Browsing preferences are great features that make it easy for users to define specific online traffic shortcuts, associating certain frequent actions with select websites. Owing to this functionality, it’s a piece of cake to get a favorite search engine, blog, news portal, whatnot to open right away whenever the browser icon is clicked, some search keywords are being looked up via the address bar, or simply a new tab is being triggered. Users are therefore perplexed if changes are made to their custom Internet settings without their awareness. Ideally, this shouldn’t ever happen unless you authorize the modifications, but there exists a whole black hat industry that targets this facet of computer-related activities. The executants of such a routine are generically labeled as “adware”, that is, applications designed to advertise something or impose certain services regardless of the user’s wish. Now, that’s exactly what istartpageing.com is about.
The URL that was mentioned above is a symptom of a compromise rather than an actual problem, but the domain name is usually used by victims to find a fix or seek other types of assistance. It is a website that constantly pops up as long as the corresponding adware is on board the computer. Technically impersonated as a browser plugin or extension, this unwelcome code appropriates the system privileges sufficient to alter the custom values that maintain the normal user-chosen traffic patterns in Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer. Since the homepage gets replaced with istartpageing.com, that’s the site that will be showing up as soon as processes behind any of the above browsers are executed. The same will be encountered if a random query is input into the URL field and each time an error page is returned or a new tab is activated.
Another noteworthy bad trait of the infection under consideration is its trespass tactic implemented to attack PCs. A lot of freeware programs come with so-called installation clients that may also include third-party stuff along with the actual apps that the users think they are installing. What makes matters worse is that the extra objects can be hard-coded into the wizard, with no chance provided for opting out. Overall, Istartpageing spreads over to computers in a rascally manner and eventually takes away the user’s prerogative to set their online preferences. The only treatment an application like that deserves is immediate removal, which is an issue this guide fully covers as well.
Automatic removal of istartpageing.com adware
The benefits of using the automatic security suite to get rid of this infection are obvious: it scans the entire system and detects all potential fragments of the virus, so you are a few mouse clicks away from a complete fix.
- Download and install recommended malware security suite
- Select Start Computer Scan feature and wait until the utility comes up with the scan report. Proceed by clicking on the Fix Threats button, which will trigger a thorough removal process to address all the malware issues compromising your computer and your privacy.
Get rid of istartpageing.com using Windows native uninstall feature
- Select Control Panel entry in the Windows Start menu. Go to Programs and Features (Windows 8), Uninstall a program (Windows Vista / Windows 7) or Add or Remove Programs (Windows XP)
- On the Uninstall or change a program screen, find the entry for Istartpageing or any similar new application that looks suspicious. Select it and click Uninstall/Change
- Be advised this technique works well for the regular applications but might be inefficient for removing malicious programs
Remove Istartpageing adware from web browser
The workflow below is intended to eliminate malicious objects, such as add-ons or plugins, from the browsers that got impacted. Given the persistence-related features of this particular infection, the optimal workaround is to restore the affected browser’s settings to their original state. This will prevent the virus from further interfering with your preferences.
Istartpageing.com removal from Google Chrome
- Click the Chrome menu icon and select Settings
- When the Settings screen opens, find the link that says Show advanced settings and click on it
- Proceed by clicking on the Reset browser settings button
- For you to evade any unintended consequences of the reset, Chrome will display a note about the settings and fragments of browsing data that will be lost. Read the notification and click Reset in case you agree
- Restart Chrome.
Istartpageing.com removal from Mozilla Firefox
- Open Firefox and select Troubleshooting Information on the Help drop-down list
- Locate the sub-section titled Reset Firefox to its default state and click on the Reset Firefox button to proceed
- Restart Firefox.
Istartpageing.com removal from MS Internet Explorer
- Select Internet Options under Tools in IE
- Select the Advanced tab on Internet Options screen and click on the Reset button
- The browser will now display the Reset Internet Explorer Settings dialog. Review the points on what the resetting includes. Activate the option saying Delete personal settings and click on the Reset button as shown on the image
- Restart Internet Explorer
Verify thoroughness of the removal
Having carried out the instructions above, add a finishing touch to the security procedure by running an additional computer scan to check for residual malware activity
