USB Keeps Connecting and Disconnecting

FindYourMaps is a Google Chrome Browser Extension developed by Mindspark. This extension hijacks your home page and new tab page changing them to MyWebSearch.com in order to display ads more efficiently.

While using this extension you will see additional pop-up ads, sponsored content, and unwanted ads (that are sometimes not ever relative to your search query) displayed throughout your browsing sessions, cluttering up the pages and sometimes even going over page parts, making some pages unreadable.

Several anti-virus applications have marked this Extension as a Browser Hijacker due to its data mining behaviors and ad injections and were marked for removal by most of them.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking is a very common type of internet fraud where your web browser configurations are modified to allow it to do things you never intend. Practically most browser hijackers are made for advertising or marketing purposes. These are typically used to force visitors to a specific website, manipulating web traffic to generate ad revenue. However, it is not that innocent. Your web safety is jeopardized and it is extremely annoying. What’s more, hijackers will make the whole infected system fragile – other harmful malware and viruses would use these opportunities to get into your system very easily.

Indications of browser hijack

There are many symptoms that indicate the browser is highjacked: your home page is reset to some unknown site; you observe new unwanted favorites or bookmarks added, typically directed to ad-filled or porn websites; The default search page of your web browser is modified; you see many toolbars on the browser; you observe numerous ads show up on the browsers or display screen; your browser has instability issues or displays frequent errors; you cannot go to specific sites such as home pages of security software.

How it infects your computer

A browser hijacker could be installed on your PC when you check out an infected website, click an e-mail attachment, or download something from a file-sharing website. They also come from add-on programs, also known as browser helper objects (BHO), web browser plug-ins, or toolbars. A browser hijacker could also come bundled up with some free application which you inadvertently download and install the browser hijack, compromising your PC security. Browser hijackers can record user keystrokes to gather potentially invaluable information leading to privacy concerns, cause instability on computers, drastically disrupt user’s browsing experience, and ultimately slow down the system to a point where it will become unusable.

How to fix a browser hijack

The one thing you can try to remove a browser hijacker is to locate the malware inside the “Add or Remove Programs” list of the Windows Control Panel. It may or may not be there. When it is, uninstall it. But, many hijacking codes aren’t very easy to remove manually, as they go much deeper into your operating system. On top of that, manual removal demands you to carry out several time-consuming and tricky procedures that are very hard to carry out for novice computer users. Anti-malware application is incredibly efficient when it comes to picking up and eliminating browser hijackers that standard anti-virus software has overlooked. Safebytes Anti-Malware features a state-of-the-art anti-malware engine to help you avoid browser hijacking in the first place, and clean up any pre-existing problems. Along with the anti-virus tool, a system optimizer, like SafeBytes’s Total System Care, could help you in deleting all associated files and modifications in the computer registry automatically.

What you can do if Virus Stops You From Downloading Or Installing Anything?

Viruses may cause a great deal of damage to your computer. Certain malware goes to great lengths to stop you from downloading or installing anything on your computer system, particularly antivirus programs. If you’re reading this now, you have probably realized that a malware infection is a reason behind your blocked net connectivity. So how to proceed when you want to download and install an anti-virus application such as Safebytes? Do as instructed below to get rid of the malware by alternate methods.

Start Windows in Safe Mode

If any virus is set to load automatically when Windows starts, stepping into Safe Mode could very well block this attempt. Since only the minimum applications and services start-up in Safe Mode, there are seldom any reasons for conflicts to occur. Below are the steps you have to follow to remove malware in Safemode. 1) At power-on/startup, press the F8 key in one-second intervals. This should bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 2) Use the arrow keys to choose Safe Mode with Networking and hit ENTER. 3) When this mode loads, you should have an internet connection. Now, utilize your browser to download and install Safebytes. 4) As soon as the application is installed, allow the scan run to remove trojans and other threats automatically.

Obtain the anti-malware program in an alternate internet browser

Some malware might target vulnerabilities of a specific browser that obstruct the downloading process. If you are not able to download the security program using Internet Explorer, this means malware is targeting IE’s vulnerabilities. Here, you must switch to another internet browser like Chrome or Firefox to download the Safebytes application.

