Search.certified-toolbar – Get Rid of Search.certified-toolbar Malware

‘I have been told it is malware. I can't find the toolbar in install/unistall control panel and I cannot reset my homepage as this toolbar has become dominant. i have purchased and tried using spy hunter software but this has not picked up the toolbar. Spybot \and kapersky have not identified it either. Any advicewill be appreciated.’ – quoted from one of its victims.

About Search.certified-toolbar Malware

There is a virus package of search.certified-toolbar.com, it can install its toolbar, web search and homepage to a target browser. What’s worse, it has been found that it has a variant called newtab.certified-toolbar.com which shares the same interface.

When one encounters search.certified-toolbar malware, one would meet up with the troubles listed below:

• Search results are constantly being redirected to some other unrelated and commercial sites.
• New tab are frequently opening up to search.certified-toolbar.com during browsing session.
• Search queries are hijacked by the toolbar of search.certified-toolbar by force.
• More time needs to load a web page.
• Some other popup commercial ads are emerging.
• Computer is running more and more slowly.
• CPU is highly consumed.
• Computer would sometimes freeze.

In fact, such undesirable changes stem from the modifications in kernel part of a target machine. Such modification can impose difficulties in rectifications and thus form vulnerability to place the target computer under the risk of being attacked by other deadly virus and tracking cookies. As a consequence, your information will be transmitted to other spammers as well as public.

How Does One Get Rid of Search.certified-toolbar?

Ⅰ Manually manage browser settings to get rid of search.certified-toolbar malware.

• IE

→ Go to Tools.
→ Select Internet option at the bottom of the drop down list.
→ Select General tab to

1. Clean up browse history.
2. Select ‘Search’ section will bring you to ‘Manage Add-on’ window, then check ‘Toolbars and Extensions’ and ‘Search Providers’ later to find search.certified-toolbar malware.
3. ‘Tabs’ section would bring users to ‘Tabbed Browsing Settings’ , untick ‘Always switch to new tabs when they are created’
4. Press ‘OK’ to confirm the change.

• Google Chrome

→ Click on ‘Customize and control’ Google Chrome icon .
→ Select ‘Settings’.
→ Manage ‘Extension’.
→ Make changes in ‘manage search engine’ .
→ Don’t forget to press on OK button.

• Mozilla Firefox

→ Click on the Firefox’s Tools menu.
→ Manage Add-ons.
→ Modification should be made under Extensions tab and Plug-ins tab respectively.

Ⅱ Disable startup items to get rid of search.certified-toolbar malware.

• Windows 8

→ Start screen.
→ Type 'Task'.
→ Hit Startup tab.
→ Find and select search.certified-toolbar’s startup item.
→ Press Disable to get rid of search.certified-toolbar malware.

• Windows 7/XP/Vista

→ Start Menu.
→ Select ‘Run’.
→ Type ‘MSCONFIG’.
→ Hit Startup tab.
→ Find and select search.certified-toolbar’s startup item.
→ Press Disable all to get rid of search.certified-toolbar malware.

Ⅲ Show hidden files and folders to get rid of search.certified-toolbar thoroughly.

• Windows 8

→ Start Screen.
→ Open My Computer.
→ Open Windows Explorer.
→ Select View tab.
→ Tick ‘File name extensions’ and ‘Hidden items’ options.
→ Double click to open C Disk.
→ Find and delete related items to get rid of search.certified-toolbar under system 32 folder.

• Windows 7/XP/Vista

→ Start menu
→ 0pen ‘Control Panel’
→ Search for ‘Folder Options’
→ Hit View tab
→ Tick ‘Show hidden files and folders and non-tick Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)’
→ Press ‘OK’
→ Double click to open C Disk.
→ Find and delete related items to get rid of search.certified-toolbar under system 32 folder.

If one gets toolbar from search.certified-toolbar malware, one may want to follow the instructions here:

• Windows8

→ Move your mouse over lower right screen
→ Click Search charm
→ Type ‘regedit’/‘regedit.exe’
→ Hit Enter key
→

IE: 
navigate to Explorer Bars, Extensions and Toolbar respectively under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Microsoft\Internet Explorer\ to find and select items related to search.certified-toolbar toolbar > right click on selected item to delete it.

Google Chrome:

1. navigate to Clients, ClientState and ClientStateMedium respectively under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Google to find and select items related to search.certified-toolbar toolbar > right click on selected item to delete it.
2. navigate to ClientState under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Update to find and select items related to search.certified-toolbar toolbar > right click on selected item to delete it.
3. navigate to Common under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\ to find and select items related to search.certified-toolbar toolbar > right click on selected item to delete it.

Mozilla Firefox:

1. navigate to Extensions under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Microsoft\Mozilla\ Firefox to find and select items related to search.certified-toolbar toolbar > right click on selected item to delete it.
2. navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Microsoft\MozillaPlugins to find and select items related to search.certified-toolbar toolbar > right click on selected item to delete it.
3. navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MozillaPlugins to find and select items related to search.certified-toolbar toolbar > right click on selected item to delete it.

• Windows 7/XP/Vista

→ Start menu
→ Launch Search/Run box
→ Type ‘regedit’
→ Hit Enter key
→ Follow the same process as depicted above.

One should note that malware like search.certified-toolbar manages to bring in all its affiliates and its partners. So victims should not be hesitate when getting rid of it, as the longer search.certified-toolbar, the more virus will be met on the computer, and the more difficult to regain a completely clean machine. Should you be computer illiterate, feel free to get one-to-one assistance by consulting online experts here.