How to remove zwiiky.com (Virus Removal Guide)

Zwiiky.com (also searched for as zwiiky.com virus or zwiiky virus) is a website linked to potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) which primarily hijack your internet browser’s existing home page and search engine. In turn this causes affected internet browsers to redirect to http://zwiiky.com and other webpages. The website and programs used to promote it do this in order to generate revenue from advertisements and sponsored search results that are displayed when you visit their site and search the web. An issue with zwiiky.com is that they utilize a variety of techniques such as Group Policy files and programs that monitor when you make changes to your home page or search engine, which makes it very difficult to change these settings back without using specialized instructions or internet security software and tools.

If your internet browser is redirecting to zwiiky.com it may be the least of your problems. The zwiiky.com hijacker typically bundles with other unwanted programs, adware, and even malware. This means that you might experience other issues including a loss in computer functionality, computer crashes, third-party advertisements, and more. Third-party threats may also put your privacy at risk as many of them rely on accessing and collecting user browsing data including all the data on the websites you visit, stuff you search for online, browser bookmarks, and browser history.

Once potential zwiiky.com malware or programs and files that promote the search engine are introduced to a computer internet users will fall victim to continuous browser redirects to Zwiiky.com and other webpages when a new browser window or tab is opened. Internet browsers will also start-up on the webpage.

There are a variety of potentially unwanted programs and random files used to cause browser redirects to Zwiiky.com. This means it may be necessary to uninstall multiple programs and remove multiple browser add-ons and extensions. Programs used to promote the Zwiiky.com website are also known to bundle with malware and malicious files. This is why it is recommended to scan your computer for malware that may be difficult to manually locate.

Zwiiky.com is primarily contracted with freeware and dubious media files. The program can automatically download and change browser settings or be presented as a custom offer which users can accept or decline.

How to remove Zwiiky.com

• Step 1: Uninstall potentially unwanted programs
• Step 2: Remove browser add-on and extensions
• Step 3: Remove Zwiiky.com search engine
• Step 4: Remove Zwiiky.com homepage
• Step 5: Scan your computer for malware
• Step 6: Clean up

Step 1: Uninstall potentially unwanted programs

1. Go to the Control Panel on Windows Start/Task Menu.

2. Click Uninstall a program (or Add and remove a program).

3. A list of programs installed on your computer will appear. Search for suspicious and unwanted programs in the list of installed programs. Once a program you want to remove is located, double click it to begin the uninstall process (or select the program and click Uninstall). If you do not find any programs that match the culprit it is recommended to simply scan your computer for malware using a reputable tool such as Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.

Step 2: Remove browser add-ons and extensions

Google Chrome

1. Click on the Customize icon (3 bar icon) next to the address bar and navigate to More tools > Extensions.

2. Search for and unwanted extension and remove it by clicking the trashcan icon next to it.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Type Ctrl+Shift+A.

2. On the Extensions and Plugin search for an unwanted add-on, select it, and click remove.

Step 3: Remove Zwiiky.com search engine

• In Mozilla Firefox, click the small search magnify glass near the search box (not url/search field) and click “Manage Search Engines…”. Remove Zwiiky.com search engine from the list of search providers by highlighting the selections and clicking remove.

• In Microsoft Internet Explorer navigate to Tools > Manage Add Ons > Search Providers and remove Zwiiky.com search engine from the list.

• In Google Chrome, click the customize icon (wrench or 3 bars) and navigate to Settings > Manage search engines… click the X next to Zwiiky.com  search engine to remove it.

Step 4: Remove Zwiiky.com homepage

• In Mozilla Firefox navigate to Tools > Options or click Firefox in the top left corner and click Options > Options. Under the General tab remove Zwiiky.com from the “Home Page:” field and replace it with your preferred home page URL.

• In Microsoft Internet Explorer navigate to Tools >Internet Options. Remove Zwiiky.com from the Home Page field and replace it with your preferred URL.

• In Google Chrome click the customize icon (wrench or 3 bars) and navigate to Settings.Click “Set pages” under the On startup option. Remove Zwiiky.com and replace it with your preferred homepage URL.

Step 5: Scan your computer for malware

1. Download and Install the free or full version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. The full version enables real-time protection to block malware and unwanted programs from infecting your computer, while the free version is just a free scan and removal tool.

2. Once Malwarebytes is installed, open the Anti-Malware program and click the Scan Now button or visit the “Scan” tab to manually run a scan. Malwarebytes may automatically begin to update and scan your computer at this point.

3. When the malware scan is complete, click the Quarantine All button to isolate and remove the detected files. You may be asked to reboot your computer to completely remove detected files.

Step 6: Clean up and repair settings

1. Download and Install the free or full version of CCleaner by Piriform.

2. Open CCleaner after it is installed and navigate to Cleaner and click the Analyze button. Afterwards, click the Run Cleaner button.

3. Next, navigate to Tools > Startup and search for suspicious entries through each tab starting from Windows, Internet Explorer, etc., all the way to Context Menu and click Disable and Delete once anything you do not recognize is found. This will help you locate and remove unwanted browser attachments and repair other settings.

4. Finally go to the Registry tab and click the Scan for Issues button. When the scan is complete click the Fix selected issues button and click Fix All Selected Issues.