📎 AI Summary:
The forum thread discusses persistent browser hijacker and adware issues, with the original poster struggling to fully remove a hijacker despite using multiple anti-malware tools and Safe Mode. Several contributors recommend additional tools, manual removal methods, and then suggest that sometimes the most effective solution is a complete system wipe and clean reinstall of Windows. Overall, the community emphasizes thorough backups before attempting drastic measures and highlights that such malware can be highly stubborn and complex to eradicate without professional intervention.
mdeal3

mdeal3

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Thread Author #1
After installing another piece of software, I accidentally installed a bunch of adware as well. I was able to remove almost everything permanently except for the Funnysearching browser hijacker. My anti-malware programs (Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool, Malwarebytes, and Avast!) say that they successfully "removed" it, but it usually comes back.
All help will be greatly appreciated.
~mdeal3
 

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Lolitas1
Typically, these problem-causing programs are not intentionally installed by the user, but rather by trickery. Link Removed also mentioned how such unwanted programs arrives on PC. Extensions in Chrome are often the root of undesirable behavior, and thankfully, they’re easy to find all in one place.If your antivirus software does not remove the unwanted tool-bars, then manually remove them by using the Add/Remove Programs or Uninstall a Program in the Control Panel. Adware generally installs a new toolbar in your browsers and changes your default search engine setting to a third-party search engine. Depending on your browser, reset the browser settings to completely remove the unwanted tool-bars and search engines.
The steps below...
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Neemobeer

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#2
Did you run the removal tools in safe mode? If the adware has the function to re-add itself and it's in memory it will come back safe mode should prevent it from running. Spybot is another good tool to remove it or (more advanced) if its a BHO Browser helper object you can remove it with HijackThis. Another good tool to remove malware persistence mechanisms is autoruns.
 

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mdeal3

mdeal3

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Neemobeer said:
Did you run the removal tools in safe mode? If the adware has the function to re-add itself and it's in memory it will come back safe mode should prevent it from running. Spybot is another good tool to remove it or (more advanced) if its a BHO Browser helper object you can remove it with HijackThis. Another good tool to remove malware persistence mechanisms is autoruns.
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Yes, I did run everything in Safe Mode. I'll try using what you listed in your reply.
EDIT: I tried using autoruns, but as soon as I open it in Admin mode the malware processes disappear. Should I scan using Kaspersky AV removal tool and upload the log file?
 

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Polmot

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#4
I have exactly the same problem with gogamego adware and search.mysearch redirect. I've already used Adwcleaner, Cureit, MBAM, SpyBot S&D and this manual guide in Safe Mode and Normal Mode but adware appears again and again after reboot. Also i've tried to clean Chrome startup using CCleaner - but no luck for me.
I found little hint - just create new Windows user account and you'd have clean web browser
But still I want to know how to remove that nasty hijacker from my system once and forever. So I'd be very thankful for your help!
 

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whoosh

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#5
I would advise to always have an up to date backup or mirror image of your drive, Then come the day when you experience malware that cannot easily be removed, you can format hard drive and reinstall from backup.
Making sure the backup is not to close to the installation of the malware !
 

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alex joshep

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#6
hello mdeal3,
hope you have solved your PC problem if it is yet not solved then you should search for a browser hijacker removal guidelines. nine out of ten user are facing browser hijacker problem regularly even I faced "Search.searchcounn" malware and I found well described solution for my problem on "fixinfectedpc" and I hope you will get your solution too.
 

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BIGBEARJEDI

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#7
Browser hijack virus removal procedures are widely varied, but it really depends on your level of computer expertise, skill sets, and experience doing virus cleaning on computers. It usually takes 15+ years to be any good at this or more. Tools can only do so much; you have tried most of the things I would; but there is a diminishing return on how much time you spend to fix a virus that can be removed in 1-3 days using brute force methods along with testing of your Hardware and replacing any failing components.:andwhat: Continuing to fix a browser hijack problem caused by spyware should NEVER take a professional more than 100 hours, Period. If you have spent more time on it than that already, you are driving your car right into the virus Author's wheelhouse!!!:pirate: That's exactly what they want you to do--and most home users also do this for many reasons, they are downright stubborn, embarrassed that they still got hit by a virus even though they spent months or years researching the best AV or AV suite to protect them from viruses/malware, and don't want to ask a professional for help nor pay them for it.:ohno:

Bottom line, if you brought your computer to my shop; I'd have already backed up all your stuff to external media, and simply wiped your hard drive (or replaced it if failed), and done a Clean Install of W10, reinstalled all your programs and data and be done with it!! This can usually be done in 3 days - 3 months depending on how many apps and or games you have installed on your computer. Remember that this brute force method will prove 99.9% effective on removing whatever virus/viruses you have managed to contract!:up:

Here's a little TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE I wrote that will help you to test your hardware and reinstall your W10 from scratch to get it virus-free again: Windows 10 - Unclickable Task Bar
This will fix your problem, and keep you from having tunnel-vision and spending the rest of your life trying to find and remove the virus that took over your Chrome!

Best of luck,:encouragement:
<<<<<BIGBEARJEDI>>>>>
 

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Lolitas1

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#8
Typically, these problem-causing programs are not intentionally installed by the user, but rather by trickery. Link Removed also mentioned how such unwanted programs arrives on PC. Extensions in Chrome are often the root of undesirable behavior, and thankfully, they’re easy to find all in one place.If your antivirus software does not remove the unwanted tool-bars, then manually remove them by using the Add/Remove Programs or Uninstall a Program in the Control Panel. Adware generally installs a new toolbar in your browsers and changes your default search engine setting to a third-party search engine. Depending on your browser, reset the browser settings to completely remove the unwanted tool-bars and search engines.
The steps below can usually remove the browser hijackers from your Chrome:
  1. Start Google Chrome.

  2. On the top-right corner, click the Customize and control Google Chrome icon, and click Settings.

  3. Under Chrome, click Extensions.

  4. In the Extensions window, select the unknown extensions, and click the trash bin icon.

  5. Under Chrome, click Settings.

  6. In the Settings window, under On startup, click Set pages.

  7. In the Startup pages window, from the list of startup pages, select the suspicious entries and click X.

  8. Click OK.

  9. In the Settings window, under Appearence, select Show Home button, and click Change.

  10. In the Home page window, select Use the New Tab page and click OK.

  11. In the Settings window, under Search, click Manage search engines.

  12. In the Search engines window, select your preferred default search engine and click Make default.

  13. In the Default search settings list, select the unknown search engine, and click X.

  14. Click Done.
If necessary, reset your Chrome's settings or create a new user in Chrome.

Hope this works
 

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BIGBEARJEDI

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#9
These are good suggestions to try; and they are relatively low-risk. However, it's important to BACKUP ALL YOUR PERSONAL DATA TO EXTERNAL MEDIA PRIOR TO ATTEMPTING THE ABOVE OR ANY KIND OF SOFTWARE REPAIRS, INCLUDING SYSTEM RESTORE IN ORDER TO AVOID IRRETRIEVABLE DATA LOSS!! I mention this in my TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE article link above.

This warning is repeated and I'm sure both you and the OP are aware; but we can't emphasize this enough as we get hundreds of people every month who fail to follow this simple warning and lose EVERYTHING!! :waah:

Best,
<<<<BBJ>>>>
 

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