Remove Smartsputnik.ru Homepage from Firefox/Chrome/IE

How to Remove Smartsputnik.ru from Firefox, Chrome or IE in several easy steps? Follow the Smartsputnik.ru removal instructions and you will stop the browser hijacker.

Smartsputnik.ru is a browser hijacker. It is quite intrusive, and you shouldn’t underestimate the damage it can cause you. The longer you allow the annoying hijacker to remain on your computer, the bigger the mess it makes will get. To protect both yourself and your system, you should delete smartsputnik.ru as soon as you first realize it has moved in. The moment of awareness usually hits you when you find out that your preferred homepage and search engine have been replaced without your knowledge or permission. Unfortunately, you will not be able to get rid of smartsputnik.ru by switching your default web browser because the infection is compatible with all the most popular ones. You will have to deal with it if you want to regain control over your browser and to stop seeing potentially dangerous ads. Smartsputnik.ru is bound to ask for your permission before it installs itself, but don’t jump for joy just yet.  When you are downloading free programs not from official sources, you also acquire other software that in most of the cases is adware and browser hijackers. During the setup of the chosen free program, you will be asked to agree to some changes that will be made to your browser settings. These changes include replacing your homepage and search engine with another website which in our case is smartsputnik.ru. Oh, yes. In fact, not only does it get you approve it in, but it also leaves you utterly oblivious to the fact that you did. Until it decides to clue you in, you have no idea there’s a hazardous infection lurking somewhere o your computer. The hijacker’s most commonly used means of invasion include hitching a ride with spam email attachments or freeware, corrupted links or sites. However, more often than not, the tool prefers to infiltrate your system by pretending to be a bogus system or program update. For example, you’re lead to believe you’re updating your Adobe Flash Player or Java, but, in actuality, you’re installing Smartsputnik.ru. If you wish to NOT fall victim to the hijacker’s trickery, make sure to be extra attentive and to not rush. Don’t throw caution to the wind, and maybe you’ll avoid getting stuck with a dangerous and damaging hijacker.

remove smartsputnik.ru

Is this dangerous?

Smartsputnik.ru is a threat not to be taken lightly. Its most hazardous feature is the fact that it’s free to change anything and everything it so wishes. Oh, yes. As was already mentioned, once the tool gains access to your system, it’s no longer bound to ask for your consent before implementing any changes. It can just do whatever it wants, and you’ll just have to accept it. That’s a scary possibility, isn’t it? Just try to imagine the consequences. At the very least, the hijacker can reshuffle your settings and block you from accessing your favorite sites. That can be very annoying, but it’s still nothing compared to the other issues the hijacker can and will cause you if you let it. For one, if you don’t remove the intrusive tool as soon as you can, you’ll be subjected to a bombardment of pop-up ads every time you try to go online. Much like adware, the hijacker will throw pop-ups your way every time you try to use your browser. And, since that will happen quite often, the ads’ incessant appearance will end up slowing down your computer’s performance and cause frequent system crashes. But all of these issues will seem insignificant compared to the security risk the tool places upon you. Smartsputnik.ru spies on you in an attempt to steal your personal and financial information and send it to the unknown third parties behind it. The question is, are you going to allow that to happen? Are you going to hand over your private life to strangers? Think long and hard before you answer.

Attention! You should be aware that all of your accounts and passwords were likely compromised. Viruses are designed to collect every piece of private information. We advise you to change all your passwords, once you clean your computer, especially if you make online banking or shopping.

How Can I Remove Smartsputnik.ru hijacker?

Download Remover
for Smartsputnik.ru Virus

Compatible with Microsoft Windows

 

SpyHunter is the recommended removal tool for Smartsputnik.ru Virus. You can use the free scanner to detect the parasite, however if you want to delete it automatically you need to register the antimalware program.
What if SpyHunter failed to Detect or Remove the infection? – Find out here how to use the FREE Support.

Remove Smartsputnik.ru infection Manually

If you perform exactly the steps below you should be able to remove the Smartsputnik.ru infection. Please, follow the procedures in the exact order. you may want to print this guide or look at it in another computer.

STEP 1: Remove Smartsputnik.ru from IE, Chrome or Firefox

STEP 2: Uninstall Smartsputnik.ru from your Add/Remove programs list

STEP 3: Delete Smartsputnik.ru Windows Registry Leftovers

STEP 1: Remove Smartsputnik.ru from IE, Chrome or Firefox

Smartsputnik.ru Ads will infect every browser you have. You need to do the steps one by one.

Remove From Internet Explorer

  • Open Internet Explorer
  • Up to the Right Click on the Gear Icon
  • Go to Toolbars and Extensions
  • Disable any suspicious extension.
  • If the button is not active, you need to go to your Windows Registry and delete the corresponding CLSID
  • Then go back to the Gear Icon.
  • Click on Internet options

internet-options-ie

  • Select the Advanced tab and click on Reset.reset internet explorer
  • Check the “Delete Personal Settings Tab” and then Reset
  • Restart IE

to make sure nothing is interfering with your browser, right click on the shortcut target and click properties

internet-explorer-shortcut

  • In the target field you need to have the following command parameter: “C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe”iexplore-exe-target
  • if you have something else, just delete it and replace it.
  • simultaneously press the windows start button and “R”win-r
  • in the opened dialog box type “regeditregedit
  • Once the windows registry editor opens navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Internet Explorer/Main:Start Page
  • modify-registry-ie-stratupModify the starting page with a value so that it corresponds to the webpage you want.
  • click OK and IE should be cleaned.

Remove from Mozilla Firefox

  • Open Mozilla Firefox
  • Press simultaneously Ctrl+Shift+A
  • Carefully review all add-ons and disable the unknowns
  • Open the Firefox’s Help Menu

troubleshooting-information

 

  • Then Troubleshoot information
  • Click on Refresh Firefox

refresh-firefox

Remove from Google Chrome

  • Open Google Chrome
  • On the upper right corner click the Chrome menu Icon (looks like three dashes)
  • Hover Over More tools, then Extensionschrome-extensions
  • in the extensions windows disable all unknown extensions
  • On the upper right corner click the again the Chrome menu Icon (looks like three dashes)
  • Click on Settings, Show Advanced Settings then Reset

STEP 2 : Uninstall Smartsputnik.ru from Your Computer

  • Simultaneously press the Windows Logo Button and “R” to open the Run Command
  • In the open dialog box type “Appwiz.cplappwiz-cpl
  • Locate the Smartsputnik.ru program and click on uninstall/change.
  • Also, be warned that viruses always want to trick you into installing more crap. If you see a screen like this when you click Uninstall, Click NO!

alternate-browser-extension

STEP 3 : Delete Smartsputnik.ru Windows Registry Traces

These are the places in the windows registry where viruses inject their malicious payload. If you want to be 100% sure that nothing is hooking your system, check these locations. However, be very careful when editing the windows registry, because you can render your system unbootable.

  • HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
  • HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
  • HKLM \System\CurrentControlSet\Services
  • HKLM \SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify
  • HKLM \Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Userinit
  • HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\\Shell
  • HKLM \Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\\Shell
  • HKLM \Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
  • HKLM \Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx
  • HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\load
  • HKLM \Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
  • HKLM \SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\SharedTaskScheduler

Where HKCU stands for HKEY_CURRENT_USER

Where HKLM stands for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

  • Check these folders for corruption as well.

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
C:\user\Profiles\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup