Kotcatk.com (Virus Removal Guide) - Free Instructions
Kotcatk.com Removal Guide
What is Kotcatk.com?
Kotcatk.com is a dubious website that redirects users to unknown domains
Kotcatk.com is a browser hijacker[1] that was created to take over all possessed browsers, including Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and others. Some users might find this application appealing at first. However, people are quick to be disappointed because of persistent redirects and invasive advertising techniques.
SUMMARY | |
Name | Kotcatk.com |
---|---|
Type | Browser Hijacker |
Main dangers | Stolen personal information and/or money, malware infections |
Symtoms | Altered browser settings, invasive ads and redirects, etc. |
Distribution | Bundling |
Elimination | Download and install FortectIntego |
Kotcatk.com tries to lure users by applying multiple links what appears to be Russian news feed. It also provides weather information and has an altered search engine when then redirects all search results to Google.com. The developer is most likely participating in Google ’s affiliate program.
However, the search results obtained that way are not entirely genuine. This type of rerouting is used to generate altered results through Google and expose less-popular websites and boost their traffic. Kotcatk.com virus creators then gain monetary benefit for every click made by users.
Kotcatk.com hijack does not only come with altered search results. By using this questionable application, users not only put computer safety but also their virtual privacy at risk.
The startup page, search engine, and new tab URL are set to kotcatk.com (or similar variants). These modifications cannot be reverted unless the PUP is uninstalled. As the unwanted program can be challenging to remove sometimes, a robust security tool should be used, like FortectIntego.
The hijacker’s rerouting tendencies are probably the most dangerous. This unwanted program is known to redirect users to shady realms, such as porn, gambling, fake updates, phishing or other hazardous websites. Because these sites are typically not monitored, obtaining malware is just a few steps away. So never click on any redirected content. Simply close your browser and instantaneously proceed with Kotcatk.com removal.
Apart from invasive advertising, Kotcatk, as it is typical to browser hijackers, also collects a variety of anonymous information. This data can include, but is not limited to:
- IP address;
- Geo-location;
- Type of browser used;
- Type of software used;
- Links clicked;
- Websites visited;
- Search queries, etc.
The collected information helps developers to create a virtual profile and, with the help of hijacked search engine, generate targeted advertising.
Additionally, if you enter any kind of personal information[2] (like name, email, address, social security number, bank details), it might be recorded too. What the unknown parties are doing with this information is unknown. Therefore, we highly advise never to enter any personally identifiable information when the browser is hijacked as it can lead to identity theft or stolen money from a bank account.
To entirely avoid unnecessary danger, you should remove kotcatk.com redirects from your browser as soon as its presence is noted. Do not endanger your computer and personal safety! Also, you can use a legitimate search engine, like Google, Bing or Yahoo.
The way unwanted applications contaminate PCs
If you are not sure how the potentially unwanted program got into your computer, you should check if you installed any free software recently. Bundling is an extremely popular marketing campaign, and many free software and PUP developers use it. Freeware authors often hide additional components inside their installers and do not adequately disclose full lineup of programs.
To avoid that, we recommend being attentive while installing free software. The first important step is never to rush and skip steps. That includes not clicking on “Next” button without adequately looking and picking Advanced or Custom installation mode instead of Recommended one. This way, you can remove ticks from add-ons, toolbars, search engines, optimization tools, media players, file converters and other unwanted programs.
Remove Kotcatk.com from your computer and do not expose yourself to risks anymore
Another big problem with browser hijackers is that they can multiply quickly. Because of unwanted redirects and invasive advertisement, users might be tricked into installing useless software. Additionally, various browser extensions can be installed even without users’ permission. Therefore, Kotcatk.com removal should never be postponed. It can be done either manually or automatically – both methods are effective.
Security experts from bedynet.ru[3] highly advise using an automatic method as the hijacker might be difficult to eliminate. Merely install security software and run a full system scan – that should only take few minutes.
If you don’t like the idea of additional software, however, you can also remove Kotcatk.com virus manually by following our detailed instructions below. However, please be careful as incorrect procedure might lead to reinstallation of the virus or even damaged system files.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of Kotcatk.com. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
To eliminate Kotcatk.com from Windows OS, follow these steps:
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
Delete from macOS
Remove items from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Reset your MS Edge browser as soon as you delete all PUPs.
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (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 Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
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.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
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.
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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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 the suspicious plugins that might be 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
Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of Kotcatk.com registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting stealing programs
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
- ^ Browser hijacking. Wikipedia. The free encyclopedia.
- ^ Personal Information. PrivacySense. Free privacy resources .
- ^ BedyNet. BedyNet. Russian security experts.