{"id":17684,"date":"2014-02-04T06:50:54","date_gmt":"2014-02-04T06:50:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/?p=17684"},"modified":"2014-02-04T06:50:54","modified_gmt":"2014-02-04T06:50:54","slug":"remove-16start-com-virus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/remove-16start-com-virus\/","title":{"rendered":"Remove 16Start.com hijack (Virus Removal Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>16Start.com<\/strong>\u00a0is a browser hijacker, which is promoted via other free downloads, and once installed it will change your browser homepage and default search engine to <em>http:\/\/16Start.com<\/em>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17685\" title=\"16Start.com redirect\" alt=\"[Image: 16Start.com virus]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/16Start-com-virus.jpg\" width=\"965\" height=\"626\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/16Start-com-virus.jpg 965w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/16Start-com-virus-300x194.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 965px) 100vw, 965px\" \/><br \/>\n16Start.com will display advertisements and sponsored links in your search results, and may collect search terms from your search queries. The 16Start.com hijack is used to boost advertising revenue, as in the use of blackhat SEO, to inflate a site\u2019s page ranking in search results.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad714791797\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309684--placement_360520\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3957935887\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>16Start.com it\u2019s technically not a virus, but it does exhibit plenty of malicious traits, such as rootkit capabilities to hook deep into the operating system, browser hijacking, and in general just interfering with the user experience. The industry generally refers to it as a \u201cPUP,\u201d or potentially unwanted program.<br \/>\n16Start.com is an ad-supported (users may see additional banner, search, pop-up, pop-under, interstitial and in-text link advertisements) cross web browser plugin for Internet Explorer (BHO) and Firefox\/Chrome (plugin) and distributed through various monetization platforms during installation. The browser extension includes various features that will modify the default or custom settings of the browser including the home page, search settings and in some cases will modify Internet Explorer\u2019s load time threshold, place a lock file within Firefox to prevent competing software from changing its settings as well as disable the browser\u2019s Content Security Policy in order to allow for cross site scripting of the plugin.<\/p>\n<p>16Start.com got on your computer after you have installed a freeware software (video recording\/streaming, download-managers or PDF creators) that had bundled into their installation this browser hijacker. Very often users have no idea where did it come from, so it\u2019s not surprising at all that most of them assume that 16Start.com is a virus.<br \/>\nFor example, when you install the &#8220;Fast Free Convertor&#8221; program, you will also agree to change your browser homepage and default search engine to <em>http:\/\/16Start.com\/<\/em>.<br \/>\nHowever when you uninstall the &#8220;Fast Free Convertor&#8221; program from your computer, your web browser\u2019s default settings will not be restored. This means that you&#8217;ll have to remove 16Start.com from your favorite web browser manually.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad2721337123\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381396-ad_309691-placement_360566\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1471373341\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>You should <strong>always pay attention when installing software<\/strong> because often, a software installer includes optional installs, such as this 16Start.com browser hijacker. Be very careful what you agree to install.<br \/>\n<strong>Always opt for the custom installation<\/strong> 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\u2019t trust.<\/p>\n<div id=\"mwtad68751132\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309746-ad_309691-placement_360521\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"4456629336\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">How to remove 16Start.com browser hijacker (Virus Removal Guide)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This page is a comprehensive guide, which will remove 16Start.com from your Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome.<br \/>\nPlease perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubt at any point, <strong>STOP<\/strong> and ask for our assistance.<br \/>\n<a href=\"#adwcleaner\"><strong>STEP 1<\/strong>: Remove 16Start.com browser hijacker from your computer with AdwCleaner<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#junkware\"><strong>STEP 2<\/strong>: Remove 16Start.com from Internet Explore, Firefox and Google Chrome with Junkware Removal Tool<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#malwarebytes\"><strong>STEP 3<\/strong>: Remove 16Start.com malicious files with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#hitmanpro\"><strong>STEP 4<\/strong>: Double-check for the 16Start.com infection with HitmanPro<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#browser\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">(OPTIONAL)<\/span> STEP 5<\/strong>: Reset your browser settings to remove 16Start.com from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"mwtad491022717\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309747-ad_309691-placement_360587\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"9589536513\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"adwcleaner\">STEP 1: Remove 16Start.com browser hijacker with AdwCleaner<\/h2>\n<p>The AdwCleaner utility will scan your computer for 16Start.com malicious files that may have been installed on your computer without your knowledge.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad605027208\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309686-ad_309691-placement_360569\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"6935453015\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li>You can <strong>download\u00a0AdwCleaner<\/strong> utility from the below link.