Get Rid of Search.strtpoint.com Redirect Virus

How to Fully Remove SEARCH.STRTPOINT.COM From the System?

My computer has been infected by SEARCH.STRTPOINT.COM but I have no idea how to remove it. I used to clear the cookies and history records when the web browser ran slowly due to some phishing websites. However, I cannot get rid of the redirect virus in the same way this time. What can I do remove it completely? Any help will be appreciated.

What is SEARCH.STRTPOINT.COM?

SEARCH.STRTPOINT.COM is responsible for promoting specific products created by cyber hackers through the way of attaching undesirable toolbars, malicious scripts as well as potentially harmful extensions on the browser for taking over it. Its design and outfit look professional and quite normal as other legitimate webpage. You can find a search box in the center of the webpage. You can use it to search by entering keywords into the search bar. However, the search results offered by the search engine are not exactly associated with the keywords. They will redirect you to some very malicious websites which SEARCH.STRTPOINT.COM works with. So this search engine is fake and useless. If you unintentionally click the search results it serves, the computer is very likely to get infected with other viruses. Your computer is put at great risk. For instance, the level of the browser security will be decreased. It is dangerous because your personal information, such as payment card details, may be stolen by some viruses when you buy something online or carry out other actions. The personal files stored in your computer will also be stolen. Some computer may face more serious situations such as blue screen of death, system crash or file encryption. Some of the victims may be trapped in the browser hijacker.

In most cases, you may get this virus when you visit some web site. When you visit some web sites, a window will pop up prompt you to set this web site as your homepage. You may ignore the suggestion if you don’t want. After installation, they will start to change the system settings to create a better environment for more viruses to reproduce. When you set SEARCH.STRTPOINT.COM as your homepage, you are giving the redirect virus an opportunity to infect and hijack your browser. You need to understand that not all websites are safe to view and not every file on the Internet is safe to open. You may ensure that all the websites are clean and adware- free before you visit them. Therefore, you should visit a website or open a file only when you are sure that it is safe. If your antivirus program cannot effectively clean up this redirect virus, then you can try the manual removal way to remove it out of your computer. The instructions below will tell you how to remove the virus manually. Don’t underestimate the power of this tinny virus, it can mess up your system!

How To Manually Remove SEARCH.STRTPOINT.COM in Several Steps

Note: You should perform the manual removal only when you have certain levels of computer knowledge and skills, because you have to deal with processes, files and registry entries related to the redirect virus during the removal process, which may potentially cause some damage to your computer system. The most difficult part for most users is that the files of the threat change randomly and they can’t identify them. Inexperienced users should not try manual way. Therefore, it requires you to have sufficient computer expertise to perform the manual removal. If you are not sure about it, using a specialized tool to deal with it is the best choice.

1. Remove the browser hijacker from the infected computer.
Click on the Start button and select Control Panel. Click on Uninstall a program under the Programs category.
Find out and locate the programs related to SEARCH.STRTPOINT.COM browser hijacker. Click on the Uninstall button to remove them all.
2. Launch the infected browser and remove the add-ons or extensions related to the browser hijacker.
Internet Explorer:
Open IE, click on Tools and then select Manage Add-ons. When it opens a window, click on Toolbars and Extensions. Find out the extensions related to the browser hijacker and select them. Then, right-click them and click on the Disable option. Restart IE to finish the procedure.
Google Chrome:
Launch Google Chrome. Click on the Three-bar icon on top-right of the browser, select tools and then Extensions from the list. After that, click Extensions on the left side of the window. Locate the extension related to the browser hijacker, select it and click on the trash icon. Restart the browser to complete the procedure.
Mozilla Firefox:
Start Firefox and click on the tool menu from the top menu. Click on the Add-ons tab to open the configuration window. Then, click Extensions on the left side of this window. Now find out the extensions of the redirect virus and remove them from the browser. Restart the browser to complete the process.
3. Show hidden files and folders.
Go to Control panel again and click on Appearance and Personalization. Then double click on Folder Options. Hit the View tab, tick “Show hidden files, folders and drives” and deselect “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)” . Click on the OK button to apply the changes.
4. Delete the malicious files of SEARCH.STRTPOINT.COM from the local disk.
The files listed below are reference only because the virus may has the ability to changes the names and locations of its files.
%Program Files%\ random
%AppData%\Protector-[rnd].exe
%AppData%\Inspector-[rnd].exe
%AppData%\vsdsrv32.exe
5. Open Registry Editor and delete the registry entries of the browser hijacker..
Press Windows+ R keys simultaneously to open the Run window. Then type “regedit” in the run box and press Enter key to open Registry Editor.
After that, find out and delete all the registry entries of SEARCH.STRTPOINT.COM. The below registry entries are also for reference only.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\[random].exe
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\browser hijacker name
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System ‘DisableRegistryTools’ = 0
6. Restart the infected computer to apply all changes.

Conclusion: SEARCH.STRTPOINT.COM Virus is very nefarious that it can compromise your computer system badly. Sometimes, only relying on antivirus programs doesn’t work. Don’t download free software in case the virus may take a chance to slip into your computer. This can only lead to bigger problems. The manual removal instructions apply to those who have rich experience in virus removal. Otherwise, the entire instructions listed above only have the ability to clean up common virus. Another aspect is that the guide above can only help remove common infection. There are many variables of SEARCH.STRTPOINT.COM virus. More seriously, it may start its variation gradually. As we have mentioned above, this redirect virus is very dangerous and tricky. The quicker you remove it, the quicker the PC will perform. It is pretty hard for you to have it deleted manually unless you have much computer knowledge and know well about the virus.