site on their own. They can also change your browser's default search page to a predetermined web site without your consent. Sometimes, browser hijackers can set their own error page instead of web browser's default one, which is displayed when you enter a wrong URL address in the address bar. They can also redirect to a predefined site whenever the user enters invalid address or performs an Internet search.

Some of the Browser Hijackers can modify browser settings, decreases default security level and adds undesirable or insecure resources to the Trusted sites list. They can also creates numerous links to advertising pages, places desktop shortcuts to marketing sites, adds multiple bookmarks to the web browser's Favorites list. Some of the browser hijackers are also associated with tracking user's web browsing habits, records addresses of visited sites and sends collected data to a remote server. They can complicate usual web surfing, they can block some reputable Internet resources and open different web sites instead of requested ones.

How to Remove Browser Hijackers?

Browser Hijackers are mostly associated with Spyware in one form or the other. And most of the Browser Hijackers can be easily removed with the help of a good reputed Antispyware Software like Spyware Doctor. There are four steps you can take, if you suspect that a browser hijacking attempt has been made against your PC.

At the most elemental level, Browser Hijackers try to modify your Windows Hosts file. This file is an important system file and is located at c:windowssystem32driversetc. Open the file in notepad and see if there is any unwanted entry. Just remove it, and most probably the threat will be over.

If the above method is not successful, then you can download the FREE utility HijackThis from download (dot) com. But remember, this is a bit complex to use this utility. The best method for the removal of Browser Hijackers is to use a good quality antispyware software like Spyware Doctor from PC Tools. I have found it to be one of the most effective tools to get rid of most Browser Hijackers.

And, if nothing works, then the last resort may be to backup all your data and format your computer. But please do not ignore any Browser Hijacking attempt, because it may cause serious threats to your Internet Security.

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