Run anti-virus from your pen drive

Another option would be to create a portable antivirus program onto your USB stick. Adopt these measures to employ a flash drive to fix your infected computer system. 1) Download the anti-malware program on a virus-free computer. 2) Plug the Flash drive into the uninfected computer. 3) Double-click the Setup icon of the anti-malware software to run the Installation Wizard. 4) Choose the USB flash drive as the location for saving the file. Follow the directions to finish the installation process. 5) Now, plug the thumb drive into the infected computer. 6) Double-click the Safebytes Anti-malware icon on the pen drive to run the program. 7) Click on “Scan Now” to run a complete scan on the affected computer for viruses.

Highlights of SafeBytes Anti-Malware

These days, an anti-malware program can protect your laptop or computer from different forms of online threats. But how do choose the right one amongst several malware protection software that’s available out there? Perhaps you might be aware, there are numerous anti-malware companies and tools for you to consider. A few of them are great and some are scamware applications that pretend as legitimate anti-malware programs waiting around to wreak havoc on your personal computer. You have to be careful not to pick the wrong application, particularly if you purchase a paid software. One of the highly recommended software by industry experts is SafeBytes Anti-Malware, well-known security software for Windows computers. Safebytes is among the well-established PC solutions firms, which offer this comprehensive anti-malware program. Through its cutting-edge technology, this software will help you protect your computer against infections caused by different types of malware and similar internet threats, including spyware, adware, trojans, worms, computer viruses, keyloggers, potentially unwanted program (PUPs), and ransomware.

SafeBytes has great features when compared with various other anti-malware programs. These are some of the great features included in the tool.

Real-time Threat Response: SafeBytes delivers complete and real-time security for your PC. They are extremely efficient in screening and getting rid of different threats because they are continuously revised with the latest updates and safety measures. World-class AntiMalware Protection: By using a critically acclaimed anti-malware engine, SafeBytes offers multilayered protection which is made to find and eliminate viruses and malware which are hidden deep in your computer’s operating system. Web Filtering: Safebytes allots all websites a unique safety rating that helps you to have an idea of whether the webpage you’re about to visit is safe to view or known to be a phishing site. Very Low CPU and RAM Usage: SafeBytes is a lightweight tool. It consumes a very small amount of processing power as it runs in the background so you are free to use your Windows-based computer the way you want. 24/7 Assistance: SafeBytes provides 24/7 technical support, automatic maintenance, and upgrades for the best user experience. To sum it up, SafeBytes Anti-Malware offers outstanding protection combined with very low system resource usage with great malware prevention and detection. You can rest assured that your PC will be protected in real-time once you put this software program to use. You will get the very best all-around protection for the money you pay on SafeBytes anti-malware subscription, there is no doubt about it.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you don’t wish to use an automated tool and prefer to eliminate FindYourMaps manually, you could do so by going to the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu in the control panel and deleting the offending software; in cases of web browser add-ons, you can remove it by visiting the browser’s Add-on/Extension manager. It’s also advised to factory reset your web browser settings to their default state. To ensure the complete removal, manually examine your hard drive and Windows registry for all of the following and remove or reset the values as needed. Please be aware that this is for experienced users only and might be challenging, with incorrect file removal causing additional PC errors. Furthermore, some malware is capable of replicating itself or preventing deletion. Completing this task in Safe Mode is recommended.

Error Code 28- What is it?

The error code 28 is a driver error. This is one of the many device manager error codes. When this error occurs on your computer, the following message is displayed:

“The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28)”

Another driver device error message you might encounter is error code 41. 

Error Causes

Error 28 occurs because of unsuccessful device driver installation. This usually happens when you try to update new drive versions on your system. It is advisable to repair this error right away as it can hamper your ability to use certain hardware. For example, if error 28 occurs due to the unsuccessful installation of the USB driver, then it if not fixed and resolved it may prevent you from using hardware devices. Unsuccessful driver installation means you either didn’t install it properly or your computer has registry issues. If it’s the registry then you must fix it without any delay because it can expose your PC to serious threats like system crash and failure. To avoid such inconvenience, repair it.

Further Information and Manual Repair

When it comes to repairing the error code 28, here’s what you can do: Simply go to the control panel and click on the Device Manager option:

• In the details pane with the list of devices, locate the device for which you want to reinstall the driver software.
• Double click on it to open the properties dialog box.
• Now click on the driver tab and then click update driver.

After updating, try using that device again if it doesn’t work and shows the error code 28 on your computer screen then this means the underlying cause is the registry.

