Remove Search-shield.com Redirect Virus Thoroughly

Posted by Miranda D.
5
Aug 22, 2016
86 Views

Search-shield.com is a browser redirect virus that gets into users’ computers silently and takes control of web browsers, making some modifications on the browser settings and replacing the default homepage and search engine to its site without authorization. Under this situation, more malicious redirect threats will seize the chance and secretly finish their entrance on the target browsers. Since Search-shield.com appears as a website similar to Google search engine which provides searching function, many computer users may pay no attention to it and use it to do a search and visit many unexpected websites.

Search-shield.com can block some legitimate search results and display some unreliable links which may redirect you to unwanted websites that contain lots of games, porn ads and other forbidden contents. Not just happening in the targeted browser, this redirect infection will also create many dangerous popping up pages in the infected computer, especially when they try to run some third-party program, so that the PC users may click those unsafe links accidentally. Commonly, browser hijackers are designed to increase web traffic and promote products or services to make money. Some users are interested in merchandise sale promotions, discounts and coupons, for the reason that they think it can save some money by using such coupons or discounts. So some users accept various advertising sites or receiving pop-up ads.

If the redirect virus can cater to the need of you and you don’t mind it, it may cause potential harm to your computer in the further if it is left on the computer. Because the settings on the infected browser has been modified by this Search-shield.com redirect, there are lots of plug-ins, add-ons will be installed to the infected browsers, pretending to be the useful tools to cheat the PC users. Under the circumstances, users might find their infected browsers load pretty slowly and sometimes even freeze or crash. Its main aim is to steal your sensitive information by using keyloggers to track your cookies and browser history and then send the collected information to the third-party for illegal benefits. When the victims browse these malicious sites, a bunch of viruses or malware will get installed into the computer and ruin the compromised system without user’s awareness.

Guide to Manually Remove Search-shield.com Redirect Virus

1. Stop running processes related to this redirect virus.
a: When the Windows Task manager appears, switch to Processes tab.
b: Find out and select the processes related to the virus by name random.exe, and click on the “End process” button.
Remove the redirect virus from Internet Explorer:
a: Start IE, go to Tools and select Internet Options.
b: Find General section, remove Search-shield.com address as a home page.
c: Then go to Search section, find Settings button and choose Manage Add-ons
d: Erase the redirect and after the action, close Manage Add-ons

2. Remove the redirect virus from Mozilla Firefox.
a: Open Mozilla Firefox browser, click on tools and go to Options.
b: Switch to General tab, remove Search-shield.com address as a startup site.
c: Then, go to: Firefox -> Add-ons -> Add-ons Manager -> Remove.
d: In the Search list, select Manage Search Engines and erase this redirect and choose OK

3. Remove the redirect virus from Google Chrome.
a: Open Google Chrome and navigate to Settings tab and Set pages.
b: Erase Search-shield.com which was seta as the startup site and choose OK
c: Find Manage search engines and here, erase this redirect.
d: Press on OK, and restart Google Chrome.

4. Delete all registry files created by this redirect virus.
a. While the Registry Editor is opened, search for the registry key “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ Search-shield.com.” Right-click this registry key and select “Delete.”
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run “[RANDOM].exe”
b. Navigate to directory %PROGRAM_FILES%\ Search-shield.com \ and delete the infected files manually.
%AppData%Local[random].exe
C:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\*.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\*.*

Conclusion

The way that Search-shield.com redirect invades into a target computer is either by hiding in some freeware packages or pretending to be a essential item coaxing the innocent computer users to install it. Sometime, this kind of unwanted programs could also be embedded in some licit programs or media format files, then automatically comes into the user’ system to create havoc. Most users are not aware that being infected with redirect virus is very dangerous and they ignore it, missing the best chance to save the computer system in time.

To deal with thus pesky redirect virus, users should be more cautious when browsing the Web and take measures immediately once they find their homepages are changed suddenly or new unwanted add-ons are added to the browser without permission. The effective way for prevention is to get rid of the unwanted plug-ins in the browser. Afterwards, reset the computer and optimize real-time protection for Internet activities. When they download something from the Internet, run the antivirus program to scan it before opening it in case some malware come along with the free downloads. 

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