I wrote this article to help you remove Rambler.ru. This Rambler.ru removal guide works for Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer.

The appearance of the Rambler.ru website as your new homepage is the first sign that there is something wrong with your computer. It’s not your web browser’s fault. You have an infection on board. The Rambler.ru browser hijacker changed your homepage and default search engine. It will also bombard you with tons of ads and, eventually, turn your normal web browsing into a nightmare.

The Rambler.ru hijacker did not appear out of nowhere. You installed it. Yes, that’s right. Such infections need the user’s permission to operate. However, hackers have found ways to gain such permissions without the user’s consent. The “bundling” method is commonly used nowadays. Developers would add apps as extras to some freeware or shareware. When installing such free programs, the user will face two types of installation. The custom method is the best choice. Only under it can the user see all extras and deny their installation. If you choose the standard method, all additional programs will be installed without further ado.

Other commonly used distribution methods are: spam emails, torrents, corrupted links or ads. Whatever you do, be cautious. If you receive an email from an unknown sender, check their contacts. For example, if you receive a letter from an organization, visit their website. There, you will find contact details, including their official email address. Compare it with the one you have received a letter from. If they don’t match, delete the letter immediately. When you install programs, opt for the custom/advanced button or tab. Also, you can read the terms and conditions/EULA. If you spot anything out of the ordinary, abort the installation.

The Rambler.ru website is an endless stream of articles. It has an email in-box service, games and so many features, that you may consider leaving it as your homepage. Do not do it! The Rambler.ru hijacker penetrated your system security and changed your browser’s settings. It didn’t ask for your approval, why should you let it stay? The Rambler.ru hijacker itself is not that dangerous. However, it acts as an open door for many online threats. Given enough time, it can cause some irreversible damage to your computer.

On the Rambler.ru website, you will find a search bar. Convenient, isn’t it? Yes, it is convenient for the people behind the hijacker. They can use the search engine to expose you to whatever they decide! It is very simple. Among the search results, they will add some fake entries. These, most of the time, are ads. However, they are not marked as such. You can never be sure which results are organic and which are paid to be there. Doing an online research will be impossible. Furthermore, the hijacker can hide its competitors’ advertisements. You will lose track of the current prices and will become an easy target.

The fake search results are not the only ads you will see. The Rambler.ru hijacker will bombard you with all kinds of coupons, alerts, great deals and discounts. Soon, your screen will be covered with adverts. These are not only annoying, they can be dangerous. The more ads you see, the more RAM is consumed. Your computer will become unresponsive and will start crashing frequently.

Dealing with the Rambler.ru hijacker, you will notice that all displayed ads have something to do with your hobbies, interests or needs. This is not a coincidence. The malicious app is constantly spying on you. It knows which pages you view, your favorite websites and web history. It will use the data to select ads that will appeal to you. This can be dangerous because the utility won’t keep this information for itself. On the contrary, it will send it to its owners. They, too, can use it or sell it. Anyone can buy your data, including hackers. We must mention that your passwords and user names may become a part of that data. Be extremely careful and do not log in to any banking services or social media while this pest remains active on your machine.

The ads you see hide potential danger, too. A malicious ad may redirect you to an infected website. There, a drive-by download will be executed. The term drive-by download is used to describe downloads that start automatically. They don’t need the user’s interaction and are almost completely invisible. For all these reasons, such downloads are commonly used by hackers for malware distribution. Don’t risk your security. Detect and delete the Rambler.ru hijacker immediately.

Rambler.ru Uninstall

Before starting the real removal process, you must reboot in Safe Mode. If you are familiar with this task, skip the instructions below and proceed to Step 2. If you do not know how to do it, here is how to reboot in Safe mode:

For Windows 98, XP, Millenium and 7:
Reboot your computer. When the first screen of information appears, start repeatedly pressing F8 key. Then choose Safe Mode With Networking from the options.

For Windows 8/8.1
Click the Start button, next click Control Panel —> System and Security —> Administrative Tools —> System Configuration.‌

Check the Safe Boot option and click OK. Click Restart when asked.
For Windows 10
Open the Start menu and click or tap on the Power button.

While keeping the Shift key pressed, click or tap on Restart.

Here are the steps you must perform to remove the hijacker from the browser:

Remove From Mozilla Firefox:

Open Firefox, click on top-right corner , click Add-ons, hit Extensions next.

Look for suspicious or unknown extensions, remove them all.

Remove From Chrome:

Open Chrome, click chrome menu icon at the top-right corner —>More Tools —> Extensions. There, identify the malware and select chrome-trash-icon(Remove).

Remove From Internet Explorer:
Open IE, then click IE gear icon on the top-right corner —> Manage Add-ons.

Find the malicious add-on. Remove it by pressing Disable.

Right click on the browser’s shortcut, then click Properties. Remove everything after the .exe” in the Target box.

Open Control Panel by holding the Win Key and R together. Write appwiz.cpl in the field, then click OK.

Here, find any program you had no intention to install and uninstall it.

Run the Task Manager by right clicking on the Taskbar and choosing Start Task Manager.

Look carefully at the file names and descriptions of the running processes. If you find any suspicious one, search on Google for its name, or contact me directly to identify it. If you find a malware process, right-click on it and choose End task.

Open MS Config by holding the Win Key and R together. Type msconfig and hit Enter.

Go in the Startup tab and Uncheck entries that have “Unknown” as Manufacturer.

Still can not remove Rambler.ru from your browser? Please, leave a comment below, describing what steps you performed. I will answer promptly.