A lot of programs in Windows utilize the helper processes to ensure that they can get the job done as early as possible. And one of the programs that use these processes is Microsoft Edge. This built-in browser uses a process called the Edge Content process. The moment you start your computer, these system processes are loaded which makes the Edge browser load faster. To be specific, these are the three processes that are related to Microsoft Edge:

• MicrosoftEdge.exe
• MicrosoftEdgeCP.exe
• MicrosoftEdgeSH.exe

The process that ends with the “CP.exe” is the content process in Edge. However, when this process stopped working, this can affect the Edge browser. In such cases, when you check the Reliability Monitor, you will see that the state of the “Microsoft Edge Content Process” is “Stopped working” which keeps on appearing. To resolve this issue, you can try to clear the browsing data of Microsoft Edge or repair or reset it. You can also try re-registering Edge via Windows PowerShell as well as check your security programs that might be causing interference with the process.

Option 1 – Clear the browsing data of Microsoft Edge

• Open Microsoft Edge.
• Then click on the three horizontal dots to open the menu.
• From there, click on Settings. And under Settings, click the “Choose what to clear” button under the Clear browsing data section.
• Next, check all the checkboxes and then click the Clear button to clear the browsing data in the Edge browser.
• Restart Edge.

Option 2 – Try to reset, repair or reinstall Edge via Settings

You can reset, repair or reinstall the Edge browser through Settings. If none of it helped, you can try the following:

• Open File Explorer and then go to this path – C:/Users/YourUsername/AppData/Local/Packages

Note: Before you type in the path in the Address bar, make sure that you put your user account name in place with the “YourUsername”.

• Tap Enter to proceed.
• Next, look for the folder named “MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe” then right-click on it.
• Click on Properties and uncheck the option “Read-only” under the General tab in the Properties window.
• Click on Apply and then OK to save the changes made.
• After that, look for the MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe folder again and delete it. And if a prompt stating “Folder Access Denied” appears on your screen, just click on the Continue button to proceed – doing so will delete most of the content inside the folder except for the folder named “AC”.
• Restart your computer

Option 3 – Re-register Edge via Windows PowerShell

• In the Start Menu, search “Windows PowerShell”.
• Right-click on Windows PowerShell from the search results and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• Type in this command in the PowerShell windows and tap Enter – Cd C:/Users/YourUsername
• After that, type in this command and tap Enter – Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml" -Verbose}
• Restart your PC.

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose}

Option 4 – Try to check your security program

It is possible that a security program installed in your computer is the one that’s causing the problem which is why you have to check it. According to security experts, there are some security programs that could be detecting the Edge’s content process as suspicious, blocking or terminating it as a result. Thus, you need to modify your security program’s settings to fix the problem.

As you know, the Windows Firewall is designed not just to protect your computer from viruses and malware, and other security threats but it’s also designed to block any program from accessing the internet. Users are given the option to block both inbound and outbound traffic for any apps on their computers. However, this kind of option can often lead to not being able to access the internet. In such cases, when you try to run the Windows Firewall Troubleshooter or the Windows Network Diagnostic troubleshooter, it will throw an error message that says, “Windows Firewall is preventing connections to your computer. The Windows Firewall rule HSS DNS Leak Rule may be blocking your connection”. If you are in this kind of scenario, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how exactly you can fix this error. When you encounter this kind of error, there are several options you can check out to fix it. You can try to allow an app or feature through the Windows Firewall or uncheck the HSS DNS leak rule in both private and public. For more details, refer to the suggestions provided below.

Option 1 – Try to allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall

The first thing you can do to get rid of the error is to allow a feature or app through the Windows Firewall. To do this, follow these steps:

• Open the Windows Defender Security Center.
• From there, select the Firewall and Network Protection option.
• Next, click on the “Allow an app through firewall” option and then click on the “Change Settings” button and make sure that you have administrative privileges.
• After that, select the app or feature you want to allow through the Firewall from the menu. You also have the option to manually add the app by using the “Add an App” option.
• Then select the between the type of network an app can access such as:
  • Private Network will allow the app to connect to the internet only at home or work.
  • Public Network will allow the app to connect to the internet from anywhere, including Public WiFi hotspots.

• Once done, restart your computer and see if it fixed the error or not.

Option 2 – Try to uncheck the HSS DNS leak rule in both private and public

The next thing you can do to fix the error is to uncheck the HSS DNS leak rule in both private and public. You can do this by following these steps:

• Open the Windows Defender Security Center.
• From there, select the Firewall and Network Protection option.
• After that, click on the “Allow an app through firewall” option and then click on the “Change Settings” button and make sure that you have administrative privileges.
• Next, scroll down until you see the HSS DNS leak rule in both private and public option and then uncheck it.
• Now restart your computer and check if the error is now gone.

