StartFenster virus is a questionable search engine that changes existing browser settings to cause unwanted redirects to ad-supported pages
This is a potentially unwanted program that categorizes as a browser hijacker because once you encounter StartFenster.com virus your web browsing experience changes immediately. Homepage, new tab, new window, and default search engine preferences get changed to this page or any similar/associated domain, so every in-browser search shows result through this useless engine and Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer runs slower than usual due to additional toolbars, extensions, add-ons added behind your back.
| Name | StartFenster virus |
|---|---|
| Type | Browser hijacker |
| Symptoms | All browser search results get filled with commercial material like banners, in-text links, pop-ups, blinking boxes, and hyperlinks redirecting straight to advertising pages or PUP-distributing sites. Various in-browser content gets installed, and settings changed without any permission or users' knowledge |
| Distribution | Freeware installations including PUPs are not disclosed fully, so the user allows extra downloads without even noticing, and the machine gets a cyber infection. Other PUPs can easily install hijackers, adware or rogue tools too |
| Main danger | Ad-supported sites can access, track, and collect various information about the user and page visitors with the purpose of using that information in later malvertising campaigns.[1] Such data collecting issue can also lead to problems with your privacy and identity |
| Affects | Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Google Chrome, or any other web browsers |
| Elimination | You need to remove StartFenster virus from the machine fully by using the anti-malware program and fully scanning the system for all the malicious files |
| Tip for the system cleaning | You should also run through the machine with a system optimization tool or a cleaner application that could indicate affected, damaged, or corrupted system files. Try FortectIntego and make sure to fix the virus damage after the PUP elimination |
StartFenster virus is the search platform that contains a few features and provides a few fields, categories of searches for the visitor. The main search box and all the additional functions may resemble a legitimate search engine, so people continue using the shady domain as their online searching tool. However, that is not a good idea because the more shady pages you click on and visit the more exposed to possibly malicious content you get.
All those redirects, pop-ups, banners, and other content reroute the user to advertising pages and sites with questionable material, possibly involving malicious scripts and direct malware downloads. StartFenster virus developers are not responsible for the content you end up visiting because once a redirect is triggered the website that appears on your web browser is not associated with the PUP developers – Aller media. The company has not so great of a reputation because many users blame the marketing agency for distributing PUPs and obtaining control over browsers with those shady tools.
Unfortunately, there are tons of malicious pages you may end up visiting, and this is how your machine can get more affected by the serious infection. StartFenster hijack itself is not dangerous, but the more time you give this PUP on your machine the more malicious content you get exposed to and can infect your machine further without even noticing.
This is why we highly recommend focusing on StartFenster virus removal as soon as you notice the first PUP symptoms, so you can avoid further damage and infiltration of more dangerous cyber threats. Potentially unwanted programs have intrusive functions, frustrating features, but cannot damage the machine in a permanent way or leave the system corrupted and infected as more dangerous silent malware can. 
StartFenster virus is one of many PUPs that can end up on your device when you browse insecure sites online or rely on services like torrent networks. The browser hijacker itself can directly install shady applications like:
- toolbars;
- browser extensions;
- addons or plugins;
- bookmarks;
- system tools.
In most cases, StartFenster virus itself is not easily detectable, so additional infiltrations and silent intruders can be found as malicious and potentially harmless to indicate that PUP is luring on your computer. Unfortunately, browser hijackers' symptoms don't end with browser interference. PUP appends files in Cookies, settings folders and can create new folders for the downloaded software like fake VLC player or FlashPlayer updates.
Another issue that should encourage you to remove StartFenster virus is the interference with essential files on the system. Some registry entries can get modified to make sure this hijacker is persistent and runs in more than one browser, gets launched after every reboot. You should run the system optimizer on the machine to repair those files without affecting anything else. You might achieve that with FortectIntego.
As for the initial StartFenster.de removal, you need to rely on professional anti-malware tools, AV engines based on file-based detection and run a full check on the system. This way you can see all the potential threats and remove them automatically. Also, go to the end of this article to find a manual guide for PUP[2] removal and browser resetting. 
Pre-bundled shady applications spread on devices quick
Such infections that are based on affecting the web browsing tools are spreading around with the help of shady techniques involving other freeware installations. Third-party applications get bundled with freeware and when the user skips through installations steps shady program enters the system automatically because you agree to all the packed programs on the installation setup by choosing Recommended or Quick.
Browser hijackers sometimes also get installed by other PUPs automatically and start affecting the browsing activities as an additional function, so you need to check the machine fully to find all the shady programs. The best way to avoid such infections would be staying away from deceptive pages, torrent sites and choosing Advanced or Custom options every time you download anything from the web.
StartFenster virus needs to be removed using anti-malware tools to end the frustration completely
We cannot offer one solution for the StartFenster virus removal because each browser hijacker, adware or general PUP has particular features that affect each virus elimination and determines the required technique. Since this is a browser hijacker it affects your web browsing tools, so you should reset them to default to change all the settings back to normal.
If you try to get rid of StartFenster.de left changes yourself it may not give the best results because interfering with some settings may affect the performance but PUP remains running in the background still. Also, you need to eliminate all extensions, plugins, and toolbars to end all processes related to browser hijacking.
Also, as we mentioned and many experts[3] note you need to remove StartFenster virus as soon as possible due to data-tracking that ad-supported sites are known for. The more time you give the more affected your time online gets and the more personalized advertising content you receive.
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.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.
Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.
Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.
Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.
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
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.
Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.
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