How to Remove Kipuu.cn “Virus” (Chrome/Firefox)

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

This article focuses on the nature and some tips for removing Kipuu.cn – a typical browser hijacker. This program, as well as its siblings from that software category are perfectly capable of causing some changes in the appearance and the behavior of all your favorite browsers – Chrome, Explorer, Opera and/or Firefox. Your homepage and search engine could be changed; your browsers might undertake a constant redirecting process as soon as you try to use them. What’s more, these programs could be able to generate a serious number of pop-ups and other advertisements that may really annoy your online experience. In the text below you will read all you need know about this software category and how to deal with its members safely, efficiently and quickly.

Nature of browser hijackers

Browser hijackers are programs that focus on promoting goods, software, services and all kinds of other things. These programs are legitimate instruments of the marketing industry just like the ads that you see on TV, or listen to on the Radio. The difference is that you can actually avoid the online advertising campaigns while what the TV and the Radio broadcast cannot be controlled by you. Despite being legal, Kipuu.cn could greatly irritate you. There could be so many ads that your PC may completely stop responding to your commands. The pop-ups that appear might seem strangely similar to your recent search requests. This happens because hijackers are in fact able to track your common searches in order to define your preferences. Actually, this is also legal, as they could only access the history of your browsers. What’s more, programmers and producers seem to believe that the more irritating the program is – the more ads it generates and the more redirection it causes, the better the advertising process becomes. Actually, programmers are paid in accordance with the actual number of ads the program broadcasts and you click on. All that has contributed to the browser hijacker’s rather infamous image. As a result, hijackers are now regarded as potentially unwanted programs.

Despite all the characteristics above, could Kipuu.cn also be considered a virus?

Experts have no proof of any malicious activities that have ever resulted from infections with browser hijackers. Honestly, there are too many differences between all kinds of malware – Ransomware, Trojans; and programs like Kipuu.cn. For instance, the first and very basic difference is that the Ransomware and Trojan-based viruses usually infect your computer automatically. Even your indirect approval is not needed in their case. While when we talk about a hijacker infection, the program will always need your unknowing/ knowing permission to get installed on your machine. Also, the ways viruses and hijackers behave is completely different, as well as the aspects of your PC that they may target. For example, viruses target some specific files, account credentials or the entire drives of your computer. Kipuu.cn, on the other hand, could only modify your browsers; nothing else is affected by that hijacker. A Ransomware virus will encrypt your data and harass you into paying ransom in exchange for the access to them. A Trojan may format your whole disks and drives. Hijackers, though, are perfectly incapable of doing anything like that.

Typical distribution methods that programmers use to spread Kipuu.cn

Hijackers may be lurking inside contagious web pages and all sorts of shareware. Still, the most common place you should expect to come across a hijacker is inside any program bundle. Ultimately, bundles represent software that you can download for free from the web in combos. Normally, programmers mix various applications, hijackers, Adware-based products and games and make this mix free so that you could be tempted to download it and install it.

No infection with a hijacker could ever come from simply downloading the bundle. What you need to do is to voluntarily install the entire bundle content as well. Of course, that usually happens without your direct knowledge. The bundle’s developers may benefit from your excitement and impatience to use a certain game or app from the inside of such a mixture and they could trick you into incorporating the entire bundle into your system. When the installation wizard is displayed, always go with the Advanced or the Custom steps. They could give you the choice of what to install and what to ignore from a bundle (or a program as well). The steps you should avoid always provide an automatic or a quick installation process. The most famous among them are the Default, the Quick or the Automatic one. Do not use any of them.

As for the successful removal of Kipuu.cn, follow the instructions below as closely as possible. Our Removal Guide is here to help you get rid of this disturbing hijacker.

How to Remove Kipuu.cn “Virus” (Chrome/Firefox)

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 Kipuu.cn 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 Adware 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 Kipuu.cn 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 Kipuu.cn 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 Kipuu.cn 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 Kipuu.cn 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.