In the past, CDs, DVDs, and floppy drivers used to be the primary sources of external storage for many users – that is until the USB storage devices took over. These days, a lot of devices no longer have a built-in CD or DVD writer or reader as it contributes to the thickness of the device. On the other hand, there are still various devices that still come with a built-in CD or DVD writer or reader. However, recently, users who still use CD or DVD on their devices reported a problem where the CD or DVD icon is not visible in the File Explorer as well as in “This PC” or the My Computer page. The cause of this issue is still unknown at the time of writing, but there are still some potential fixes you can try to fix it. You can try to update or roll back the device drivers or apply some tweaks in the Registry Editor. For more details, refer to the given options below.

Option 1 – Try to update or rollback device drivers

The first thing you can try to fix the missing CD or DVD icon is to either update or roll back the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh. On the other hand, if you have just updated your device drivers then you need to roll back the drivers to their previous versions. Whichever applies to you, refer to the steps below.

• Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
• Then locate the device drivers and right-click on them to open the Properties. Note that the concerned drivers will be listed under the DVD/CD-ROM drives section as well as the IDE/ATAPI Controllers section.
• From there, look for the following drivers:
  • ATA Channel 0.
  • ATA Channel 1.
  • Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller.
• Now, right-click on each one of the listed drivers and update them all. You could also try to roll them back to their previous versions.

Note: You can also directly download the relevant drivers of your computer from the manufacturers’ website. So if you have an SSD, the issue might be due to an old storage driver.

Option 2 – Try to use the Registry Editor

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “Regedit” in the field and then tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlClass{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
• After that, look for the DWORD values named “UpperFilters” and “LowerFilters”.
• Right-click on each one of these DWORD values and select Delete.
• Now restart your computer and see if it fixes the problem.

Option 3 – Try creating a new Registry entry

There is another option you can try in the Windows Registry to fix the missing icon of the CD/DVD. You can try adding a new entry. How? Refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win ­+ R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• After that, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesatapi
• From there, right-click on “ATAPI” and select New > Key.
• After that, name it is “Controller0” and right-click on the sub-key and then select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
• Now name it as “EnumDevice1” and double click on it and then set its value data to “1”.
• Click OK and restart your computer to apply the changes made successfully.

The new razer modular table looks like something that came out from Star Trek. Project Sophia is a desk but, it is a special kind of desk. It comes with modules that attach themselves underneath the table itself for customization purposes so each user can somewhat create a layout on the table itself as he or she desires. The table itself comes packed with intel CPU and Nvidia GPU but it is said that this component and PC parts will overall be easily upgraded to different ones as users desires. The table itself looks very basic and it comes with a very large OLED screen between two different sizes depending on your table choice. You can choose between 65” or 77” screen sizes and OLED is mounted on the table itself so you cannot move it or adjust the angle of it that I somewhat find annoying but that comes from th4e fact I am used to adjusting my screens, but for this large screen maybe you do not need to adjust its rotation in order to get best viewing angle. Modules themselves will offer some on-the-fly information and quick settings for the PC itself while being modular in a sense they could be mounted in different positions on the table itself providing some customization and order to suit users needs. Modules, for now, are: THX Spatial Surround Sound Controls, system monitoring, programmable hotkey module, Thunderbolt™ Powered eGPU, RAID Controller, Network Performance Module, 15W Wireless Charger, Thunderbolt™ 4 Hub, Media Controls. Of course table, itself will have Razer chroma RGB on its surface and Razer says it will have a total of 13 different modules available on launch for a true level of personalization.

Conclusion

Is this Razer table something that you really need or just another expensive toy? Personally, I would not mind this table at all but I would choose modules for work, not gaming. Having some things like media controls or RAID controllers all the time at your fingertips is a great time saver and productivity asset. Razer also advertises some modules and setup already for streamers, creators, or team members and has some according modules like touch screen digitizer with stylus and similar.

