Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Fixing Browser Hijack - Few Clicks and Start Browsing Normally


Getting pop-ups while using the Internet can be quite irritating and annoying. However, browser hijack programs can do more than that when left to do damage in your computer for long. The best bet for the job is reliable antivirus/antispyware program which can automatically deal with browser hijacks.

Browser Hijacking Described

A browser hijack program is one of the ways that third party gains control of computers today. One sign of its presence in your computer is when you start getting annoying pop-ups when you are using the Internet. You may also observe that browsers no longer look as it used to. And you won't even be able to reset your browser. There might be some new bookmarks of unfamiliar websites as well. Some do this only for the purpose of advertising and bringing you to their websites though. But others would have other plans too. For instance, the browser hijack program may be capable of recording passwords to your email address, bank accounts and credit cards. The problem is you don't know when you could already be getting it while using the Internet.

Signs of Browser Hijack

You will know when you already have the hijacker program in your computer when you observe a slowdown in computer performance. When you launch your browser, the homepage would already be different. And what's even alarming is when you cannot change it back. What you have to know is that the hijacker programs run from the time you turn on your computer until you turn it off. And it even eats up the resources of the computer so it makes the computer slower.

In addition to that, the new bookmarks would be noticeable too. You would notice folders of new bookmarks added. And it is the work of the program.

How Browser Hijack Programs Spreads

There are a number of ways you can get the hijacker programs. Since people share files quite a lot on the Internet, you would most often get malicious programs when you download files. When downloading in file sharing sites, even the people sharing their files may not know they are sharing the program along with their music or video files.

When downloading freeware, some sites would also intentionally embed the badware program with the free software they offer. Because of this, it is usually advisable to acquire free software from the official site instead.

Of course, you can also get the program or the virus when you visit malicious websites. The program is simply installed without any permission from you. Before you know it, you would be feeling its effects.

How to Get Rid of Browser Hijack Programs

There are two ways to get rid of hijacking. First is, manual removal of infected files and second is using an automated tool. Manual removal of the virus is not easy since It requires a lot of knowledge to find the infected files and delete them. If you are not a computer geek, you should not attempt manual removal because you may end up doing more harm than good.

The best solution is using an automated removal tool (a spyware remover software) which will scan your computer and delete all the threats right away without any manual intervention. This method is very safe and guaranteed to yield results.

Read more: http://goo.gl/96Z6V

No comments: