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

Rage-inducing ads messing with your browser? We have a solution for that!

We all know how annoying adverts are and unfortunately they tend to be everywhere. The Internet is no exception – we’ve all seen sites that have all sorts of intrusive ads that won’t let you mind your own business. In most cases there’s almost nothing you can do about them since the ads are integrated within those sites. However, there’s another type of browser ads that are not generated by the sites you visit. Instead, they are coming from within your PC. There’s a particular type of programs/browser extensions called browser redirect. Once browser redirect gets installed on your computer, it will fill all your browsers with various pop-ups, banners, box messages etc. Thus, if you have such a program on your PC, opening your browser would result in your screen being covered with a wall of intrusive adverts. This can be really frustrating, since those ads tend to be displayed on every page you visit. The only way to stop them from popping up is removing the problematic program. In this article we will show you how to do that and we will also give you some essential information on what those programs actually are and how they get installed on your machine.

General information that you need to know about browser redirect and Redirect Smart

Before anything else, let us first clarify what browser redirect actually is. Well, you probably get the general idea by now – browser redirect are a type of programs whose sole purpose is to obstruct your regular online experience with their annoying adverts. However, there are several aspects of those intrusive programs that are worth elaborating on.

First of all, if you’re currently dealing with obstructive browser ads, then it is most likely that you’ve had Redirect Smart, since this is one of the latest browser redirect programs. But what’s the point of all that? Why the ads? Well it’s all about a particular method for gaining revenue via the internet called the pay-per-click method. For every click any of the browser redirect-generated ads receives, the unwanted program’s developer gains money. This is also the reason why the ads are so awfully intrusive. Sometimes, some of the more aggressive browser redirect programs may attempt to extract data from your browser, which can later be sold to third-party companies. However, browser redirect are not like viruses and it hardly ever has any access to important personal information. Besides, in most cases the sole reason why it tries to acquire info from your browser is so that the browser redirect could customize the ads it displays to you (so that they could appear more appealing to you).

A lot of our readers believe and refer to Redirect Smart “virus”, thinking it is a malware. This is not accurate though, Redirect Smart is different from a virus. As we already said, Redirect Smart and other browser redirect are different from viruses. Therefore, there’s no need to worry even if you have such intrusive software currently residing in your PC. Unlike malicious software such as Ransomware or Trojan Horses, browser redirect is quite harmless for your system. However, it is important to note that even though the program itself almost never does anything to your machine, the ads it generates might still be hiding potential security risks. That is why we strongly advise our readers to avoid interacting with those ads.

Possible ways you can get Redirect Smart installed on your computer

Surely no one would attempt to install browser redirect on their computers willingly. Still, these programs seem to be everywhere. Then the question is – how do they get inside people’s computers? Well, unlike ransomware and other malicious programs, in most cases browser redirect does actually get installed like regular programs. It’s just that their installation is often hidden behind something else. Fortunately, if you’re vigilant enough and pay attention to the details, Redirect Smart stands almost no chance of getting installed on your machine.

When it comes to fending off browser redirect, it is important how such programs get distributed. Commonly used methods tend to be spam e-mails and file-sharing/torrent sites. However, those are perhaps not as effective as file-bundling. Here is the place to note that file-bundling is not an illegal method. With that being said, how does it actually work? Well, when this method is being used, Redirect Smart is bundled with a third-party program. When you install that program, if you’re not being careful you also get the browser redirect inside your PC. In order to prevent this from happening, you need to always opt for the custom installation settings. That way you can leave out any added content that might be potentially unwanted. Note that Redirect Smart might go under a different name there. Still, it should be quite easy to spot it.

Now, if you’re looking for a way how to uninstall and remove the program, you can try using our detailed guide below this article.

Redirect Smart Chrome/Firefox 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 Redirect Smart 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 browser redirect 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 Redirect Smart 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 Redirect Smart 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 Redirect Smart 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 Redirect Smart 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.