As you know, System Restore is a useful tool in Windows operating system that helps users in fixing system issues by undoing any recent changes to the computer that may have caused the problem. However, there are times when you might encounter some issues when running this tool and one of these issues is when System Restore suddenly gets stuck or hangs up on initializing the restoration of the Registry in Windows 10. If you encounter a similar problem, read on as this post will guide you on what you can do in such cases. There are several things you can do when you face this kind of problem in System Restore. First, you can try to wait it out, give it more time to load, which should not take longer than 5 minutes. And if it’s still stuck after that time, give it another hour. However, if nothing changed after an hour, then you need to troubleshoot the problem further. Keep in mind that you must not interrupt System Restore by shutting it down abruptly, it could result in an unbootable system. To get started in troubleshooting the problem, you need to follow each one of the suggestions offered below.

Option 1 – Try to use the Windows Recovery Environment

The first troubleshooting option you need to try is to simply tap the power button for about 10 seconds. This is what you have to do when you have to interrupt System Restore or reset your Windows 10 computer. Tapping the power button for 10 seconds will perform a hard shutdown and once your computer shuts down, restart your computer again and follow the steps below but before you do that, make sure that you have a Windows bootable USB or DVD.

• First, insert the bootable USB or DVD and boot into it, and select the “Repair your computer” option.
• Next, once you see the manufacturer logo on your computer, tap the key to enter into Windows Recovery Environment.
• After that, change the Boot sequence to DVD drive under the UEFI Firmware settings and restart your computer.
• Once your computer has restarted, select the boot order and make changes accordingly as displayed in the BIOS.

Option 2 – Try to run the Automatic Repair Utility

You might also want to use Automatic Repair in fixing the error. To do so, follow the steps below.

• You can start by creating and booting from a bootable Windows 10 USB Stick.
• After that, click on Repair your computer located on the bottom left corner when you are on the initial Windows Startup screen.
• Next, click on Troubleshoot, and then on the other screen, click the Startup Repair option.
• Now select the operating system you want to repair. Once you do that, it will start to repair your operating system. Wait until the process is completed and then check if the problem’s now fixed.

Option 3 – Try to run System Restore in Safe Mode

If you can’t boot into your Windows 10 computer, you can try to run System Restore again in the Advanced Startup Options.

• Boot your computer into Safe Mode.
• After that, select an option > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart.
• Once your computer has restarted, tap the F6 key to enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt and to run System Restore from there.
• Now in Command Prompt, type the “rstrui.exe” command to run System Restore in Safe Mode. This will help in fixing the problem since it would be safer to perform System Restore of the computer.

If you encountered an error message saying, “We couldn’t find any drives, To get a storage driver, click Load driver” when you try to install Windows in a VirtualBox machine, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you in fixing this error. This error message is displayed on the screen where you have to choose a partition to install the guest operating system. This error is most likely due to the lack of correct settings as well as a corrupted virtual disk. To fix this error, you have to remove existing storage devices, create a new storage device and select the correct ISO file.

For complete instructions, follow the given steps below.

Step_1: The first thing you have to do is remove all the existing Storage devices and since this option is already available in VirtualBox by default, there is no need for you to install any third-party software. Step_2: After that, open VirtualBox and select the virtual machine and then click the Settings button. Step_3: Next, switch to the Storage section and on your right-hand side, you will see “Controller: SATA” and two other sub-labels. From there, select Controller: SATA and then click on the red cross button that says, “Remove selected storage controller”. Step_4: Now click on the Add new storage controller icon and select the “Add SATA Controller” option from the given list. Step_5: Afterwards, click the “Add hard disk” button and select the “Create new disk” option, and then you have to create a new virtual disk for your virtual machine. Step_6: Verify if you have selected Dynamically allocated while you create the virtual hard disk. Once the process is completed, you will get a “.vdi” file in the list. Step_7: Next, click on the “Add optical drive” button and select the “Choose disk” option. Here, you have to select the ISO file and if you can find an ISO file in the given list, select it from there, else, you have to click the Add button and navigate to the folder where the ISO file is located. Step_8: Once you’re done, click the OK button and boot your virtual machine. You should see options instead of the “We couldn’t find any drives, To get a storage driver, click Load driver” error message. If you see the options, you can now create a new partition and start the installation process of the Windows operating system in the VirtualBox machine without any problem.

Error 1512 - What is it?

