Af.xdock.co Virus

Browser Hijacker
by Lidia Howler
June 9, 2023

Af.xdock.co

This page aims to help you remove the Af.xdock.co Virus. Our removal instructions for the Af.xdock.co Virus work for Firefox, Chrome and Internet Explorer, as well as every version of Windows.

Af.xdock.co may be responsible for the frequent browser crashes
Screenshot of the Af.xdock.co Virus

The browser hijackers are a very common type of potentially undesirable software and most Internet users have probably had a close encounter with such software at least once because the browser hijackers are widely used in the online advertising industry to promote different products, services and websites. One of the newest representatives of this software category, which several of our readers have already complained from, is called Af.xdock.co “Virus” and, in the next lines, we will tell you more about it. Our goal is to explain exactly what a browser hijacker is, how it can be removed and why these applications have the ability to change the settings in your Firefox,Chrome, Edge, Opera or other browsers without your approval. Af.xdock.co “Virus” in particular tends to replace the homepage and/or the default search engine service of the main browser, as well as to spam the screen with hundreds of sponsored page-redirect pop-ups, banners, links and more annoying forms of online advertisement. Furthermore, this hijacker may also be responsible for the frequent browser crashes that you may have been experiencing lately as well as for the sluggishness and the unresponsiveness of the browser which may happen during your regular web browsing sessions.

That’s why below we will provide you with detailed instructions on how to uninstall this application and how to remove all the changes and the ads related to it. To your relief, once you effectively eliminate the browser hijacker from the system, everything will be back to normal and you will be able to use your browser like before. It is unlikely for such software to have any negative consequences on your PC because this is not a virus or a type of malware (such as Ransomware or Trojans) which can damage the OS or mess with your personal data.

SUMMARY:

NameDomaincdn.xyz
Type Browser Hijacker
Detection Tool

Please follow all the steps below in order to remove Af.xdock.co!

How to remove Af.xdock.co

  1. First, click the Start Menu on your Windows PC.
  2. Type Programs and Settings in the Start Menu, click the first item, and find Af.xdock.co in the programs list that would show up.
  3. Select Af.xdock.co from the list and click on Uninstall.
  4. Follow the steps in the removal wizard.

If you have a Mac virus, please use our How to remove Ads on Mac guide.

If you have an Android virus, please use our Android Malware Removal guide.

If you have an iPhone virus, please use our iPhone Virus Removal guide.

What we suggest you do first is, check the list of programs that are presently installed on the infected device and uninstall any rogue software that you find there:

  • From the Start Menu, navigate to Control Panel ->>> Programs and Features ->>> Uninstall a Program.
  • Next, carefully search for unfamiliar programs or programs that have been installed recently and could be related to Af.xdock.co.
  • If you find any of the programs suspicious then uninstall them if they turn out to be linked to Af.xdock.co.
  • If a notification appears on your screen when you try to uninstall a specific questionable program prompting you to just alter it or repair it, make sure you choose NO and complete the steps from the removal wizard.

Remove Af.xdock.co from Chrome

  1. Click on the three dots in the right upper corner
  2. Go to more tools
  3. Now select extensions
  4. Remove the Af.xdock.co extension
  • Once you open Chrome, click on the three-dots icon to open the browser’s menu, go to More Tools/ More Options, and then to Extensions.
  • Again, find the items on that page that could be linked to the malware and/or that might be causing problems in the browser and delete them.
  • Afterwards, go to this folder: Computer > C: > Users > *Your User Account* > App Data > Local > Google > Chrome > User Data. In there, you will find a folder named Default – you should change its name to Backup Default and restart the PC.
  • Note that the App Data folder is normally hidden so you’d have to first make the hidden files and folders on your PC visible before you can access it.

How to get rid of Af.xdock.co on FF/Edge/etc.

  1. Open the browser and select the menu icon.
  2. From the menu, click on the Add-ons button.
  3. Look for the Af.xdock.co extension
  4. Get rid of Af.xdock.co by removing it from extensions

If using Firefox:

  • Open Firefox
  • Select the three parallel lines menu and go to Add-ons.
  • Find the unwanted add-on and delete it from the browser – if there is more than one unwanted extension, remove all of them.
  • Go to the browser menu again, select Options, and then click on Home from the sidebar to the left.
  • Check the current addresses for the browser’s homepage and new-tab page and change them if they are currently set to address(es) you don’t know or trust.

