How To Get rid of Trusted Surf

According to security experts, Trusted Surf is being classified, not as a virus, but as an adware. What is the difference? Well, an adware is a non-malicious piece of programming code that does not seek to harm the computer in which it resides. A virus, on the other hand, is a malicious piece of programing code that will cause a direct harm to the computer in which it resides. However, that is not to say that if you have Trusted Surf in your computer, you got off scot-free and there is no need to perform an uninstall process. There may still be some negative side-effects that you are probably better off not having. These include, but are not limited to potential feelings of anger, frustration, irritation, annoyance and even increased levels of stress.

This adware is designed in such a way that it is able to track all your Internet browsing history, patterns, favourites and bookmarks. From the data gathered, it may then generate ads that are convincing and tempting specifically to you. These ads may appear in the form of pop-up ads and boxes, banners or even as a separate window. They may feature anything from touting coupons and deals of items that you are inclined towards, to claiming that you have won a lucky draw. Regardless of what these ads feature, you are strongly advised against clicking on them.

Why should I not click on the ads?

These ads are designed in a way to entice you to click on them, when you do just that, the creators have already succeeded in what they set out to do.

Upon clicking on the ads, you will be directed to a third-party webpage. The level of security threat that these pages possess varies. It can be as harmless as a previously viewed webpage, taken from your browsing history where the “deals” can be found. It can also be as dangerous as being a portal for other adware threats to enter your computer without your knowledge. It may be one of the many pay-per-click sites that allow the creators of this type of adware to earn some extra income, providing further incentives for them to create more adware. Or, it may be a page that prompts the download of a program that has so many security loopholes that it may cause serious security issues in the future.

Therefore, as you can see, no good can come out of you clicking on the ads.

How did my computer get infected in the first place?

Infections can happen in many different ways. According to our expert researchers, the most common way is via downloading the free and legal programs that are readily available online. Creators take advantage of this popular activity and tie their adware to these programs into what is called a “bundle”. This is how adware gets downloaded, along with the said program, onto computers without the user realizing it.

However, if you suspect this is how you got infected, do not despair. This does not mean that you will have to cease downloading free programs. An adware can only run after it has been successfully installed onto your computer first. Therefore, during the installation process, you would still able to prevent its activation. When being prompted, select the “Custom Installation” option instead of the “Automatic Installation” option. You will then be able to see a list of files that will be installed onto your computer. This is where you have to be extra careful and thorough. Look through all the names of the files and uncheck any of those that seem unfamiliar or foreign to you.

STEP ONE – remove Trusted Surf from your list of installed programs

In order to do it you need to navigate to your control panel.

For Windows 10 -> right click on your Win button (bottom left corner) and select Control Panel. In the Menu that opens select Uninstall a program

For Windows 7-> left click on your Win button (bottom left corner) and select Control Panel->Programs_>Programs and Features->

For Windows 8-> Swipe from the right edge of the screen and hit Search. If you are using a mouse rather point to the upper-right corner, then move the pointer downwards. Select Search. In the Search field type Control panel.

Find Trusted Surf in the list or programs, right click on it and select uninstall.

• IMPROTANT It is possible that the Adware will try to install another program in its place. Carefully read the wording of any confirmation pop-up that may appear and select the option that will not result in anything else getting installed on your computer.
• OPTIONAL Sort your programs by installation date starting from the most recent ones. Uninstall any other application that the Adware may have added to your PC. They are likely nothing but trouble.

STEP 2 – remove any shortcut modifications added to your browser

This step is rather simple:

1. Right-click on the shortcut you usually use to start your browser.
2. Select Properties
3. Look at the field labeled Target. Delete anything that comes after .exe

STEP 3 – remove any extensions added to your browser

From Chrome

1. Start your Chrome browser and click on the toolbox menu located in the upper-right corner, in the browser’s toolbar field.
2. Click Tools -> Extensions
3. Find the extension installed by Trusted Surf and remove it by clicking on the trash bin icon.
4. Now go through the list of extension again and remove anything that you don’t know or don’t use.

• What if you cannot click on the Delete/Trash icon – it is grayed out or similar?

You need to click on the box called Developer Mode located in the upper-right corner. This will enable you to see the ID of the extension. Mark the whole string of numbers and copy them.

Now close your Chrome browser and hit Win+R simultaneously. In the button that opens type regedit.

Hit Control+F and paste the ID you copied from the browser. Delete any entries that pop-up from the result.

Now you can start your Chrome browser again and finish the removal of the Extension.

From Internet Explorer

1. Open your Internet Explorer browser
2. Click on the gear Tools button located in the upper-right corner  , and then select Manage add-ons.
3. Under the Show menu select “show all add-ons”, now find and delete the add-on installed by Trusted Surf.
4. Go through the list of add-ons again and delete anything you are not familiar with/don’t use.

• What if you cannot remove or disable the extension?

This means that there is an active program installed on your computer that prevents you from doing so. You need to do back to Step 1 and carefully look through the list of installed programs. Uninstall anything that looks suspicious to you.

From Mozilla Firefox

1. Open your Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. Click on the three horizontal stripes button located in the upper-right corner . Select Add-ons.
3. Now go through the Appearance, Extensions and Plug-ins tabs and remove anything connected to Trusted Surf from there. Use the Remove option whenever possible.
4. Go through these tabs again and remove any extensions that are unfamiliar to you or that you don’t use at all.

Didn’t work? Trusted Surf not listed as an add-on or extension? Try resetting your browser to its default settings to clean away any malware additions.

 

Step 4 – resetting your internet browser

 How to reset Google Chrome

 What is about to happen? When you use the reset option for Chrome, your search engines and home pages will be set to the default one. Default startup tabs will be cleared as well, unless you are on Chromebook. Likewise, new tab page will be empty. Pinned tabs will be unpinned and lost. Content settings are cleared out and set to default, cookie and site data removed. Extensions and themes are disabled.

Click on the Chrome menu button, the three horizontal stripes in the top-right corner, then select

1. Scroll to the bottom and click on Show advanced settings.
2. Look for the section “Reset settings,” click on Reset settings.
3. A dialog window will appear, confirm the reset:

• NOTE: You’ll see the following check box“Help make Google Chrome better by reporting the current settings”. If you select it you are agreeing to anonymously send Google your current settings. They’ll use this information to analyze how the Adware hooked in and improve the defense of the browser. It’s up to you whether to help or not.

How to reset Mozilla Firefox to default settings

What is about to happen? When you use the reset button for Mozilla Firefox, your browsing history and bookmarks, as well as windows, open tabs, passwords and cookies and web-form information are preserved. Extensions, themes and other add-ons and plug-ins are removed.

1. Start your Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. Type about:support in the address bar, then hit
3. Now click on the Reset Firefox… button located in the upper-right part of the screen.
4. Confirm the reset, Firefox will now close and be reset.

How to reset Internet Explorer to default settings

What is about to happen? When you use the reset option for Internet explorer you have the option to control whether your browsing history, search providers, accellerators, tracking protection, home pages and Active filtering data are removed. All this can be done from the Delete Personal Settings checkbox. Check the guide below.

1. Start opening your Internet Explorer.
2. Click on the gear in the rop-right corner, that is the Tools Select Internet options. In case you don’t actually see the Tools menu, press Alt.
3. Now click on the Advanced tab, then find and click Reset.
4. Select the Delete personal settings check box. Please note that this will also delete your browsing history, home pages and more. Unfortunately it is needed to clean the Adware.
5. Confirm and wait for the process to finish.

Hopefully this will be enough to remove Trusted Surf from your machine. If you are still having trouble feel free to contact us, we’ll try to help you to the best of our ability!