Payments4u.org Virus

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*Source of claim SH can remove it.

Payments4u.org

Browser hijackers like Payments4u.org are software pieces designed to generate different types of ads on users’ screens via their browsers. To achieve this, Payments4u.org may reconfigure your browser and impose a series of changes to its interface.

Payments4u.org
The Payments4u.org virus will display pop up ads and notifications

Keeping your browser clean and functional is important both to your regular and effective online activities as well as to the safety of your computer system. After all, if you have all kinds of obscure and sketchy add-ons in your browser that don’t really help and only spam your screen with page redirects and ads, the chances of landing on sites with malware like ransomware cryptoviruses or Trojans on them increases significantly.

In fact, in this article, we will focus on one such app that operates as a part of the main browser on the computer. The name of the software piece in question is Payments4u.org and we would like to tell you more about it so that you know what to do if you have it in your system. This app may set a new search engine, toolbar or homepage to Firefox, Chrome, Opera and other popular browsers. And though the replaced elements are supposed to enhance the user’s browsing experience and online security, they are actually more likely to get in the way of one’s regular browsing rather than do anything helpful.

The reason for this has to do with the actual purpose of Payments4u.org and other apps similar to it like Best Faust Captcha, S.viixie.com. The name give to this sort of software is browser hijackers and the real reason why they typically try to alter some of your browser’s settings is so that they could more effectively advertise different things from within your browser. The object of advertising can be anything – online services, web stores, other software (usually low-quality programs), free Internet games, gambling sites and even inappropriate and/or adult sites.

Needless to say, getting such ads shown on your screen or having your online searches redirected to advertised results by the newly-imposed browser could be all kinds of unpleasant and uncomfortable for you, which is why it’s better to uninstall the invasive app as soon as you get the opportunity.

Speaking of uninstalling Payments4u.org, in case this is something you are interested in, we may have the answer you’ve been looking for. At the bottom of this short write-up, you can find manual instructions that will guide you through the somewhat lengthy process of removing a hijacker app such as Payments4u.org.

The fact that it may sometimes be a bit tricky and time-consuming to remove such an app shouldn’t scare you or make you think that you have some nefarious Trojan horse, ransomware or some other malware program on your hands. That is not what browser hijackers are. Apps like Payments4u.org are mostly legal tools and their unpleasant features are limited to their ad-generation and browser alteration. When it comes to system damage, espionage and other harmful activities, the representatives of the browser hijacker category aren’t something that is capable of this. Regardless, as we pointed out at the start of this post, it is still essential to keep your browser clean and optimized which is why we believe that you don’t exactly need to have a hijacker in it.

SUMMARY:

NamePayments4u.org
TypeBrowser Hijacker
Danger LevelMedium (nowhere near threats like Ransomware, but still a security risk)
Detection Tool

*Source of claim SH can remove it.

Remove Payments4u.org Virus

If you have a Windows virus, continue with the guide below.

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


Step1

Some of the steps will likely require you to exit the page. Bookmark it for later reference.

Reboot in Safe Mode (use this guide if you don’t know how to do it).

Step2

WARNING! READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING!

*Source of claim SH can remove it.

Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC at the same time and go to the Processes Tab (the “Details” Tab on Win 8 and 10). Try to determine which processes are dangerous. 

malware-start-taskbar

Right click on each of them and select Open File Location. Then scan the files with our free online virus scanner:

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    After you open their folder, end the processes that are infected, then delete their folders. 

    Note: If you are sure something is part of the infection – delete it, even if the scanner doesn’t flag it. No anti-virus program can detect all infections. 

    Step3

    Hold together the Start Key and R. Type appwiz.cpl –> OK.

    appwiz

    You are now in the Control Panel. Look for suspicious entries. Uninstall it/them.

    Type msconfig in the search field and hit enter. A window will pop-up:

    msconfig_opt

    Startup —> Uncheck entries that have “Unknown” as Manufacturer or otherwise look suspicious.

    Step4

    *Source of claim SH can remove it.

    Hold the Start Key and R –  copy + paste the following and click OK:

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

    A new file will open. If you are hacked, there will be a bunch of other IPs connected to you at the bottom. Look at the image below:

    hosts_opt (1)

    If there are suspicious IPs below “Localhost” – write to us in the comments.

    Open the start menu and search for Network Connections (On Windows 10 you just write it after clicking the Windows button), press enter.

    1. Right-click on the Network Adapter you are using —> Properties —> Internet Protocol Version 4 (ICP/IP), click  Properties.
    2. The DNS line should be set to Obtain DNS server automatically. If it is not, set it yourself.
    3. Click on Advanced —> the DNS tab. Remove everything here (if there is something) —> OK.
    DNS

    Step5

    • After you complete this step, the threat will be gone from your browsers. Finish the next step as well or it may reappear on a system reboot.

    Right click on the browser’s shortcut —> Properties.

    NOTE: We are showing Google Chrome, but you can do this for Firefox and IE (or Edge).

    browser-hijacker-taskbar-properties

    Properties —–> Shortcut. In Target, remove everything after .exe.

    Browser Hijacker Removal Instructions

    ie9-10_512x512  Remove Payments4u.org from Internet Explorer:

    Open IE, click  IE GEAR —–> Manage Add-ons.

    pic 3

    Find the threat —> Disable. Go to IE GEAR —–> Internet Options —> change the URL to whatever you use (if hijacked) —> Apply.

    firefox-512 Remove Payments4u.org from Firefox:

    Open Firefoxclick  mozilla menu  ——-> Add-ons —-> Extensions.

    pic 6


    chrome-logo-transparent-backgroundRemove Payments4u.org from Chrome:

    Close Chrome. Navigate to:

     C:/Users/!!!!USER NAME!!!!/AppData/Local/Google/Chrome/User Data. There is a Folder called “Default” inside:

    Rename the Folder to Backup Default

    Rename it to Backup Default. Restart Chrome.

    Step6

    Type Regedit in the windows search field and press Enter.

    Inside, press CTRL and F together and type the threat’s Name. Right click and delete any entries you find with a similar name. If they don’t show up this way, go manually to these directories and delete/uninstall them:

    • HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—–Random Directory. It could be any one of them – ask us if you can’t discern which ones are malicious.
      HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—Microsoft—-Windows—CurrentVersion—Run– Random
      HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—Microsoft—Internet Explorer—-Main—- Random

    If the guide doesn’t help, download the anti-virus program we recommended or try our free online virus scanner. Also, you can always ask us in the comments for help!


    About the author

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    Violet George

    Violet is an active writer with a passion for all things cyber security. She enjoys helping victims of computer virus infections remove them and successfully deal with the aftermath of the attacks. But most importantly, Violet makes it her priority to spend time educating people on privacy issues and maintaining the safety of their computers. It is her firm belief that by spreading this information, she can empower web users to effectively protect their personal data and their devices from hackers and cybercriminals.

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