<br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/toolslib.net\/downloads\/finish\/1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ADWCLEANER DOWNLOAD LINK<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(<em>This link will automatically download AdwCleaner on your computer<\/em>)<\/li>\n<li>Before starting AdwCleaner, <strong>close all open programs and internet browsers<\/strong>, then <strong>double-click on the AdwCleaner icon<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15611\" title=\"Double-click on the AdwCleaner Icon\" alt=\"Picture of AdwCleaner Icon\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/AdwCleaner-icon.jpg\" width=\"234\" height=\"134\" \/><br \/>\nIf Windows prompts you as to whether or not you wish to run AdwCleaner, please allow it to run.<\/li>\n<li>When the AdwCleaner program will open, click on the <strong>Scan<\/strong> button as shown below.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15610\" title=\"Click on Scan button to search for 16Start.com infection\" alt=\"Picture of AdwCleaner Scan button\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/AdwCleaner-Scan.jpg\" width=\"530\" height=\"553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/AdwCleaner-Scan.jpg 530w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/AdwCleaner-Scan-287x300.jpg 287w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 530px) 100vw, 530px\" \/><br \/>\nAdwCleaner will now start to search for 16Start.com malicious files that may be installed on your computer.<\/li>\n<li>To remove the 16Start.com malicious files that were detected in the previous step, please click on the <strong>Clean<\/strong> button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15608\" title=\"Click on the Clean button to remove 16Start.com virus\" alt=\"Picture of AdwCleaner Clean button\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/AdwCleaner-Clean-malware.jpg\" width=\"528\" height=\"551\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/AdwCleaner-Clean-malware.jpg 528w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/AdwCleaner-Clean-malware-287x300.jpg 287w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><br \/>\nAdwCleaner 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 <strong>OK<\/strong> button.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad4217718096\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309748-ad_309691-placement_360588\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3906789406\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"junkware\">STEP 2: Remove 16Start.com from Internet Explore, Firefox and Google Chrome with Junkware Removal Tool<\/h2>\n<p>Junkware Removal Tool is a powerful utility, which will remove 16Start.com extensions from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>You can download the <strong>Junkware Removal Tool utility<\/strong> from the below link:<br \/>\n<strong><a title=\"Download Junkware Removal Tool\" href=\"http:\/\/thisisudax.org\/downloads\/JRT.exe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">JUNKWARE REMOVAL TOOL DOWNLOAD LINK<\/a><\/strong> <em>(This link will automatically download the Junkware Removal Tool utility on your computer)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Once Junkware Removal Tool has finished downloading, please <strong>double-click on the JRT.exe<\/strong> icon as seen below.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8942\" title=\"Double-click on the Junkware Removal Tool utility\" alt=\"[Image: Junkware Removal Tool]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Junkware-icon.jpg\" width=\"166\" height=\"154\" \/><br \/>\nIf Windows prompts you as to whether or not you wish to run Junkware Removal Tool, please allow it to run.<\/li>\n<li>Junkware Removal Tool will now start, and at the Command Prompt, you&#8217;ll need to <em>press any key<\/em> to perform a scan for the 16Start.com virus.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8944\" title=\"Junkware Removal Tool scanning for 16Start.com virus\" alt=\"[Image: Junkware Removal Tool scanning for 16Start.com homepage]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/junkware-removal-tool.jpg\" width=\"726\" height=\"373\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/junkware-removal-tool.jpg 726w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/junkware-removal-tool-300x154.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 726px) 100vw, 726px\" \/><br \/>\nPlease be patient as this can take a while to complete (up to 10 minutes) depending on your system&#8217;s specifications.<\/li>\n<li>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.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8943\" title=\"Junkware Removal Tool final log\" alt=\"[Image: Junkware Removal Tool final log]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Junkware-log.jpg\" width=\"676\" height=\"396\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Junkware-log.jpg 676w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Junkware-log-300x175.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad30083610\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_318930-ad_309691-placement_360589\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3818335085\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"malwarebytes\">STEP 3: Remove 16Start.com malicious files from your computer with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free<\/h2>\n<p>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free utilizes Malwarebytes powerful technology to detect and remove all traces of malware including worms, trojans, rootkits, rogues, dialers, spyware and more.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>You can <strong>download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free<\/strong> from the below link,then double click on it to install this program.<br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/download-malwarebytes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MALWAREBYTES ANTI-MALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><em>(This link will open a download page in a new window from where you can download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>When the installation begins, <strong>keep following the prompts<\/strong> in order to continue with the setup process.<br \/>\n<strong>Do not make any changes to default settings<\/strong> and when the program has finished installing, click on the <strong>Finish <\/strong>button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6075\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware final installation screen\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware final installation screen]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-installation.jpg\" width=\"402\" height=\"310\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-installation.jpg 402w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-installation-300x231.