Search.whitesmoke.com – Remove Search.whitesmoke.com and Whitesmoke Toolbar

Overview

Search.whitesmoke.com is categorized as a browser malware that tempers with the browser setting on a target computer with primarily DLL plug-ins, BHO (Browser Helper Object), Winsock LSP. The attacked browser (which can be Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, Opera) will then redirect users to search.whitesmoke.com or other malicious web sites associated with it accordingly when the attempt to do searching is made. There are many ways for a browser malware’s hijack, from simple modification on default search page to manipulation on system configuration and daemon with virulent payloads. And the latter is applied to search.whitesmoke.com.

The failure to remove and detect search.whitesmoke.com by installed anti-virus programs ascribes to its daemon. By biding its pivotal executable item to a key running item, for example svchost.exe and winlogon.exe, which can either be counterfeit ones made by search.whitesmoke.com virus, the browser malware manages to escape the detection and deletion by installed security utilities.
 

Potential Dangers by Search.whitesmoke.com

The successful settlement of search.whitesmoke.com increases the probability of the onset by other vicious items. The browser malware is made to firstly learn the rogue/ valueless URLs automatically generated by a self-regulating program and matched thereafter to the mostly used queries. In other word, the search results by search.whitesmoke.com virus are primarily spam/spoofing sites promoted virus appearing to be computer-friendly programs.

What’s worse, configurations in the kernel part of a target machine are modified by infectious items generated by search.whitesmoke.com, which at the same time the reason why traditional removal method is not sufficient to remove search.whitesmoke.com, accelerate the formation of a backdoor that can be readily exploited by various types infections concealed in the network.

Take both facts into consideration, a significant loss in overall PC performance can be anticipated as more junks, vicious items including its affiliate whitesmoke toolbar, infections are mounted on a computer with limited resource. Immediacy is always in need to remove search.whitesmoke.com virus, thus an efficacious solution is required to prevent the browser malware from causing more troubles when time allows. Follow the below manual way to remove search.whitesmoke.com quickly and permanently. Use extra prudence and circumspection when going through the instruction for some rectifications are necessary to be made in the kernel part of infected computer. Panic can be ignored since experts from VilmaTech Online Support are always ready to help solve computer issues.

 

Explicit User Guide to Remove Search.whitesmoke.com and Whitesmoke Toolbar

Step one – remove search.whitesmoke.com’s startup item since the browser malware manipulates the setting there.

Windows 8

• Hold and press Ctrl+Alt+Del key combination to select “Task manager” with arrow key.
• Hit Enter key to bring up Task Manger window.
• Search and select search.whitesmoke.com’s startup items and click ‘Disable’.

 

Windows 7/Vista/XP

• Initiate ‘Run’ box from Start Menu and type ‘MSCONFIG’.
• Hit Enter key to tick the box next to items generated by search.whitesmoke.com and click ‘Disable all’.

 

Step two – remove search.whitesmoke.com from IE, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera and Safari.

Internet Explorer

• Hit on Tools option and click on Internet option at the bottom of the drop down list.
• Navigate to General tab to complete the following actions in order:

a. Empty out browse history.

b. Remove search.whitesmoke.com from ‘Manage Add-on’ window under Search’ section.

c. Remove search.whitesmoke.com and whitesmoke toolbar from ‘Toolbars and Extensions’.

d. Remove any indication of search.whitesmoke.com and whitesmoke toolbar from ‘Search Providers.

 

Mozilla Firefox

• Click on Tools menu/Firefox icon on the left top of the browser to access “Manage Add-ons” option.
• Remove search.whitesmoke.com virus and whitesmoke toolbar from Extensions section.
• Remove search.whitesmoke.com virus from Plugins section.

 

 

Google Chrome

• Click once on ‘Customize and control’ Google Chrome icon to access ‘Settings’ window.
• Locate “Search” section on the right pane and remove search.whitesmoke.com virus from “Manage search engines” section.
• Hit ‘Extension’ on the left pane to remove search.whitesmoke.com virus and whitesmoke toolbar there.

 

 

Opera

• Stay on the Opera browser window.
• Press and hold Alt+P key at once to bring up “setting” window in a new tab to modify.
• Locate “Search” section and remove search.whitesmoke.com virus from “manage search engine” option.
• Browse to Privacy and Safety on the left pane to locate “Cookie” which is on the right pane.
• Click on “all cookies and website data” button there to remove all cookies as recommended.

 

Safari

• Click once on ‘Safari’ menu next to the Apple icon and choose ‘Reset Safari’ with single click.
• Tick all given options on the pop-up window and press ‘Reset’ to confirm the change.
• Search.whitesmoke.com virus as well as whitesmoke toolbar if any will be gone for good.

 

 

Step three – remove all suspicious files generated by search.whitesmoke.com virus under C: Windows and System32 for a thorough removal.

• Delete all executable files identical to systematic ones, such as svchost.exe and winlogon.exe in sub-directories under C: Windows.
• Remove temp folders under System32.

 

Step four – remove search.whitesmoke.com virus and whitesmoke toolbar by modifying key values in registry editor.

Internet Explorer

• remove indications of search.whitesmoke.com and whitesmoke toolbar from Explorer Bars, Extensions respectively under

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Microsoft\Internet Explorer\

 

For Google Chrome users

• remove indications of search.whitesmoke.com and whitesmoke toolbar from Clients, ClientState and ClientStateMedium respectively under

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Google

• remove indications of search.whitesmoke.com and whitesmoke toolbar from ClientState under

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Update

• remove indications of search.whitesmoke.com and whitesmoke toolbar from Common under

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\

 

For Mozilla Firefox users

• remove indications of search.whitesmoke.com and whitesmoke toolbar from Extensions under

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Microsoft\Mozilla\ Firefox

• remove indications of search.whitesmoke.com and whitesmoke toolbar from

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Microsoft\MozillaPlugins

• remove indications of search.whitesmoke.com and whitesmoke toolbar from

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MozillaPlugins

 

For Opera users

• remove indications of search.whitesmoke.com and whitesmoke toolbar from

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Opera Software

 

Attention:

Failure might be led if there’s leftover or another infection residing at a target computer. Inspection on a compromised system is required for eradication of any potential virulent item so that search.whitesmoke.com will not come back simply due to accidental initiate of a covert but malicious item. To remove search.whitesmoke.com permanently, good PC practice should be always observed even after the browser malware has been successfully removed. If you still have question or encounter undesirable scene like browser cannot display web pages properly, feel free to get help from VilmaTech Online Support. An appropriate solution to concrete situation will be given away to help regain a completely clean computer.

Published & last updated on November 28, 2013 by Erik V. Miller