Windows 10: How to get rid of Vosteran & other undesirables?

AdwCleaner scan keeps finding the same 5 items in Chrome. Both Windows Defender & Malwarebytes Pro do not detect these at all. Once AdwCleaner cleans, deletes & restarts my PC a new AdwCleaner scan indicates all these are gone. As soon a Chrome is launched, however, they're back shown as below.

Are these serious & how to permanently get rid of them? *Eek

Chrome pref Found: [C:\Users\...\Web data] - windows-installer-cleanup-utility.en.softonic.com
Chrome pref Found: [C:\Users\...\Web data] - ask.com
Chrome pref Found: [C:\Users\...\Web data] - aol.com
Chrome pref Found: [C:\Users\...\Chrome\User Data\Default\Secure Preferences] - hxxp://vosteran.com/?....
Chrome pref Found: [C:\Users\...\Chrome\User Data\Default\Secure Preferences] - hxxp://vosteran.com/?...

:)

 

How to get rid of DNS Unlocker and other pop-ups

Bobby,

Take a look at this thread... it concerns Win 8, but would apply to Win 10 as well....

Windows 8 Defender cannot catch "dns unlocker" virus

<<Boot into Safe Mode on Windows 10>>

`~`

 

How to get rid of DNS Unlocker and other pop-ups

As other individuals have a similar problem to having the adware of DNSUnlocker, I have checked every video and answer from everywhere and doesn't help my situation, so my question is how do completely remove DNSUnlocker and any other pop-up adware even
though one has already uninstalled the program, cleared cache, reset settings, and put the DNS server automatically in Windows 10, HP Laptop.

 

This browser hijacker embeds itself in various places. Have a look here for steps to follow to clean your system. Most likely it's hijacked the shortcuts. Or you may need to reset the browser.

How to remove Vosteran.com Search (Removal Guide)

 

Hi,

Can you please attach the cleanlog of AdwCleaner? Also, resetting Google Chrome can help.

 

Cleanlog.txt attached. Reset of Chrome was among the 1st things I tried.

 

Thanks. Followed this guide this morning & it found nothing even though a re-scan with AdwCleaner & it found the 5 mentioned in my posts again. This is embedded in the browser & rewrites itself once deleted.

 

Hi:

Some of these critters re-spawn from Google Sync.

In addition to the excellent advice already offered (especially resetting Chrome): you might go into your Google account and stop SYNC.
You may also need to then uninstall and reinstall Chrome.

Additional scans with addition tools may be needed...

Let us know if this resolves your issue.

MM

 

I stop SYNC, uninstalled / reinstalled Chrome. Without Chrome, everything scanned clean. After re-installing Chrome I scanned again with Adwcleaner & all as clean. Open Chrome browser, did another AdwCleaner scan & there they were.

Is it time to dump Chrome?

 

The simple solution was to uninstall Chrome. I did that & cannot find anything on AdwCleaner scan, Malwarebytes Pro or Windows Defender.

Back to Firefox!

 

Tried clearing c:\users\<your account>\AppData\Local\Google\ except for those files you need (like visited links and bookmarks)?

 

Thanks for your suggestion. Not much is that folder since I uninstalled Chrome. I'm going to stay with Firefox. Chrome isn't worth adware issues.

 

Agreed. I have always thought that Chrome gets infected more easily than others. And although is a good browser I also think it has gone down the hill slightly nowadays.

 

Hi there

Not sure about chrome these days --seems to have gone downhill whereas FIREFOX has improved by leaps and bounds (and by disabling scripts either globally or selectively) you've got reasonable built in protection against hi-jacking etc).

I always browse from a VM so any problems I just junk that VM and start a new one.

For people who don't want to or can't set up VM's - then I always say clean backup and restore is the best protection if you get infected - takes as little as 5 mins on fast hardware with SSD -- even on more standard hardware a restore can often be done within 30 mins.

Virus removal by software usually isn't entirely satisfactory and if you include your analysis time ususally takes LONGER than a clean restore.

Even if the malware removal software reports OK you can't really be sure if you run the program from an infected machine - the infection if reasonably intelligent can deal with "removal" programs and can "neutralize" them - so if you MUST use removal software don't run it on an infected machine --run it on a CLEAN machine which can scan the infected machine remotely - say over a network / LAN although the idea of attaching an infected machine to a network isn't great.

Cheers
jimbo

 

Thanks. I will say Chrome seems much faster than either Edge or Firefox, but, speed isn't everything. Apparently Chrome doesn't mind hijackers embedding into their browser. Even Malwarebytes & Windows Defender can't detect them.

Can't have that! *Mad