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In this article we are going to try and help you remove clx.im. Our instructions cover all Windows versions as well as most browsers – Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer etc.

I open my browser and my screen gets attacked by a barrage of rage-inducing ads! What is happening?

This is one of the most common complaints that we are regularly getting. Users are reporting the appearance of intrusive browser ads on a daily basis. This is to be expected since a browser hijacker programs (the reason behind all this) are widely spread throughout the internet. However, it should be said that not all online ads are a browser hijacker-generated. In fact, the majority of adverts you see are coming from the sites themselves – as soon as you leave the said site, the ads will stop popping-up. Nonetheless, if the adverts are persistent and don’t stop following you regardless of the web address you’re visiting, then its most likely an a browser hijacker that you’re dealing with. Not to worry, though. Many people are led to believe that browser hijacker are some kind of a malicious and dangerous virus such as a Ransomware or a Trojan (which they are not). In fact, those intrusive programs hardly ever pose any threat to your computer’s security on themselves. That is why they go under a separate category of software that usually isn’t considered harmful or dangerous, but they are still unwanted due to their intrusive nature and stealthy installation. This category of unwanted applications is called PUP (potentially unwanted programs). Therefore, if you are currently dealing with an a browser hijacker, know that there’s no need to panic since it’s highly unlikely that the program will do anything to your machine, apart from filling your screen with obstructive adverts.

More about browser hijackers and clx.im “virus”

Clx.im is a browser add-on of the the browser hijacker type. It’s one of the newer versions, therefore, if your computer is currently under the effect of an add-generating program, it most likely is clx.im. Knowing its name should make it easier for you to have it removed. That is also what our first advice to you is – get rid of this potentially intrusive piece of software as soon as possible. Many people mistakenly refer to it as clx.im “Virus”. However this is not true, clx.im is not a virus. As we already said, browser hijackers are, for the most part, not dangerous to your PC. Still, the ads they generate could sometimes hide potential security hazards. This is quite rare – most adverts, as annoying as they are, are safe and legit or at least not harmful. However, every now and then a pop-up might turn out to be a link to some kind of an illegal or even malicious website. That is why we strongly recommend you avoid clicking on any of the ads. Apart from that, it is possible that clx.im might occasionally redirect you to unfamiliar sites without your permission. Should this happen, close these pages without interacting with them. There’s no need to expose your PC to potential threats, even if such threats are a rarity. Under this article there’s a detailed guide on how to uninstall and remove the nagging application, so make sure to check it out once you’re done here. Apart from everything else, we doubt that you’d like to have the intrusive pop-ups, banners and box messages constantly showing up and ruining your browser experience.

One more thing…

Removing clx.im is the best course of action once you’ve found out that it resides on your PC (it’s very hard not to notice its presence). However, knowing how it got there in the first place is equally important – could help you prevent the installation of other a browser hijacker in the future.

There are quite a few distribution methods for a browser hijacker program so it’s hard to list them all in one article. However, there are several of them that stand out among the rest and here we will give you some general information about them.

• Spam e-mails – this is probably one of the most widely-spread methods for the distribution of unwanted software. Usually spam letters go into the spam folder. However, it’s always a good idea to remain vigilant when opening new messages in your regular inbox – you never know when a spam e-mail may have gotten in there.
• Torrent and file-sharing sites – due to the nature of those sites it’s easy to see why they are another likely spot for clx.im distribution. Our advice here is to keep an eye on the details of the file you’re about to download. If it looks suspicious, you might reconsider downloading it.
• File-bundling – arguably the most effective method and also probably the easiest to counteract as long as you remember one simple rule: when installing a new program, never go for the regular installation. clx.im is often bundled with a third-party software and if you do not opt for the advanced installation settings where you can uncheck any added installs, it will get into your system along with the main program. That is why you should always choose the custom installation and look for the list of add-ons. Once you find that list, uncheck everything that looks suspicious and you should be ready to go.

clx.im Chrome Removal

Many types of malware will restrict your access to their core files. It is highly recommended that you reboot your PC in safe mode before attempting to use this guide.

• To enable Safe Mode reboot you PC, then hit F8 repeatedly. When the corresponding menu opens please select Safe Mode with Networking.

WARNING! If you are using Windows 8,0 or later and/or your operating system is installed on a fast SSD drive this may fail to work. In this case click here to see how to start your PC in Safe Mode.

#1: Uninstall the malicious program from your control panel

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Enter control panel to look for any suspicious programs, which may have installed on your PC. To do that:

1. Navigate to your Desktop
2. Press simultaneously the Win button together with the R button (Win+R)
3. In the Run window that just opened type appwiz.cpl

4. Go through the list of programs and find clx.im or anything else that may seem suspicious. Right-click on it and choose the uninstallation option

WARNING! Carefully read any confirmation messages that may be created in the process. Sometimes you may get offers to download more a browser hijacker applications and this can be linked to either the Yes or the No answer depending on the wording!

• Optional:

Go through the list of programs again and check online for any potentially unwanted programs. We have an article that covers this awesome free software that makes sure that your computer is free from bloatware and programs that you don’t need.

#2: Remove clx.im From Chrome

Now we’ll remove the extensions that the malware has attached to your browser.

1. Open your Google Chrome browser.
2. Type chrome://extensions/  in the URL address bar and press Enter.
3. Click on “Developer Mode” on the top right and look for the extension installed by clx.im and anything that might be related to it. Copy their IDs (the string of letters), then remove them by clicking on the trash bin icon.

1. Type Regedit in the Windows Start Menu and press Enter. Go in : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Google\Chrome\Extensions and delete the entries corresponding to the suspicious IDs you recorded.

#3: Remove clx.im From Firefox

1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. Type “about:support” in the URL address bar and press Enter.
3. Click on the “Refresh Firefox” button on the right and confirm.

#4 Remove clx.im From Internet Explorer

1. Open your Internet Explorer internet browser.
2. Click on the Gear icon on the up right, then on manage add-ons.
3. Go through the list disable any suspicious extensions.

#5 Remove any leftover parasitic processes

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From the task manager:

1. Use Ctrl + Shift + Esc and open the Task manager, then click on the Processes
2. Go through the list of processes and look for unknown or otherwise suspicious entries.
3. If you see anything suspicious right click on the process and shoes Open File Location, then terminate the process and delete any files you find in the directory.

WARNING! If the directory you open from this menu has no files inside of it it’s probably because the malware has hidden them. You need to reveal hidden files and folders in order to be able to see them. Click here if you don’t know how to do that.

From the start menu:

1. Press simultaneously the Win button together with the R button (Win+R)
2. In the Run window that just opened type msconfig
3. Click on the Startup tab.

This menu controls which programs are loaded when windows starts after a reboot. Disable anything that seems suspicious. Optionally you can also disable any program that you don’t need and also has a high impact on your startup time.

Feel free to write to us in the comment section with any questions that you may have. Also if we have been helpful to you please share this article to help us reach more people like you.