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 402px) 100vw, 402px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>On the <strong>Scanner<\/strong> tab, select <strong>Perform quick scan<\/strong> and then click on the <strong>Scan\u00a0<\/strong>button to start scanning your computer.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6076\" title=\"Run a Quick Scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Quick Scan]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-quick-scan.jpg\" width=\"521\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-quick-scan.jpg 521w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-quick-scan-300x228.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Malwarebytes&#8217; Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer as shown below.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6077\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scanning for 16Start.com virus\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scanning for 16Start.com virus\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan.jpg\" width=\"521\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan.jpg 521w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan-300x228.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When the Malwarebytes scan will be completed,click on\u00a0<strong>Show Result<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6078\" title=\"Malwarebytes when the system scan has completed\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scan results]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan-results.jpg\" width=\"521\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan-results.jpg 521w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan-results-300x228.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>You will now be presented with a screen showing you the malware infections that Malwarebytes&#8217; 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 <strong>Checked (ticked)<\/strong> and click on the <strong>Remove Selected <\/strong>button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6079\" title=\"Click on Remove Selected to get rid of malware\" alt=\"[Image:Malwarebytes removing malware]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-virus-removal.jpg\" width=\"521\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-virus-removal.jpg 521w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-virus-removal-300x228.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad2520979651\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381388-ad_309691-placement_381390\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3191649120\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"hitmanpro\">STEP 4: Double check for the 16Start.com infection with HitmanPro<\/h2>\n<p>HitmanPro is a second opinion scanner, designed to rescue your computer from malware (viruses, trojans, rootkits, etc.) that have infected your computer despite all the security measures you have taken (such as anti virus software, firewalls, etc.).<\/p><div id=\"mwtad181316262\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381401-ad_309691-placement_360573\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"5315249587\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>You can download HitmanPro<\/strong> from the below link, then double click on it to start this program.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/download-hitman-pro\" rel=\"nofollow\"> <strong>HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK<\/strong><\/a> <em>(This link will open a new web page from where you can download HitmanPro)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>HitmanPro will start and you&#8217;ll need to follow the prompts (by clicking on the <strong>Next<\/strong> button) to start a system scan with this program.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5179\" title=\"HitmanPro installation options (Click Next)\" alt=\"HitmanPro installation\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmapro-start-scan.jpg\" width=\"497\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmapro-start-scan.jpg 497w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmapro-start-scan-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>HitmanPro will start scanning your computer for malware, as seen in the image below.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5177\" title=\"HitmanPro while scanning for 16Start.com virus\" alt=\"HitmanPro scanning for 16Start.com virus\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan.jpg\" width=\"497\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan.jpg 497w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Once the scan is complete,you&#8217;ll see a screen which will display all the infected files that this utility has detected, and you&#8217;ll need to click on <strong>Next<\/strong> to remove these malicious files.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5178\" title=\"HitmanPro reporting scan results\" alt=\"HitmanPro scan results\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan-results.jpg\" width=\"497\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan-results.jpg 497w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan-results-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Activate free license<\/strong>to start the free 30 days trial and remove all the malicious files from your computer.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5175\" title=\"Activate HitmanPro free 30 days trial license\" alt=\"HitmanPro 30 days activation button\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-activation.jpg\" width=\"497\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-activation.jpg 497w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-activation-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad733870754\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381392-ad_309691-placement_381395\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"2944237110\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"browser\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">(OPTIONAL)<\/span>STEP 5: Reset your browser settings to remove 16Start.com from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome<\/h2>\n<p>If you are still experiencing issues with the 16Start.com redirect in Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome, we will need to reset your browser to its default settings. This step needs to be performed only if your issues have not been solved by the previous steps.