Effective Steps for Manually Removing HotSearch.com

HotSearch.com is controlling your web browser? Is it dangerous if you leave it alone? Have no ideas about how to get rid of HotSearch.com? No worries, detailed removal steps in this post will be reliable.

 

What is HotSearch.com?

Type: Redirect Virus/browser hijacker

Alert level: Severe

Targeted Browsers：Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, and so on.

Targeted OS: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7

http:// HotSearch.com is a irritating and stubborn redirect virus that will compromise targeted web browsers all of a sudden when you perform actions with your computer inappropriately. For example, open spam email attachments, visit illegal contents like porn, download some free resources from the Internet; share some corrupt files with others via 2P2 network. Once executed, it may insert a toolbar or plug-in to your web browser to show irritating pop ups when you are searching the Internet.

 

Symptoms

* It will control the web browser and change the web search engine to be its own one.
* Every search on the web browser will be redirected to other unfamiliar web sites.
* The home page will be changed to be http:// HotSearch.com.
* The computer keep showing irritating pop ups.
* It can monitor and record your online habits.
* The computer’s condition will be much poorer than before.
* It allows the third access for some vicious purposes.
* It may help cyber hackers to capture personal information stored on the computer.

 

Detailed Steps for Clearing up HotSearch.com

Step 1. Disable suspicious startup items.

Windows XP:
Step: Click Start menu -> click Run -> type: msconfig in the search bar -> open System Configuration Utility -> Disable all possible startup items including those of Amazon Smart Search:

Step 2. Remove add-ons:

Internet Explorer:
1) Go to Tools -> ‘Manage Add-ons’;
2) Choose ‘Search Providers’ -> choose ‘Bing’ search engine or ‘Google’ search engine and make it default;
3) Select ‘Search Results’ and click ‘Remove’ to remove it;
4) Go to ‘Tools’ -> ‘Internet Options’; select ‘General tab’ and click website, e.g. Google.com. Click OK to save changes.
Google Chrome
1) Click on ‘Customize and control’ Google Chrome icon, select ‘Settings’;
2) Choose ‘Basic Options’;
3) Change Google Chrome’s homepage to google.com or any other and click the ‘Manage Search Engines…’ button;
4) Select ‘Google’ from the list and make it your default search engine;
5) Select ‘Search Result’ from the list to remove it by clicking the ‘X’ mark.
Mozilla Firefox
1) Click on the magnifier’s icon and select ‘Manage Search Engine…’;
2) Choose ‘Search Results’ from the list and click ‘Remove’ and OK to save changes;
3) Go to ‘Tools’ -> “Options”. Reset the startup homepage or change it to google.com under ‘General tab;

Step 3. Show hidden files

step: a) open Control Panel from Start menu and search for Folder Options;

b) under View tab to tick Show hidden files and folders and non-tick Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) and then click OK;

c) click on the “Start” menu and then click on the “Search programs and files” box, Search for and delete all related files of HotSearch.com:

%UserProfile%\[random].exe
%ProgramFiles%\Internet Explorer\Connection Wizard\[random]
%Windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framwork\[random].exe
%System%[random].exe

Step 4. Delete all related registry values of HotSearch.com in your local hard disk C.

step: Hold down the Windows key on your keyboard and press the "R" button. Type in "regedit" and hit "Enter" to gain access to the Registry Editor.


Registry values:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\[random]
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\Explorer\Run\[random]
HKEY_USERS\.DEFUALT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\[random]
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ControlSet001\Services\svflooje\Enum\[random]

Step 5. Delete all related registry values of HotSearch.com by installing Anti-Malware program SpyHunter

1) Click the following red icon to install Spyhunter.
 
2) Install Spyhunter Step by Step:



 

3) Execute a full scan with SpyHunter and remove all detected threats.



4) Remove associated programs.



Conclusion 
HotSearch.com is a hazardous browser hijacker. It can produce plenty of irritating ads. And it can alter your default homepage to the designed website HotSearch.com. It also can bring related threats to your computer. Hence, you are suggested to remove it without delay once you find its trace. The sooner you take measures, the less dangerous your computer is.

Advice 
If you not a computer expert, you resort to the automatic way. For a layman, manually to remove HotSearch.com is not so easy to master. Thus, there is no need for you to use this way. On the contrary, you’d better install Anti-Malware program SpyHunter to help you to remove HotSearch.com. On one hand, it can work effectively; on the other hand, it can protect your computer from infecting in the future