If using MS Edge/IE:

  • Start Edge
  • Select the browser menu and go to Extensions.
  • Find and uninstall any Edge extensions that look undesirable and unwanted.
  • Select Settings from the browser menu and click on Appearance.
  • Check the new-tab page address of the browser and if it has been modified by the malicious program or another unwanted app, change it to an address that you’d want to be the browser’s new-tab page.

How to Delete Af.xdock.co

  1. Open task manager
  2. Look for the Af.xdock.co process
  3. Select it and click on End task
  4. Open the file location to delete Af.xdock.co
  • Access the Task Manager by pressing together the Ctrl + Alt + Del keys and then selecting Task Manager.
  • Open Processes and there try to find a process with the name of the unwanted software. If you find it, select it with the right button of the mouse and click on the Open File Location option.
  • If you don’t see a malicious process in the Task Manager, look for another suspicious process with an unusual name. It is likely that the unwanted process would be using lots of RAM and CPU so pay attention to the number of resources each process is using.
  • Tip: If you think you have singled out the unwanted process but are not sure, it’s always a good idea to search for information about it on the Internet – this should give you a general idea if the process is a legitimate one from a regular program or from your OS or if it is indeed likely linked to the adware.
  • If you find another suspicious process, open its File Location too.
  • Once in the File Location folder for the suspicious process, start testing all of the files that are stored there by dragging them to our free online scanner available below.
  • Each file will be scanned with up to 64 antivirus programs to ensure maximum accuracy
    This scanner is free and will always remain free for our website's users.
    This file is not matched with any known malware in the database. You can either do a full real-time scan of the file or skip it to upload a new file. Doing a full scan with 64 antivirus programs can take up to 3-4 minutes per file.
    Full ScanUpload New File
    Drag and Drop File Here To Scan
    Drag and Drop File Here To Scan
    Loading
    Analyzing 0 s
    Each file will be scanned with up to 64 antivirus programs to ensure maximum accuracy
      This scanner is based on VirusTotal's API. By submitting data to it, you agree to their Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, and to the sharing of your sample submission with the security community. Please do not submit files with personal information if you do not want them to be shared.
    • If the scanner finds malware in any of the files, return to the Processes tab in the Task Manager, select the suspected process, and then select the End Process option to quit it.
    • Go back to the folder where the files of that process are located and delete all of the files that you are allowed to delete. If all files get deleted normally, exit the folder and delete that folder too. If one or more of the files showed an error message when you tried to delete them, leave them for now and return to try to delete them again once you’ve completed the rest of the guide.

    How to Uninstall Af.xdock.co

    1. Click on the home button
    2. Search for Startup Apps
    3. Look for Af.xdock.co in there
    4. Uninstall Af.xdock.co from Startup Apps by turning it off
    • Now you need to carefully search for and uninstall any Af.xdock.co-related entries from the Registry. The easiest way to do this is to open the Registry Editor app (type Regedit in the windows search field and press Enter) and then open a Find dialog (CTRL+F key combination) where you have to type the name of the threat. 
    • Perform a search by clicking on the Find Next button and delete any detected results. Do this as many times as needed until no more results are found. 
    • After that, to ensure that there are no remaining entries lined to Af.xdock.co in the Registry, go manually to the following directories and delete them:
    • HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Random Directory. 
    • HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run/Random
    • HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Internet Explorer/Main/Random

    What is Af.xdock.co?

    The browser hijackers usually serve the interests of the online marketing industry. They display huge amounts of online advertisements (in the form of ads, pop-ups, banners, colorful messages, blinking boxes, etc.) as means of promoting certain goods, services and websites. The replacement of your usual homepage and the introduction of a new search engine are also part of the advertising activity because such tools can redirect your web searches to specific sponsored sites and platforms. The creators of the promoted websites and products as well as the people who are providing the advertising services through applications like Af.xdock.co, Searchmenow.gg or Apps extension are the ones that benefit the most. The first gain more exposure while the second earn income based on how many times the users click on the displayed advertisements. With this in mind, it is not difficult to understand why the developers of browser hijackers try to fill your screen with as many advertisements as possible and trick you into clicking on them. However, we always advise our readers to refrain from interacting with random online ads no matter how harmless they may seem because, sometimes, nasty viruses and malware like Ransomware and Trojans may hide behind them. Therefore, it is better to simply avoid such advertising materials by uninstalling the software that is responsible for their generation.


    About the author

    blank

    Lidia Howler

    Lidia is a web content creator with years of experience in the cyber-security sector. She helps readers with articles on malware removal and online security. Her strive for simplicity and well-researched information provides users with easy-to-follow It-related tips and step-by-step tutorials.

    View all posts

    Leave a Comment