Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 Virus

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Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1

Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 is a piece of software that is used for promoting various websites and pay-per-click ads in your web browser. Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 publishes sponsored pages and links that redirect to specific web locations during your web browsing sessions.

Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 Virus

The users who have Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 or Grand Explorer in their system would normally notice that the moment they open their default web browser, (be it Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or another one) their screen will start getting filled with various pop-up advertisements, banners and promotional messages. They may also detect changes in the search engine and the homepage, as well as some new buttons and toolbars that previously have not been there. These modifications in the appearance and the functionality of the web browser can definitely be concerning but the good news is that the program that is causing them is not malware that would damage your PC or files. Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 may initially seem like a dangerous virus and may even be mistaken for one by many web users, but, in reality, this is a browser hijacker that is not too troubling. Yet, there are a few good reasons why you may want to have it removed.

Grand Explorer 2.4.5.0

The main purpose of Grand Explorer 2.4.5.0 is to switch the browser’s toolbar, default search engine and the preferred homepage of the user so that it can facilitate the display of paid advertisements, sponsored search results and automatic redirects to pre-defined web locations. The browser’s new homepage, for instance, is likely to be a website popularized by the Grand Explorer 2.4.5.0 developers.

By making this site the default homepage of your browser, you and other users who have the hijacker installed on their computer will automatically be prompted to visit the promoted site every time you start your browser. The hijacker’s new search engine is most likely to be a modified version of an existing search engine that has been set to display predominantly sponsored search results and to include more advertisements in the top of the search results. Fortunately, none of this will be harmful to your machine (at least not directly), but such online advertising approaches will definitely affect how you access the Internet rather negatively.

What are the possible risks of keeping a browser hijacker on your system?

Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 isn’t a dangerous program but still, a lot of security experts advise to uninstall it from your device despite that it lacks the harmful abilities of Trojans, Ransomware, Spyware and other viruses. The explanation is that the commercial messages which may appear on your screen thanks to this software may not always be reliable and trustworthy. Unfortunately, some of the pages promoted by browser hijackers such as Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 may be sketchy and may contain questionable offers and unrealistic deals. Others may trick users into installing unnecessary applications or even viruses and malware like the above-mentioned Ransomware and Trojans. That’s why, for your safety, it is best not to engage with anything that the hijacker displays since you may risk an unpleasant encounter with security hazards. The best solution is to permanently uninstall the app that can mess with the settings in your browser and remove all the changes that it has made without your permission.

 SUMMARY:

NameGrand Explorer 1.0.0.1
Type Adware/Browser Hijacker
Detection Tool

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Remove Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 virus

A quick way that some users have successfully used to remove Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 is to uninstall the hijacker extension from their browser. That’s why before you dig into the detailed removal guide below, we suggest that you give a try to the following instructions:

  1. In the affected browser, select the main menu and then select More Tools/Add-ons.
  2. Click on the Extensions option.
  3. Next, search the extensions page for any Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 -related extensions or add-ons that have been installed in the affected browser without your approval. 
  4. Remove the suspicious-looking ones by clicking on the Remove/Trash Bin button next to them.
  5. Restart the browser to see if there are any disturbing signs or the hijacker problem has been resolved. 

If Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 is still present and is messing with your web surfing experience, then please proceed with the more detailed instructions in the manual Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 removal guide below.


Step1

Attention! A system reboot will be required in order to complete all the removal steps shown below. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you Bookmark this page before restarting the computer, as this will allow you to quickly get back to the instructions and continue with the removal process of Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 . 

Reboot in Safe Mode (click on the active link to get the instructions)

Safe Mode is a very basic state of Windows OS that runs only a limited number of drivers and processes. Rebooting in Safe Mode can make the removal of Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 easier by helping you detect its components faster and preventing the hijacker from running unnecessary background tasks.

Step2

WARNING! READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING!

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After you have rebooted the computer in Safe Mode, your first job is to search the system for dangerous Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 -related processes. This can be done by opening the Windows Task Manager (CTRL + SHIFT + ESC), visiting the Processes Tab (the “Details” Tab on Win 8 and 10), and carefully searching the list of active processes for something suspicious.

Once a given process grabs your attention with its unusual name or resource consumption, simply right-click on it and select the first option from the pop-up menu called Open File Location

malware-start-taskbar

This will open a folder that contains files related to the suspicious process. The best way to check those files for malicious code is to run them through a trusted malware scanning software. If you don’t have such software at hand, our free online virus scanner below can do the job:

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    After the scan completes, based on its results you will know if you have to end the process whose files you’ve scanned and delete their folders or not.

    Note: If you are unsure about the legitimacy of a particular process, it is best to gather some information about it online and run it through a scanner. Do not stop processes that you aren’t completely sure about because if they are legitimate and not related to the threat, this may lead to major system and apps instability and performance issues.

