Ozip “Virus” Removal (Chrome/Firefox)

Welcome to our Ozip “Virus” removal guide. The following instructions will aid you in removing the unwanted software from your PC.

If your Chrome, Firefox or IE browser has been invaded by some obscure program called Ozip “Virus” has that changed its homepage, default search engine and has added a new toolbar, then you have come to the right place. Here, we will give you an in-depth explanation of what Ozip “Virus” is, what it can do and how you can uninstall and remove it. We advise you to read everything and make a mental note of the tips and guidelines that we are going to give you, as this can greatly help you in the future when it comes to dealing with unwanted programs like the one that’s currently on your PC.

Browser Hijackers

Due to its intrusive nature and tendency to invade people’s browsers, Ozip can be classified as a Browser Hijacker. This is a type of program that is usually used in online marketing. They possess a wide range of different functions that allows them to generate income through aggressive advertising. As far as the normal user is concerned, most Hijackers do not serve any valuable purpose. In the majority of instances, they are nothing but unwanted software that needs to be removed in order to reverse the changes that it has made to the user’s browser. For that, we have prepared a removal guide that you can use to manually remove the nagging program from your PC without the need for professional assistance. If you have any problem with completing the guide, you can always ask for our aid down in the comments.

A dangerous virus or a harmless PUP?

Usually, as long as a program does something intrusive and unwanted it is referred to as malware. However, this is not quite how things are in reality. Actual viruses like Ransomware and Trojans are the ones that can really harm your PC. On the other hand, most Browser Hijackers are somewhat safe. Though they might be annoying and invasive, they usually pose no threat to your system. This is why they should be categorized as PUP’s (potentially unwanted programs) and not viruses. Still, this is not to say that the program should not be removed, but if you are dealing with Ozip, then there is likely no reason to worry.

Problems that Hijackers might cause

We know that we said Browser Hijackers are normally not harmful or malicious. Nevertheless, there are quite a few problems that such programs might cause and in this paragraph, we will address the most common ones:

• Browser Hijackers can sometimes go through your internet history in order to determine your preferences. After that, they use the gained info to display you relevant ads that you are more likely to click on (and generate money for the Hijacker developer through the Pay-Per-Click method).
• Often, the advertising materials displayed by the unwanted program get way too intrusive and nagging to the point where you’re unable to normally use your browser. Generally, if you have a Browser Hijacker on your PC, you can expect your browser to be covered with all sorts of obstructive ads, pop-ups, banners, etc.
• On top of everything, these programs can make your PC run slower, because they tend to use up large portions of its resources in order to run their unwanted processes. At times, your machine might even start to crash because of the Hijacker’s activity.

How to stop them from entering your system

Browser Hijackers are all over the internet and it is often difficult to keep your machine clean. However, if you adhere to several important rules and guidelines, you will significantly decrease your chances of landing such an unwanted program. Here are some of the most important things you should consider in order to keep your PC safe and clean.

• Stay away from websites with shady content since those are often used as distributors of unwanted software like Ozip. This is probably one of the most overlooked aspects of keeping your PC safe, but if you really want to make sure that no Browser Hijackers get installed in your system, be very careful with what sites you visit and download content from.
• Be vigilant when checking your e-mail, since spam letters can sometimes get inside your regular email folder and if you open one that has Ozip in it, the unwanted program might get inside your PC.
• Always look for added installs when you are installing new programs and uncheck them if they look shady and suspicious. Browser Hijackers are often distributed via file bundles and so far this method seems to be one of the most successful ones. Sometimes, you might need to use the Advanced installation option from the setup wizard in order to see if there’s anything added.

Ozip “Virus” Removal

I – Uninstallation

1. Use the Winkey+R keyboard combination, write Control Panel in the search field and hit enter.
   
2. Go to Uninstall a program under Programs.
   
3. Seek the unwanted software, select it and then click on Uninstall
   1. If you are unable to spot Ozip, search for any unrecognized programs that you do not remember installing on your PC – the unwanted software might disguise itself by going under a different name.

II – Safe mode and revealing hidden files

1. Boot your PC into Safe Mode /link/
2. Reveal hidden files and folders /link/

III – Cleaning all your browsers

1. Go to your browser’s icon, right-click on it and select Properties.
   
2. Go to the Shortcut tab and in the Target make sure to delete anything written after “.exe”.
   
3. Now, open your browser and follow the instructions below depending on whether you are using Chrome, Mozilla or IE.

• Chrome users:

1. Go to your browser’s main menu located in the top-right corner of the screen and select Settings.
   
2. Scroll down, click on Show Advanced Settings and then select Clear browsing data. Just to be sure, tick everything and clear the data.
   
3. Now, in the left pane, go to Extensions and look through all extensions that are integrated within your browser. If you notice any suspicious add-on, disable it and then remove it.
   

• Firefox users:

1. Similarly to Chrome, go to the main menu and select Add-ons and then Extensions.
2. Remove any suspicious browser extensions that you may have even if they do not have the name Ozip on them.

• IE users:

1. Go to Tools and select Manage add-ons.
   
2. Click on all add-on types from the left pane and check if there is anything suspicious in the right panel. In case you find anything shade, make sure to remove it.

IV – Removing Shady processes

1. Go to your start menu, type Task Manager in the search field and from the results open View running processes with Task Manager.
   
2. Thoroughly look through all processes. The name Ozip might not be there, but if you notice any shady looking process that consumes high amounts of memory it might be ran by the unwanted program.
3. If you spot the process ran by Ozip, right-click on it, open its file location and delete everything in there. Then go back to the Task Manager and end the process.
   

V – DNS check

1. In the start menu search box write View Network Connections and open the first result.
   
2. Right-click on the network connection you are using and go to Properties.
   
3. Select Internet Protocol Version (TCP/IPv4) and click on Properties.
   
4. If Obtain DNS server addresses automatically is not checked, check it.
   
5. Go to Advanced and select the DNS If there is anything in the DNS server addresses field, remove it and click OK.
   
6. Click OK on the rest of the opened windows.