Remove Search Feed Tech Hijacker (Chrome/FF/IE)

Can’t Remove Search Feed Tech hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Search Feed Tech Removal instructions!

Search Feed Tech is a parasite that messes with your web browser. It falls under the browser hijacker category. This parasite sneaks into your system unnoticed and corrupts your web browser. It replaces both your homepage and default search engine. The hijacker is an invader. Once it calls your system “home,” expect trouble. The parasite exists to generate revenue for its owner. It follows instructions to use a pay-per-click scheme. The hijacker displays ads and gets paid when you click on them. The more ads you see, the bigger the chance you click. Thus, it floods you with various advertisements. The hijacker injects coupons, discounts and “great deals” on every website you open. It covers your screen with pop-ups every time you try to follow a link. This intruder knows no boundaries. It gets more and more aggressive with each passing day. The hijacker tends to get out of control. Do not wait for this scenario to unfold. You won’t like the consequences. The aggressive advertising takes a toll on your system. You face system underperformance, browser crashes, and Internet connection instability. The Search Feed Tech hijacker has no place on your computer. Don’t prolong its stay. Do what’s best for you and your system’s well-being. Remove the hijacker the first chance you get! The sooner you take action, the better!

Remove Search Feed Tech

How did I get infected with?

The Search Feed Tech hijacker doesn’t target individual users. This parasite is not that advanced. It uses standard distribution strategies to reach a broad spectrum of potential victims. The hijacker lurks behind software bundles, fake updates, and torrents. These methods deliver the parasite to your system. But they don’t install it. Only you can do that! Confused? Well, it’s simple. The browser hijacker is not a virus. It’s a simple application. And just like any other app, it needs your approval to get installed. No permission, no admission. The parasite is bound to ask your consent. Yet, as you can imagine, there is a catch. The Search Feed Tech hijacker knows how to lure you into unwanted actions. The parasite needs one second of carelessness to sneak in. Do not make its job easier. No anti-virus app can protect you if you act recklessly. Always keep your guard up! Only your caution can keep your machine secure and virus-free. Don’t visit shady websites. Download your software from reputable sources only. Bear in mind that most of the apps we download off the web come bundled with bonus programs. The extras, however, are often parasites like the Search Feed Tech hijacker. If you rush through the installation process of a bundle, you might install the extras unintentionally. Prevent this scenario from unfolding by using the advanced/custom setup. You can deselect all unwanted apps under it. Make sure you know what you are giving your permission to. Before you click on that “Accept” button, read the terms and conditions. Of course, you can speed up this step by using an online EULA analyzer. Abort the installation if you detect anything suspicious!

Why is this dangerous?

Once on board, the Search Feed Tech hijacker wastes no time. It corrupts your web browsers and takes over your browsing experience. The furtive parasite doesn’t miss a chance to interfere with your actions. You type a search query — it’s among the results; you open a new tab — its ads are there to greet you. Even your online videos get paused for commercial breaks “powered by Feed Tech.” You cannot get a simple task done without being interrupted by an advert of some kind. The hijacker ruins your browsing experience. These issues, however, should not be in the center of your attention. What happens behind your bask is the real problem. The Search Feed Tech hijacker threatens to steal your personal and financial details. This parasite spies on you from the moment it invades. It monitors your browsing-related data. And, when it deems it has enough data, it sends it to its publishers. How do you think that ends for you? These people are criminals. They use the information to turn you into a target. They prepare customized adverts and force them on you. The crooks show you what you want to see, but when you click, bad things happen. You risk ending up on scam and potentially infected pages. The Search Feed Tech hijacker is very likely to redirect you to dangerous websites. This parasite is hazardous. Remove it before it gets a chance to lure you into an online trap!

The Search Feed Tech 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 Search Feed Tech 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.

STEP 1: Track down Search Feed Tech related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Search Feed Tech startup location

STEP 3: Delete Search Feed Tech traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

  • 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.

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 Search Feed Tech 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

  • Open Google Chrome

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

disable Search Feed Tech 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 Search Feed Tech 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 Search Feed Tech from ie

  • Restart Internet Explorer

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 Search Feed Tech, 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 Search Feed Tech 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.

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.

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