Question:
Does anyone have an experience with a hijacker virus?
NYG Fan
2012-06-23 17:52:41 UTC
I picked up a hijacker virus from a Arcadecandy trojan that will not go away.
I've tried getting rid of it with Mcafee, Norton, and Malwarebytes.
Mcafee didn't detect anything, Norton detected some tracking cookies, and Malwarebytes did detect 6 trojans and "removed" them, but i still have the virus, so I don't think it correctly removed them.

The hijacker virus I have redirects all of my search engine searches. For example, if I search for "hotels in the california" i would come up with links of legitimate sites, but when I click on the links, it brings up a completely different suspicious looking website. Has anyone had any experience with a HIJACKER virus? It is terrible!!!! if you have ever had one, what did you use to get rid of it? Help!

BTW, this is what my virus consists of, according to research:

Description: Arcade Candy Games is an adware program that offers free arcade games in return for taking over your search settings and redirecting them to their affiliates. Arcade Candy Games may also add a browser / toolbar hijacker for Internet Explorer, FireFox and Chrome.

Threat type:

Adware - Adware is a software application which displays advertisements on your computer. Advertisements can be displayed through pop-up / pop-under windows, additional bars or toolbars, underlined links or buttons that appear on a computer screen. Adware applications include additional code that delivers the ads. Adware authors earn money when users click on those ads. Occasionally, adware includes code that tracks user's site visits and passes it to third parties without the user's permission or knowledge.

Search Hijacker - A Search Hijacker redirects your Google, Yahoo, Bing and other search engine search results to unfamiliar websites. Search Hijacker infections are usually the result of a malware infection. Takes control of your browser's default search engine. The search results may not necessarily be the best fit as those usually come from paid advertisements, as issued to you by the Hijacker authors. Search hijackers prevent you from changing your browser's default search engine, and they tend to slow down PC performance.

Advice: Remove This is a very high risk threat and should be removed immediately as to prevent harm to your computer and / or to protect your privacy.

Very dangerous malware. Can log user's keyboard activity and take snapshots of the user's screen. Uses stealth installation and removal is very difficult. Category includes spyware programs, adware programs and trojans.

Arcade Candy Games Signature Details: The following information includes some of the standard signatures associated with this spyware threat. Please do not attempt to manually remove these items from your computer; Removing these items incorrectly or partially can cause your computer to experience critical errors, prevent your computer from restarting or cause loss of Internet connectivity.
Five answers:
2012-06-24 03:06:15 UTC
Firstly, I recommend you uninstall Malwarebytes' in case it's become corrupted, and because I'd like you to re-install it in this procedure.



Try this:



Firstly, boot your computer to the Safe Mode menu screen. You do this by repeatedly pressing F8 as soon as you boot up. Once there, use the arrow keys to highlight Safe Mode with Networking. Continue to boot from there, by pressing Enter. You will now see some drivers being loaded. There will be a pause at some point. This usually lasts for no more than 30 seconds.



If that's successful, download and run TDSSKiller.exe from Kaspersky Lab. It's tiny, and takes just a minute to run. It hunts down and kills a specific family of rootkits:



http://support.kaspersky.com/faq/?qid=208280684



Regardless of the results, download the free version of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware (MBAM). Install it, get updates and run a full scan (still in Safe Mode). This is a direct download link. Copy and paste it into your browser’s address bar, and press Enter.



http://www.myantispyware.com/mbam



After that, boot normally and run another full scan with MBAM. It will detect any malware that wasn’t running in Safe Mode.



If the problem still exists, download and run the free Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool:



http://www.kaspersky.com/antivirus-removal-tool?form=1



You should now delete TDSSKiller.exe and the Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool, as updated versions are often made available. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware can be easily uninstalled, should you wish to do so, but it may prove to be beneficial in the future.



Hope this helps.
Morris
2016-08-23 21:49:54 UTC
2
Lisa
2016-02-21 05:59:58 UTC
You could get a computer guy to clean up your pc, but that will prob cost £50, and with 700 infections I would assume you've been going on stuff that u wouldn't want a computer guy to see. If there is nothing that you need to save on it, then i'd reformat. Switch on the computer and press F12 repeatedly when the manuacturers logo comes up. This should take you to the BIOS. Change the boot order so your CD-rom drie boots first. Then exit an allow your pc to start as normal. Get on to any account you can and insert the recovery CD. Switch of the computer. Then restart and follow instructions. WARNING this will clear everything off your pc.
Bert
2012-06-24 03:41:49 UTC
Use avast free,it detects what all the others tou used missed for the most effective removal run it in safemode.
Mark
2012-06-23 18:07:36 UTC
hate to say this but you need more than you have used and proably have more or worse , you have done all you can do , excet use norton or malwarebytes support which is free

one other way it to do it the longway and get everything

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=35407


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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