Working Guide to Remove PUP.Augmenter Redirect Virus Entirely

PUP.Augmenter is classified as a malicious browser redirect virus which affects users’ browsing activities by using advanced techniques. On the surface, it is a legitimate website that offers users the search service. However, to users’ surprise, PUP.Augmenter turns out to be nothing but a harmful tool that used by cyber criminals to generate web traffic and display advertising. Like many other redirect virus, this virus can permeate target computer when users visit unsafe websites associated with the redirect threat. It can also come bundled with some freeware or shareware downloaded from unsafe sources. After its compete installation on the machine, PUP.Augmenter infection may quickly modify DNS settings so as to change all web pages include homepage and search page into its related domain. 

Undoubtedly, if PC users use the URL of PUP.Augmenter, the ugly face of this site will pop up on the screen. However, the PUP.Augmenter website may pop up automatically and immediately when Internet users open a new tab or link on browser. Moreover, the redirect virus may redirect users to random websites which are filled with advertisements or pornographic contents when they do a search. Moreover, it is usually bundled with many other computer threats including Trojan virus, keyloggers, rogue and ransomware. Remove PUP.Augmenter before it messes up your system. If not removed timely, this redirect virus would install some unwanted add-ons onto the browsers, with the intention of tracing the browsing cookies. Sensitive information will be stolen by this PUP.Augmenter browser virus completely. Many vital information including documents, login names and passwords, valuable multimedia objects or any other important files online are at a very dangerous situation. To prevent further damages, users need to find effective methods to clear the redirect virus promptly. Mostly of the victims fails to eliminate PUP.Augmenter for this malware is able to escape from legit antimalware scanner effectively. If so, remove PUP.Augmenter browser virus manually can yet be regarded as an effective way.

Reasons to Remove PUP.Augmenter Redirect Virus

1. PUP.Augmenter virus can replace your default homepage on the infected browser which PC users are not able to change it back. 

2. PUP.Augmenter virus can add some malicious browser extensions, toolbars, plug-ins, and other unwanted things to your system automatically. It may also drop other cyber threats on the compromised PC and further damage the system. 

3. It takes up lots of system resource, which significantly slows down the computer performance. Sometimes, it may consume amlost100% CPU usage. 

4. It can even destroy the computer system, disabling Firewall and antivirus programs to avoid the auto removal from them. By doing so, it can do anything in the infected computers. 

5. PUP.Augmenter virus can even leave a backdoor to the rogue hackers so they can easily access the infected systems and perform a series of malicious activities.

How to Remove PUP.Augmenter Effectively

Even if you have installed the most advanced antivirus software on the PC, PUP.Augmenter can still arrive on your computer without your permission. Though you have scanned the computer for several times with top antivirus software, no trace of the browser hijacker may be found by the antivirus programs. You may wonder why the antivirus programs don’t work. Since viruses keep developing, so do its hiding techniques. It takes time for Antivirus to update its definition or signature. Once the PC is infected, it is not easy for regular security tools to pick up or delete the redirect virus. In this case, we may consider the mighty manual removal so that to erase all its related processes, DLL files and registry files for good.

Note: To remove virus manually involves to vital positions of computer system. Any error step may lead to system crash. A redirect virus remover will help you remove the virus if you don’t have sufficient expertise in dealing with the removal.

Manually Remove PUP.Augmenter Virus

1. Remove the browser hijacker from the infected computer.

Click on the Start button and select Control Panel. Click on Uninstall a program under the Programs category.

Find out and locate the programs related to PUP.Augmenter browser hijacker. Click on the Uninstall button to remove them all.

2. Launch the infected browser and remove the add-ons or extensions related to the browser hijacker.

Internet Explorer:

Open IE, click on Tools and then select Manage Add-ons. When it opens a window, click on Toolbars and Extensions. Find out the extensions related to the browser hijacker and select them. Then, right-click them and click on the Disable option. Restart IE to finish the procedure.

Google Chrome:

Launch Google Chrome. Click on the Three-bar icon on top-right of the browser, select tools and then Extensions from the list. After that, click Extensions on the left side of the window. Locate the extension related to the browser hijacker, select it and click on the trash icon. Restart the browser to complete the procedure.

Mozilla Firefox:

Start Firefox and click on the tool menu from the top menu. Click on the Add-ons tab to open the configuration window. Then, click Extensions on the left side of this window. Now find out the extensions of the redirect virus and remove them from the browser. Restart the browser to complete the process.

3. Show hidden files and folders.

Go to Control panel again and click on Appearance and Personalization. Then double click on Folder Options. Hit the View tab, tick “Show hidden files, folders and drives” and deselect “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)” . Click on the OK button to apply the changes.

4. Delete the malicious files of PUP.Augmenter from the local disk.

The files listed below areor reference only because the virus may has the ability to changes the names and locations of its files.

%Program Files%\ random

%AppData%\Protector-[rnd].exe

%AppData%\Inspector-[rnd].exe

%AppData%\vsdsrv32.exe

5. Open Registry Editor and delete the registry entries of the browser hijacker.

Press Windows+ R keys simultaneously to open the Run window. Then type “regedit” in the run box and press Enter key to open Registry Editor.

After that, find out and delete all the registry entries of PUP.Augmenter. The below registry entries are also for reference only.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\[random].exe

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\browser hijacker name

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System ‘DisableRegistryTools’ = 0

6. Restart the infected computer to apply all changes.

Conclusion

The browser hijack virus is a huge threat for browsers, including Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. It can display tons of annoying pop-ups ads when you surf online to generate web traffic. Being as a nasty hijack virus, it is able to modify default homepage and start-up page of browser to its malicious domain site. Besides, it would install some unknown add-ons to users’ browsers, with the intention of recording and gathering their browsing history and some other confidential data. All in all, quick actions should be taken to completely remove PUP.Augmenter for computer protection. In case that the antivirus program cannot remove it, the manual removal method is provided above to help.

It requires sufficient computer knowledge and skills to manually remove the PUP.Augmenter. Any mistakes are made due to lack of experience in dealing with files and registry entries, your system may suffer from serious damage. Reputable computer experts usually suggest user be careful. If you are not sure that you can correctly perform the manual removal operation, you are strongly recommended to use a professional virus removal tool to help you remove the threat from your computer safely and easily.