How to Remove Tf.org Hijacker

Can’t Remove Tf.org hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Tf.org Removal instructions!

Do you want a change? Is that the reason why you replaced your homepage with the Tf.org website? Silly question! Of course, you didn’t change your homepage. This website is constantly reported to replace users’ homepages without their approval. Its appearance is bad news. It is the face of a browser hijacker. Unfortunately, it is true. Your computer is infected with the tf.org hijacker. Yet, there is a silver lining. This infection is relatively easy to be removed. If you act promptly, you will be able to clean your device completely. However, if you delay the removal, you may end up with some dangerous virus. The tf.org utility acts as an open door for many online threats. You can think of it as a weakness in your security. This malicious app will bombard you with tons of ads. Every website you visit will be covered with ad banners. Every time you follow a link, additional tabs will open in your web browser. At the most unexpected times, pop-up windows will open right under the cursor of your mouse. All this is a part of the hijacker’s strategy. It is designed to generate traffic to some specific websites. For every ad you click on, the owners of this furtive software will be paid. But don’t think that those people care what kind of ads they are exposing you to. Anyone willing to spend some money can use the hijacker to promote. Oftentimes hackers use such services to spread malicious content. If you click on a corrupted ad, hell will rise. You will be redirected to a malicious website. There, a drive-by download will be executed. These types of downloads are automatic and almost completely invisible to the average user. You may not even notice if such a download occurs. This is why they are often used for malware distribution. One click on a malicious ad is all it takes for such a download to be executed. Of course, not all ads displayed by the tf.org hijacker are corrupted. However, there is no way to tell which is which. Avoid all advertisements while this parasite remains active on your device.

Remove Tf.org

How did I get infected with?

The tf.org website did not appear as if by magic. The software that forced it on you, was installed with your consent. It is quite normal not to remember doing so. The tf.org hijacker, after all, didn’t ask you openly. It used trickery and slipped into your machine unnoticed. Do you remember installing programs recently? And which installation method did you use? The standard or the advanced one? If your answer is the standard, you must change your habits. The standard installation wizard is presented as a fast way to install anything. It is only fast because it is automatic. Once you initiate it, your interaction will no longer be needed. And that means only one thing. You no longer have control over the process. Developers often attach additional software to the installation files of many free programs. This technique is known as freeware bundling. The only way to stop the installation of such additional apps is to use the custom installation method. Under it, you will be able to see all extras that come along. We strongly recommend deselecting all of them. Those tools do appear useful, yet, if you truly needed them, you would have downloaded them by yourself. The tf.org hijacker must have arrived as such an extra. This time you were lucky. This parasite can be removed. But what will happen the next time you are careless. The bundling method is used for malware, as well as, virus distribution. Be careful. Don’t rush through the installation process. The Internet is bursting with dangerous parasites. Only your vigilance can spare you future problems.

Why is this dangerous?

You already know that the tf.org hijacker is a real program that is installed on your machine. What you don’t know is that it has full control over your web browser. Actually, if you have more than one browser installed, be sure that all of them are infected. The tf.org utility is using your browsers against you. Everything you do online is now monitored. The malicious utility is using the collected data to select ads that will appeal especially to you. And you will see a lot of advertisements. Actually, you see more ads than you think you do. All search results, no matter of the provider, are corrupted. Don’t forget that the hijacker has full control over your browser. It injects fake entries among the search results. Those, most of the time, are ads. However, they are not marked as such. You will never be sure which results are organic and which are promoted. Furthermore, the malicious tool is also blocking all ads from its competitors. You will see only what you are allowed to see. Thus, the hijacker is robbing you of your free choice of information sources. Don’t become an easy target! Track this parasite down and remove it on the spot!

How to Remove Tf.org virus

The Tf.org infection is specifically designed to make money to its creators one way or another. The specialists from various antivirus companies like Bitdefender, Kaspersky, Norton, Avast, ESET, etc. advise that there is no harmless virus.

If you perform exactly the steps below you should be able to remove the Tf.org infection. Please, follow the procedures in the exact order. Please, consider to print this guide or have another computer at your disposal. You will NOT need any USB sticks or CDs.