    Step3

    Your next job after locating and stopping the hijacker-related processes from the Task Manager is to check the list of installed apps on your computer for bogus software that might have introduced Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 into the system. 

    For that, you need to press together the Windows (the one with Windows logo on it) and R keyboard keys. This will open a Run dialog box where you need to type appwiz.cpl and click OK.

    appwiz

    Once you do this, you should see a list of all applications that are presently installed on your computer. Search that list for questionable or potentially unwanted apps that you believe could be related to the installation of Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 and uninstall them. In many cases, the hijacker may come in a bundle with some recently installed third-party apps or software distributed by unknown or non-reputed developers.

    The next thing is to type msconfig in the Windows search field and hit enter. This will automatically open the System Configuration window. Select the Startup tab and, just as you did above, search the list of Startup Items for suspicious entries that could be related to Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 . If you notice something that shouldn’t be on the list, remove the related checkmark from its checkbox. Once you are done click on OK to save the changes.

    msconfig_opt

    Step4

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    Another location where you need to check for changes imposed by Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 is the Hosts file of your computer.  You can easily reach that file if you press the Windows and R keys together and copy-paste the line below in the Run window that will show up, followed by a click on the OK button:

    notepad %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/hosts

    In the Hosts file, scroll to Localhost and check if some strange IPs have been added under it. The example image below explains what you should be looking for: 

    hosts_opt (1)

    If you see nothing suspicious in your file, then move on. However, if you detect questionable-looking IP addresses there, write us a comment with a copy of these IPs in the comments section below. A member of our team will take a look at them and will tell you what to do if there is a danger.

    Next, it is important to revoke any possible DNS changes that Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 might have imposed. For that, navigate to your Network Connections (type it in the windows search field and open the result) and do the following:

    1. Find your currently used Network Adapter and right-click it.
    2. Select Properties.
    3. Next, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (ICP/IP) from the list and click on the Properties button at the bottom.
    4. Select Obtain DNS server automatically
    5. After that, click on the Advanced button.
    6. In the new window, select the DNS tab and remove everything in the DNS server addresses field.
    7. Once you are done with that, click OK.
    DNS

    Step5

    Now, it is time to eliminate any traces of Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 from your browsers.  For best results, we recommend that you clear not only the browser that has been hijacked, but also all your other browsers since there might be potential changes or added browser hijacker components in them that you might not know of.

    Attention! The next instructions should be applied for all browsers that you need to clean from Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 :

    • Right-click on the shortcut icon of the problematic browser and select Properties. (We are using Google Chrome for demonstration, but you can do that to any browser).
    browser-hijacker-taskbar-properties

    • In Properties tap on the Shortcut tab.
    • Next, find where it writes Target and remove everything that might have been added after .exe.
    • Finally, click on the OK button to confirm your changes. 
    Browser Hijacker Removal Instructions

    ie9-10_512x512  Remove Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1  from Internet Explorer:

    • In Internet Explorer, go to the top right corner of the window and click o  IE GEAR
    • Select Manage Add-ons from the sliding menu.
    pic 3

    • Disable any add-ons that might be operated by Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 , as well as any other unfamiliar or potentially unwanted add-ons.
    • Go to IE GEAR , select Internet Options and if the homepage that you see there is not the one that you prefer, change the URL to a homepage that you know and trust. Apply the changes by clicking on the respective button.

    firefox-512 Remove Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1  from Firefox:

    • Start Firefoxclick  mozilla menu  top right and go to Add-ons —> Extensions.
    • Remove any questionable extensions from the list and leave only the extensions that you trust and use.
    pic 6

    chrome-logo-transparent-backgroundRemove Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1  from Chrome:

    • Close Google Chrome and go here C:/Users/!!!!USER NAME!!!!/AppData/Local/Google/Chrome/User Data. 
    • Search for a Folder called “Default” and right-click on it.
    Rename the Folder to Backup Default

    • Select Rename and change the name to Backup Default.
    • Do a Chrome restart after that. 
    Step6

    In the last step, you need to carefully search for and delete any entries that Grand Explorer 1.0.0.1 might have added to the Registry. For that, type Regedit in the windows search field, press Enter and open the Registry Editor.

    When the Registry Editor window opens, press CTRL and F together and type the Name of the browser hijacker in the Find dialog box. Click on Find Next to perform a search in the Registry and delete any entries with that name or a similar one.

    When no more results are found with the Find function, go manually to each of the directories below and delete/uninstall anything suspicious that you find in 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

    If you find it too hard to decide what needs to be deleted from the Registry, don’t risk removing something that might be related to your system or your other legitimate apps. Better ask us in the comments, or use a professional removal tool, like the one that you can find on this page to scan your computer and eliminate any traces of the hijacker that might have been left out. 

    If you are looking to remove it from a mobile device:
    You can find the removal guide here.

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    About the author

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    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.

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