Remove Inksdata.com virus (Removal Guide)

Inksdata is an advertising platform, which is used by adware and other malicious programs to display popup ads  from inksdata.com within Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome.

The Inksdata popup ads happens regardless of the web browser or search engine, and if you are seeing ads from inksdata.com whenever you are doing a Google search or visiting a website, then your computer may be infected with Pihar, Tracur, ZeroAccess/Sirefef rootkit, adware or a potentially unwanted program.
This infection is designed specifically to make money. It generates web traffic, collects sales leads for other dubious sites, and will display advertisements and sponsored links within your web browser.

Inksdata virus is distributed through several means. Malicious websites, or legitimate websites that have been compromised, may drop this Trojan onto a compromised computer. This drive-by-download often happens surreptitiously. Another method used to propagate this type of malware is spam email containing infected attachments or links to malicious websites. The threat may also be downloaded manually by tricking the user into thinking they are installing a useful piece of software.
Inksdata virus is also prevalent on peer-to-peer file sharing websites and is often packaged with pirated or illegally acquired software.

Once install on a computer, the Inksdata will display pop-up ads within your browser and Flash update boxes with the sole purpose of generating revenue for the cyber criminals.

inksdata.com is not a malicious domain itself, however this website is used by cyber criminals as a tracking website for their affiliate programs.Before traffic is delivered to advertisers, Inksdata is used as a network referral ID to identify and qualify traffic sent by traffic partners.

Depending on what is causing the Inksdata popup ads, the malware removal process can be different for each particular case, however using the below guide, you should be able to remove this infection from your computer.

You should always pay attention when installing software because often, a software installer includes optional installs, such as this Inksdata adware. Be very careful what you agree to install.
Always opt for the custom installation and deselect anything that is not familiar, especially optional software that you never wanted to download and install in the first place. It goes without saying that you should not install software that you don’t trust.

inksdata pop-up – Virus Removal Guide

This page is a comprehensive guide, which will remove inksdata pop-ups from your computer, and any other adware program that may have been installed during the setup process.
Please perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubt at any point, STOP and ask for our assistance.
STEP 1: Uninstall inksdata programs from your computer
STEP 2: Remove inksdata redirect from your web browser
STEP 2: Remove inksdata adware with AdwCleaner
STEP 3: Remove inksdata browser hijackers with Junkware Removal Tool
STEP 4: Remove inksdata virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free
STEP 5: Double-check for the inksdata infection with HitmanPro

STEP 1 : Remove Inksdata malicious programs from your computer

Inksdata pop-up ads may be displayed by an adware program that you have recently installed. In our case inksdata.com redirect was installed with DefaultTab, DownloadTerms 1.0, LessTabs, TidyNetwork.com and WebCake 3.0 programs. In this first step, we will try to identify and remove any malicious program that might be installed on your computer.

1. To uninstall the programs that are responsible for the Inksdata from your computer, click the Start button, then select Control Panel, and click on Uninstall a program.
   If you are using Windows 8, simply drag your mouse pointer to the right edge of the screen, select Search from the list and search for “control panel“. Or you can right-click on a bottom left hot corner (formerly known as the Start button) and select Control Panel from there, then select Uninstall a program.
   
2. When the Add/Remove Programs or the Uninstall a Program screen is displayed, scroll through the list of currently installed programs and uninstall DefaultTab, DownloadTerms 1.0, LessTabs, TidyNetwork.com, WebCake 3.0, Selection Links and any other unwanted or recently installed programs from your computer.
   

Depending on what program has installed this adware, the above programs may have a different name or not be installed on your computer. If you cannot find the program that is responsible  for the inksdata.com redirect, you can proceed with the next step.

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STEP 2 : Remove inksdata.com redirect from your browser

Remove Inksdata redirect from Internet Explorer

1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the gear icon  (Tools for Windows XP users) at the top (far right), then click again on Internet Options.
   
2. In the Internet Options dialog box, click on the Advanced tab, then click on the Reset button.
   
3. In the Reset Internet Explorer settings section, check the Delete personal settings box, then click on Reset.
   
4. When Internet Explorer finishes resetting, click Close in the confirmation dialogue box and then click OK.
5. Close and open Internet Explorer.

Remove Inksdata redirect from Mozilla Firefox

1. At the top of the Firefox window, click the Firefox button, go over to the Help sub-menu (on Windows XP, click the Help menu at the top of the Firefox window), and select Troubleshooting Information.
   
2. Click the Reset Firefox button in the upper-right corner of the Troubleshooting Information page.
   
3. To continue, click Reset Firefox in the confirmation window that opens.
4. Firefox will close and be reset. When it’s done, a window will list the information that was imported. Click Finish

Remove Inksdata redirect from Google Chrome

1. Remove Inksdata extensions from Google Chrome.
   Click the Chrome menu   button on the browser toolbar, select Tools and then click on Extensions.
   