WARNING! Stopping the wrong file or deleting the wrong registry key may damage your system irreversibly.
If you are feeling not technical enough just use Spyhunter Professional Malware Removal Tool to deal with the problem!
>>Download SpyHunter – a Professional Remover.

Please, keep in mind that SpyHunter’s scanner tool is free. To remove the Tf.org infection, you need to purchase its full version.

STEP 1: Track down Tf.org related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Tf.org startup location

STEP 3: Delete Tf.org traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Tf.org related processes in the computer memory

  • Open your Task Manager by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ESC keys simultaneously
  • Carefully review all processes and stop the suspicious ones.

end-malicious-process

  • Write down the file location for later reference.

Step 2: Locate Tf.org startup location

Reveal Hidden Files

  • Open any folder
  • Click on “Organize” button
  • Choose “Folder and Search Options”
  • Select the “View” tab
  • Select “Show hidden files and folders” option
  • Uncheck “Hide protected operating system files”
  • Click “Apply” and “OK” button

Clean Tf.org virus from the windows registry

  • Once the operating system loads press simultaneously the Windows Logo Button and the R key.

win-plus-r

  • A dialog box should open. Type “Regedit”

regedit

Depending on your OS (x86 or x64) navigate to:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] or
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] or
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]

  • and delete the display Name: [RANDOM]

delete backgroundcontainer

  • Then open your explorer and navigate to: %appdata% folder and delete the malicious executable.

Clean your HOSTS file to avoid unwanted browser redirection

Navigate to %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/host

If you are hacked, there will be foreign IPs addresses connected to you at the bottom. Take a look below:

hosts-redirect-virus

STEP 3 : Clean Tf.org traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

  • Open Google Chrome

  • In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
  • Remove the Tf.org by clicking on the little recycle bin
  • Reset Google Chrome by Deleting the current user to make sure nothing is left behind

disable Tf.org from chrome

  • Open Mozilla Firefox

  • Press simultaneously Ctrl+Shift+A
  • Disable the unwanted Extension
  • Go to Help
  • Then Troubleshoot information
  • Click on Reset Firefox

remove Tf.org from firefox

  • Open Internet Explorer

  • On the Upper Right Corner Click on the Gear Icon
  • Click on Internet options
  • go to Toolbars and Extensions and disable the unknown extensions
  • Select the Advanced tab and click on Reset

remove Tf.org from ie

  • Restart Internet Explorer

Step 4: Undo the damage done by Tf.org

This particular Virus may alter your DNS settings.

Attention! this can break your internet connection. Before you change your DNS settings to use Google Public DNS for Tf.org, be sure to write down the current server addresses on a piece of paper.

To fix the damage done by the virus you need to do the following.

  • Click the Windows Start button to open the Start Menu, type control panel in the search box and select Control Panel in the results displayed above.
  • go to Network and Internet
  • then Network and Sharing Center
  • then Change Adapter Settings
  • Right-click on your active internet connection and click properties. Under the Networking tab, find Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4). Left click on it and then click on properties. Both options should be automatic! By default it should be set to “Obtain an IP address automatically” and the second one to “Obtain DNS server address automatically!” If they are not just change them, however if you are part of a domain network you should contact your Domain Administrator to set these settings, otherwise the internet connection will break!!!

You must clean all your browser shortcuts as well. To do that you need to

  • Right click on the shortcut of your favorite browser and then select properties.

safebrowsing-biz-shortcut-removal

  • in the target field remove Tf.org argument and then apply the changes.
  • Repeat that with the shortcuts of your other browsers.
  • Check your scheduled tasks to make sure the virus will not download itself again.

How to Permanently Remove Tf.org Virus (automatic) Removal Guide

Please, have in mind that once you are infected with a single virus, it compromises your whole system or network and let all doors wide open for many other infections. To make sure manual removal is successful, we recommend to use a free scanner of any professional antimalware program to identify possible registry leftovers or temporary files.

Leave a Comment