Websearch.calcitapp.info, Another Websearch Hijacker, What Do I Do to Remove It?

get rid of websearch.calcitapp.info

OUTLINE

• The typical behaviors of websearch.calcitapp.info
• List of harms from websearch.calcitapp.info
• Follow thread to help yourself remove websearch.calcitapp.info
• Other related posts

What Does Websearch.calcitapp.info Do?

As its name suggests, websearch.calcitapp.info is a new variant from websearch family and it is clearly categorized as browser hijacker that:

1. replaces homepage, default search engine.
2. brings up random ads without permission.
3. offers search results.
4. resists conventional removal.
5. takes up new tabs.

Nowadays, browser hijacker like websearch.calcitapp.info has been developed into an effective tool in intercepting and directing traffic and it has bee widely adopted in online marketing. Here’s the list of how advertisers/online operators take advantage of browser hijacker like websearch.calcitapp.info:

1. Use the browser hijacker to offer search results so as to gather the information of search preference and online whereabouts for improving the marketing strategy.
2. Pay browser hijacker to display the web sites in higher page rank and get more potential customers.
3. Pay the browser hijacker to download web applications or programs for rapid spread.

Harms from Websearch.calcitapp.info

1. As a freeware, websearch.calcitapp.info has to gain fund for its normal operations from advertisements (PPC/CTR). Relentless ad is just the matter of time to make your background processes regarding browsing busy, resulting in highly consumed CPU and slow page-loading speed.


2. Getting paid by programs to help with propagation is another way that websearch.calcitapp.info gets fund and generates revenue. Additional programs could take up limited resource and thus hinder the full play by critical parts such as security defense and the internal order can be stirred up.


3. The previous 2 points have stated clearly that there’s big chance that websearch.calcitapp.info controlled machine can be attacked by virus. If it is the case, the JS computing technique adopted by websearch.calcitapp.info will be utilized to record the confidential information that victims once imported, which could result in identity theft and even worse, money loss.

How Do I Remove Websearch.calcitapp.info?

Since websearch.calcitapp.info adopted JS computing technique to stick to a machine and it is not technically a virus, running security utilities will not help a bit. Thus manual removal method is highly recommended. Follow the thread to help yourself.

A. Reset browsers.


Internet Explorer: Tools menu > Internet Options > Advanced tab > Restore Defaults button > OK.



Mozilla Firefox:  Firefox button > Help > Troubleshooting information > ‘Reset Firefox’ button.


Google Chrome:‘Customize and Control Google Chrome’ menu > ‘Options’ > ‘Under the Hood’ > ‘Reset to Defaults’ button.

 
Opera: Show hidden files and folders (see Step C) > navigate to "C:\Users\user_name\AppData\Roaming\Opera\Opera\" > remove Operapref.ini.


Safari: Safari menu > ‘Reset Safari’ > tick all given options > ‘Reset’ button.




B. Access Task Manager to remove the items with the path directing to websearch.calcitapp.info.

Windows
Ctrl+Alt+Del/Ctrl+Shift+Esc > access Task Manager > View >　select columns > tick "PID" and "Path name" > go to open up System Information > end the process with path name directing to websearch.calcitapp.info's path or the path that doesn't belong to system.



select Colunms to tick PID and Path Name to find out the services and processes related to
websearch.calcitapp.info

Mac OS X
Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor > click open the suspected processes > "Open ports and files" > end the process with path name directing to websearch.calcitapp.info's path.


search for and open up Activity Monitor on Mac to stop the ads by websearch.calcitapp.info from popping up

C. Show hidden files and folders to remove Temp file and the ones related to websearch.calcitapp.info.





Windows 7/XP/Vista
‘Control Panel’ > 'user accounts and family safety' > 'Folder Options’ > View tab > tick ‘Show hidden files and folders' and non-tick 'Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)’ > ‘OK’.

Windows 8
Start screen > Windows Explorer > View tab > tick ‘File name extensions’ and ‘Hidden items’ options > OK button.

a.when done, remove the given items:

C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Local\Temp\
C:\WINDOWS\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\[user name]\Local Settings\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\[user name]\Local Settings\Temporary Internet File

b. navigate to the following directories and remove the items generated on and after the date when websearch.calcitapp.info was firstly detected:

C:\Windows
%SystemDriver%\
C:\Program Files\
C:\windows\system32\
C:\users\user\appdata\local\
C:\Users\[your username]\Documents\
c:\users\[username]\appdata\locallow\

Mac OS X
Finder > Utilities folder > Terminal > copy and paste "defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles YES" > return key > copy and paste the "killall Finder" > return key.

a. remove temp files and folders:

Finder > Utilities folder > terminal:

1. type

   cd ~/Library/Logs
   sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Logs/*

   and press Return button.


2. type

   rm -rf ~/Library/Safari/Downloads.plist
   cd ~/Library/Caches
   sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/*

   and press Return button.

b. access the following locations to remove the items generated on and after the date when websearch.calcitapp.info was firstly detected:

Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ 
Home folder/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ 
Applications
Dock
Display

D. Modify Hosts file.


Windows
Win+R key combination > type CMD > hit Enter key > type "ping websearch.calcitapp.info" > Enter key > note down the IP address > navigate to C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc > click open Hosts file > paste the IP address to the last line > save file.

ping websearch.calcitapp.info to stop it from hijacking

Mac OS X
Finder launchpad icon > Utilities > Terminal > type "ping websearch.calcitapp.info" > Enter/Return key > note down the IP address > shift+command+g key combination > type “etc” (/private/etc/hosts) > Enter/Return key > click open Hosts file > paste the IP address to the last line > save it to modify host file.

Certain level of computer knowledge and skills is required in following the thread to remove websearch.calcitapp.info since the thread here is to help people in digging out the responsible items according to concrete situations. It should be widely noted that the situation can be different from one another and from OS to OS, brand to brand. Giving the exact items detected on some text of practices might only solve problems for a few rather than the majority.

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