This page is here to help you remove Istartsurf.com. This Istartsurf.com removal guide is suitable for Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer, as well as all Windows versions.
Let’s look at this adware and get some idea of what it is; what it does (and can possibly do) and find out how to make it safe to go into the surf again…
We all know that when surfing, there are things to watch for. There are a great many unhealthy things floating around out there. Not all of them offer such visible threats as a Great White – though they can be just as unpleasant and potentially as dangerous. The adware infection known as istartsurf.com at best falls into the category of a potentially unwanted program (or PUP). This classification is a little polite because as you will discover it can be more than just an extraneous piece of freeware. You should remove istartsurf.com from your system as soon as possible – or it can really spoil your day at the beach. This is a browser add-on program that is ‘bundled’ with desired freeware that you have chosen to download at some point. It is also known – more descriptively – as a redirect virus or browser-hijacker. It attaches itself to your browser and all the associated links, altering the original settings to enable it to direct you to websites of its choice. It started to be reported in 2014 on a wide scale and is a variant of previous redirect infections that diverted browsers to ‘sites such as istart123.com; awesomehp.com; sweet-page.com and webssearches.com. It has been linked to bundles in free downloads like Java; Flash Player; Foxit Reader and VLC (note: the developers of these free programs were in no way connected or responsible for the hijacker add-ons – these were added independently by third parties).
What malicious activity istartsurf.com does?
Advertising on the ‘net has become increasingly more efficient (and lucrative). And more sneaky. With faster speeds and increased browsing and access, commercially it is big money. Advertising firms ‘monetize’ clicks in return for bucks from their clients. As with all advertising, coverage and viewing is everything. When we buy something on-line, there is often the OPTION of receiving associated products that may be desirable or useful to us as consumers – and part of the deal is to allow certain consumer-related details to be used by the company concerned. This process is overt, and done with consent and supposedly within regulatory guidelines… this browser-hijack is a deceptive, covert parody of legitimate (though often irritating) advertising technology. If contracted, delete istartsurf.com immediately – this is what it’s potentially capable of:
- Redirecting your browser to a page that may leave you open to more serious, direct threats like a trojan;
- Logging your browsing history and bookmarks for a third party;
- Discovering your geo-location, I.P address, hardware and software specs and serial numbers;
- Perform key-logging that may compromise ‘phone numbers, passwords, pin and account numbers.
As you can see, this could turn out to be more that just an inconvenience – clear istartsurf.com from your p.c as soon as it shows up.
Istartsurf.com Homepage Hijacker Removal Instructions
Navigation:
1: Enter Safe Mode.
2: Remove Istartsurf.com from Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Edge.
3: Remove malicious attachments to browser shortcuts.
4: Uninstall the malware from your Add/Remove Programs.
5: Permanently delete the virus from Task Manager’s processes.
6: Uninstall the threat from Regedit and Msconfig.
In order to get rid of Istartsurf.com, please refer to the following step-by-step removal instructions for each of your browsers. Please note that you also have to manually restore their desktop shortcuts to their original state.
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.
Istartsurf.com hijacks the homepage of Chrome, Firefox and IE. Please, follow the guide precisely. If you miss some of the steps below, there is a chance that Istartsurf.com will come back at a later moment. Here are the steps you must follow to remove the hijacker from the browser:
Remove Istartsurf.com 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 Istartsurf.com 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 the Hijacker 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.
These steps should have helped trace and destroy istartsurf.com and all it’s components. If there’s still a problem when you open the browser, then an extension has probably been missed in one of the links and the process will need to be repeated until the default for your home page remains unchanged. Here are some important points to remember once the coast is clear again:
- Unless obtained from familiar and trusted ‘sites, always use either Custom or Advanced installation option for unfamiliar software;
- Don’t open attachments in unfamiliar e-mails, however convincing or friendly they may appear;
- Avoid clicking on pop-up links not recognized or requested;
- Install tried and trusted software to regularly monitor your system files and prevent future infection.
With a little patience and care, your surf will be clean and safe again!
Still can not remove Istartsurf.com from your browser? Please, leave a comment below, describing what steps you performed. I will answer promptly.