2. In the Extensions tab, remove (by clicking on the Recycle Bin) the DefaultTab, DownloadTerms 1.0, LessTabs, TidyNetwork.com, WebCake 3.0 and any other unknown extensions from Google Chrome.
   

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STEP 3: Remove Inksdata adware from your computer with AdwCleaner.

The AdwCleaner utility will scan your computer and browsers for Inksdata malicious files and registry keys, that may have been installed on your computer without your knowledge.

1. You can download AdwCleaner utility from the below link.
   ADWCLEANER DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will automatically download AdwCleaner on your computer)
2. Before starting AdwCleaner, close all open programs and internet browsers, then double-click on the AdwCleaner icon.
   
   If Windows prompts you as to whether or not you wish to run AdwCleaner, please allow it to run.
3. When the AdwCleaner program will open, click on the Search button as shown below.
   
   The program will now start to search for adware files that may be installed on your computer. When it has finished it will display a notepad screen that contains a log file of all the adware extensions, files, and registry keys that have been detected. Unless you see a program name that you know should not be removed, please close the Notepad window and continue with the next step.
4. To remove the adware malicious files that were detected in the previous step, please click on the Delete button on the AdwCleaner screen.
   
   AdwCleaner will now prompt you to save any open files or data as the program will need to reboot the computer. Please do so and then click on the OK button.
5. AdwCleaner will now delete all traces of Inksdata adware from your computer. When it is done it will display an alert that explains what PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) and Adware are. Please read through this information and then press the OK button. You will now be presented with an alert that states AdwCleaner needs to reboot your computer.
   Please click on the OK button to let AdwCleaner reboot your computer.

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STEP 4: Remove Inksdata browser hijacker with Junkware Removal Tool

Junkware Removal Tool is a powerful utility, which will remove Inksdata from Internet Explorer, Firefox or Google Chrome.

1. You can download the Junkware Removal Tool utility from the below link:
   JUNKWARE REMOVAL TOOL DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will automatically download the Junkware Removal Tool utility on your computer)
2. Once Junkware Removal Tool has finished downloading, please double-click on the JRT.exe icon as seen below.
   
   If Windows prompts you as to whether or not you wish to run Junkware Removal Tool, please allow it to run.
3. Junkware Removal Tool will now start, and at the Command Prompt, you’ll need to press any key to perform a scan for the Inksdata hijacker.
   
   Please be patient as this can take a while to complete (up to 10 minutes) depending on your system’s specifications.
4. When the scan Junkware Removal Tool will be completed, this utility will display a log with the malicious files and registry keys that were removed from your computer.
   

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STEP 5: Remove Inksdata malicious files with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware FREE

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a powerfull on-demand scanner which will remove Inksdata malicious files from your computer.

1. You can download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free from the below link, then double click on it to install this program.
   MALWAREBYTES ANTI-MALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a download page in a new window from where you can download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free)
2. When the installation begins, keep following the prompts in order to continue with the setup process. DO NOT make any changes to default settings and when the program has finished installing, make sure you leave both the Update Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware and Launch Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware checked,then click on the Finish button.
   
3. On the Scanner tab,select Perform quick scan and then click on the Scan button to start scanning your computer.
   
4. Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer for Inksdata malicious files as shown below.
   
5. When the Malwarebytes scan will be completed,click on Show Result.
   
6. You will now be presented with a screen showing you the malware infections that Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware has detected.Please note that the infections found may be different than what is shown in the image.Make sure that everything is Checked (ticked) and click on the Remove Selected button.
   
7. After your computer restarts, open Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and perform a full system scan to verify that there are no remaining threats.

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STEP 6: Remove Inksdata malicious files with HitmanPro

Inksdata may also install a ZeroAccess rootkit on victim’s computer, to detect and remove this malicious program we will perform a scan with HitmanPro.

1. You can download HitmanPro from the below link, then double-click on it to start this program.
   HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download HitmanPro)
   IF you are experiencing problems while trying to start HitmanPro, you can use the Force Breach mode.To start HitmanPro in Force Breach mode, hold down the left CTRL key when you start HitmanPro and all non-essential processes are terminated, including the malware process. (How to start HitmanPro in Force Breach mode – Video)
2. HitmanPro will start and you’ll need to follow the prompts (by clicking on the Next button) to start a system scan with this program.
   
   
3. HitmanPro will start scanning your computer for Inksdata malicious files as seen in the image below.
   
4. Once the scan is complete,you’ll see a screen which will display all the infected files that this utility has detected, and you’ll need to click on Next to remove this malicious files.
   
5. Click Activate free license to start the free 30 days trial and remove all the malicious files from your computer.
   

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Your computer should now be free of the Inksdata infection. If your current anti-virus solution let this infection through, you may want to consider purchasing the PRO version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to protect against these types of threats in the future.
If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove Internet Security 2013 from your machine, please start a new thread in our Malware Removal Assistance forum.