Error 1512 is a type of runtime error code. This error may hamper your ability to run and load your desired programs on Windows PC. There are increased chances of runtime error 1512 occurring when system files go missing or get corrupt. Symptoms of this error code include:

• Slow PC speed
• Window System freeze

Solution

Error Causes

There are several for the occurrence of runtime error 1512. These include:

• Faulty or outdated drivers
• Poor Program installation
• Damaged Windows Registry
• Viruses tampering the system settings/memory
• Broken or incorrect Registry entries
• Damaged Windows registry

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve this issue you don’t have to hire a professional and spend hundreds of dollars to get it fixed. Here are some of the best and easy do-it-yourself methods to repair error 1512 on your system in a few minutes. These methods are very easy to work around and do not require any kind of technical expertise.

Method 1 - Uninstall and then reinstall the Same Program

Sometimes this runtime error may pop up due to poor program installation. In such an event, it is advisable to uninstall the program and then reinstall it again properly. To do so, go to the start menu, and click on control panel. Now select the program & features option. Here you will find the option Add/Remove Program. Remove the program causing error 1512. Once the program is removed, reinstall it again.

Method 2 - Run an Antivirus Program

Computer viruses are capable of tampering with system settings. Due to this reason you might experience runtime errors like 1512 on your PC. These malicious programs usually enter the system through phishing emails or website downloads. To resolve the issue, you need to run a powerful antivirus program. An antivirus removes all sorts of malicious programs hiding in your PC like malware, spyware, and malware that are responsible for generating runtime errors.

Method 3 - Update the Outdated Drivers on your PC

If the error still persists, then it is suggested to update outdated drivers. Faulty and outdated drivers can also trigger runtime error 1512. To do this, go to the Device Manager. Here use the Driver update wizard to make updates.

Method 4 - Remove the Invalid Registry Entries and Repair the Damaged Registry

The best way to perform both tasks is to download Restoro. It is embedded with a registry cleaner that is quite easy to use. The registry cleaner removes all invalid entries in seconds, cleans the cluttered registry by wiping out all the redundant and unnecessary files. The damaged registry is then repaired and resumes its normal function. Click here to download Restoro and resolve runtime error 1512.

On September 18th, 2017, Cisco’s Talos announced that CCleaner, a popular utility with billions of worldwide users, had been compromised by hackers, and was used to unwittingly distribute hidden malware in its installer. Later in the day, Piriform, the publisher of CCleaner, confirmed the problem.

Undetected by all but 1 major antivirus including CCleaner’s own parent company, this occurred for over a month and impacted over 2.7 million users. Users of CCleaner v5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud v1.07.3191 for 32-bit Windows are affected. These downloads were live on CCleaner’s official site from August 15th to September 12th, 2017. Anyone who downloaded the program during this time could be affected. The company claims that while the hackers set up the backdoor and many users were impacted, that the perpetrators have been arrested and that the malware never successfully performed its full task and compromised user’s PCs or sent out their data; in the wake of recent security breaches such as Equifax, users are understandably worried. Given the severity of the threat of hacking and data theft, users should take action immediately if they have CCleaner.

Technical Details of CCleaner Malware Injection

First reported by Talos, the malware, which was hidden in the CCleaner installer without the publisher noticing (despite them being owned by Avast, a massive Anti-virus company), modified a core program DLL file to evade detection, and creates several registry keys. Not only were these files not flagged by any major Anti-Virus, but they were also even digitally signed by Piriform via their Symantec certificate, meaning your PC and security program would likely whitelist and trust the malicious installer. The malware gathers personal information on a user’s PC, including IP address and running programs, and sends it to a remote server. In our testing, the program sent data to IP 216.126.225.148.

Restore Your PC (If Possible)

As of the publication of this article, there have been no assurances given that updating or even uninstalling CCleaner will remove the malware is installed. The only action thus far has been shutting down the remote server where user data was being sent has been shut down by authorities. For this reason, it is best to remove the underlying malware separately, as its presence represents a serious security threat. Unfortunately, as this could have been installed as far back as August 15th, 2017, your System Restore points may not go back that far, or even if they do, restoring to such an outdated point may cause unintended problems with other programs you use and potentially lost files and data. Manually backing up files and doing a full format or clean Windows installation would likely be successful in fully removing the malware, but is extremely time-consuming and can be difficult for many PC users. Unfortunately, this makes a PC Restore or format an unattainable option for many.

Update CCleaner to the Latest Version

While CCleaner has told users to update to the latest version of the program. Prior to doing so, we recommend fully uninstall CCleaner, ensuring you check its program files folders and registry keys, manually deleting any remnants, and then re-downloading the latest version from the official site and reinstalling clean.