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  • Active
  • Severity: High
  • Stealing programs
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Dec 2016

How to remove Stg-234i23r9-hpw.com virus

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Olivia Morelli · Ransomware analyst

Should you trust Stg-234i23r9-hpw.com search engine and results that it delivers to you?

Stg-234i23r9-hpw.com virus is a potentially unwanted program (PUP) that cyber security experts often identify as a browser hijacker or a redirect virus[1]. If you’re wondering where does this program get such label from, we want to explain how it acts once it gets into the system. This program might come in the form of a browser extension or a simple program, and once it enters the computer system, it gets on user’s nerves and starts causing redirects to Stg-234i23r9-hpw.com. It also sets this domain as default search engine, homepage, and new tab page address. This site looks like a copy of Google at first sight, but actually, it hides an untrustworthy search engine that delivers sponsored search results. There is no point in trusting such search engine because it presents search results that it wants you to click on, not the ones that you need to find. In other words, results delivered by Stg-234i23r9-hpw.com redirect virus can be irrelevant or point to insecure websites. We believe that you should not use this search engine under no circumstances. Even its URL looks untrustworthy. What we have also dig up is that this browser hijacker has been developed by Bontio, Inc, a company that is related to many other browser hijackers. If you do not want to let this virtual parasite to ruin your browsing experience, better remove Stg-234i23r9-hpw.com hijacker from the system. It is clear that it focuses on pay-per-click revenue[2] more than it cares about your satisfaction, so Stg-234i23r9-hpw.com removal should be a top-priority task for you. It is highly recommended to do it with a help of special software such as FortectIntego.

Another worrying fact about this search tool is that it collects certain data about your activity online and uses it for vague purposes. Our team has discovered that it captures and stores data accessible via your computer and browser, including your OS type, browser, IP address, pages that you have visited, average time you spent on them, search queries, and similar data[3]. Although Bontio claims to be using this information only to improve its services, it might use it to display “more relevant ads” to you, which can lure you to enter suspicious third-party websites. As we have mentioned before, these can be untrustworthy as their Privacy Policies may differ from Bontio’s.

Image of a web browser affected by Stg-234i23r9-hpw.com hijack

When did I infect my computer with this hijacker?

Browser hijackers, just like the rest of potentially unwanted programs typically enter victim’s computer silently. What is surprising is that it doesn’t mean that Stg-234i23r9-hpw.com hijack happens in an illegal way. Absolutely not – this program is considered legal, no matter how annoying it is. You can accidentally agree to install it when installing another free program you have downloaded from the Internet[4]. This can happen in case you tend to ignore installation settings when installing software. These settings are extremely important. Did you know that Advanced/Custom settings are more reliable than Default/Standard ones? If not, you should start giving priority to the Advanced and Custom settings because these allow you to install the new product the way you want. It also means that you will become capable of seeing what’s inside your download, and also you will become able to modify these contents. So if you see any suspicious entries such as “Yes, I agree to set Stg-234i23r9-hpw.com as my search engine and new tab page,” deselect them and proceed with the installation. Also, do not forget to scan provided legal documents (EULA and Privacy Policy) for any mentions of bundled additional third-party software[5].

Ways to get rid of Stg-234i23r9-hpw.com

If you’re concerned about Stg-234i23r9-hpw.com removal, you should get familiar with two different options to remove it. First of all, do not worry if you do not have antivirus or antimalware program. You can download one of the ones we suggest using (for instance, FortectIntego), or remove Stg-234i23r9-hpw.com manually using instructions presented below. If you have any questions regarding this mid-level browser infection, do not hesitate to ask us via “Ask Us” page or write your thoughts in the comments section below.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

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

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

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

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.Reset Internet Explorer

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

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

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. 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.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

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

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. 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.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

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

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

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

Reset the homepage:

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

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

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

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

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

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. 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:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

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