How to remove So.wnoyng.cn virus

So.wnoyng.cn search and why is it dangerous to used it?

So.wnoyng.cn virus is another member of the Hao123 virus family. Unlike other versions of this browser hijacker, though, this one seems to be specifically targeted towards the computers of Chinese users. Though the Internet is a global network, geo-targeted viruses are not uncommon as well. They feature a specific language, content, and interface to meet the particular users’ needs and expectations. Otherwise, they work more or less the same. Programs like So.wnoyng.cn hijack browsers to create a convenient platform for advertising. They pretend to act as useful search engines and offer some other supposedly useful services, but in reality, involuntarily involves the users into their shady advertising business. Browsing the Internet while having this hijacker running in the background of the system can be a complete torture. You will constantly be exposed to the never-ending pop-up ads, banners, video and audio commercials, while suspicious surveys and fake registration forms will try to pull out some of your sensitive information. Trusting a program that is carrying out such activities on your computer is naive, to say the least. You should stop using it immediately and have some professional anti-malware software remove So.wnoyng.cn from your browser. Fortect Intego is one of the trustworthy tools you can use for the job.

A screenshot of the So.wnoyng.cn browser hijacker virus

Some experts also refer to this infection as a So.wnoyng.cn redirect virus. This initially stems from the fact that once the virus enters the targeted system, it assigns the malicious batch files to load Wnoyng every time you open any of your computer browsers. So, instead of using the popular Google, Yahoo or Bing as your homepage and default search engine, you will be forced to browse through the suspicious http://so.wnoyng.cn domain. This means that you will not be able to escape the previously mentioned ads and will risk ending up on some fishy sites because of that. We could continue with a much longer list of the problems this hijacker can draw to your system, but the most important thing is that you can stop all this havoc by carrying out the So.wnoyng.cn removal. Continue reading this article if you want to learn the best elimination techniques.

What are the most dangerous places to encounter the browser hijacker virus?

We should point out that you do not necessarily have to visit dangerous websites to get infected. A corrupt software package can also reach your computer through peer-2-peer networks and can even be downloaded from quite popular software sharing sites. In fact, software bundles are one of the most common and plentiful techniques used for spreading potentially unwanted programs around. And as long as the users keep carelessly installing software on their computers, the situation is not going to change. You have to be aware that potentially unwanted programs are often hidden in the software packages under the “Advanced” or “Custom” installation settings which are commonly ignored. So do not rush through the process using the “Quick” or “Recommended” modes, installing everything that the software package contains, but give yourself an opportunity to choose the programs you really need and opt out the unnecessary ones instead.

What So.wnoyng.cn removal options there are?

When you are infected with a browser hijacker, its removal becomes the top priority. Talking about So.wnoyng.cn removal, in particular, we should point out the two basic techniques that can be applied for this purpose – the manual and the automatic approach. Though we always recommend choosing the second option as a quicker and more precise way of eliminating cyber infections, you can also try to get rid of the virus file-by-file, following the manual instructions provided below. Otherwise, you should obtain an automatic virus-fighting utility or use your existing one to run a scan of your computer to locate the malicious files and remove So.wnoyng.cn in one go. Remember to update your software before taking any action.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.

Remove the unwanted program:

In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).

Delete leftover files and folders:

Select Go > Go to Folder.
Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.
Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
Click Remove.

Clear cookies and other browser data:

Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
Then find On startup section.
Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
Select Details tab.
Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and site data:

Click on Menu and go to Settings.
Select Privacy, search and services.
Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
Under Time range, pick All time.
Select Clear now.

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

Click on Menu and select Settings.
On the left side, pick Reset settings.
Select Restore settings to their default values.
Confirm with Reset.
This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
Select Add-ons.
In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.

Reset the homepage:

Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
Choose Settings.
Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

Click Menu and pick Settings.
Go to Privacy & Security section.
Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
Click on Clear Data...
Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

Click on Menu and pick Settings.
Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
Click Clear data.

Change your homepage:

Click menu and choose Settings.
Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.

Reset Google Chrome:

If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:

Click on Menu and select Settings.
In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
Confirm with Reset settings.

Delete from Safari