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Remove 16Start.comfrom\u00a0Internet Explorer<\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Open Internet Explorer, click on the <strong>gear icon\u00a0<\/strong><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"[Image: icongear.jpg]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/icongear.jpg\" border=\"0\" title=\"\"> (<em>Tools<\/em> for Windows XP users)\u00a0at the top (far right), then click again on\u00a0<strong>Internet Options<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5216\" title=\"Internet Options in Internet Explorer\" alt=\"Internet Options in IE\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-internet-options.jpg\" width=\"512\" height=\"269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-internet-options.jpg 512w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-internet-options-300x157.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>In the <em>Internet Options<\/em> dialog box, click on the\u00a0<strong>Advanced<\/strong>\u00a0tab, then click\u00a0on the <strong>Reset<\/strong> button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5217\" title=\"Reset button in Internet Explorer\" alt=\"Reset Internet Explorer\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-reset.jpg\" width=\"338\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-reset.jpg 338w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-reset-234x300.jpg 234w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 338px) 100vw, 338px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>In the <em>Reset Internet Explorer settings<\/em> section, check the <strong>Delete personal settings <\/strong> box, then click on\u00a0<strong>Reset<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5215\" title=\"Reset Internet Explorer to its default settings\" alt=\"Internet Explorer back to its default settings  to remove 16Start.com virus\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-default-settings.jpg\" width=\"368\" height=\"366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-default-settings.jpg 368w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ie-default-settings-300x298.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 368px) 100vw, 368px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When Internet Explorer finishes resetting, click <strong>Close<\/strong>\u00a0in the confirmation dialogue box and then click\u00a0<strong>OK<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Close and open Internet Explorer<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Remove 16Start.com from Mozilla Firefox<\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>At the top of the Firefox window, click the <strong>Firefox\u00a0button<\/strong>, go over to the\u00a0<strong>Help<\/strong>\u00a0sub-menu (on\u00a0<em>Windows XP<\/em>, click the\u00a0Help\u00a0menu at the top of the Firefox window), and select\u00a0<strong>Troubleshooting Information<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5213\" title=\"Troubleshooting Information in Firefox\" alt=\"Firefox Troubleshooting Information\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/firefox-options.jpg\" width=\"528\" height=\"216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/firefox-options.jpg 528w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/firefox-options-300x122.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Click the\u00a0<strong>Reset Firefox<\/strong>\u00a0button in the upper-right corner of the <em>Troubleshooting Information<\/em> page.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5214\" title=\"Reset Firefox to its default settings\" alt=\"Firefox default settings  to remove 16Start.com pop-up virus\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/firefox-reset.jpg\" width=\"454\" height=\"182\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/firefox-reset.jpg 454w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/firefox-reset-300x120.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 454px) 100vw, 454px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>To continue, click\u00a0<strong>Reset Firefox<\/strong>\u00a0in the confirmation window that opens.<\/li>\n<li>Firefox will close and be reset. When it&#8217;s done, a window will list the information that was imported. Click <strong>Finish<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Remove 16Start.com from\u00a0Google Chrome<\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Click on Chrome&#8217;s main menu button, represented by three horizontal lines (<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17686\" title=\"Google Chrome's main menu button\" alt=\"[Image: Chrome's main menu button]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/reset-Chrome-button.png\" width=\"29\" height=\"29\" \/>) .When the drop-down menu appears, select the option labeled <strong>Settings<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17687\" title=\"Click on Settings button\" alt=\"[Image: Click on Settings button]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-1.jpg\" width=\"301\" height=\"455\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-1.jpg 301w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-1-198x300.jpg 198w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 301px) 100vw, 301px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Chrome&#8217;s Settings should now be displayed in a new tab or window, depending on your configuration. Next, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the <strong>Show advanced settings<\/strong> link (as seen in the below example).<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17688\" title=\"Click on Show advanced settings link\" alt=\"[Image: Click on Show advanced settings link]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-2.jpg\" width=\"666\" height=\"615\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-2.jpg 666w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-2-300x277.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 666px) 100vw, 666px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Chrome&#8217;s advanced Settings should now be displayed. Scroll down until the <em>Reset browser settings<\/em> section is visible, as shown in the example below. Next, click on the <strong>Reset browser<\/strong> settings button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17689\" title=\"Click on Reset browser button\" alt=\"[Image: Click on Reset browser button]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-3.jpg\" width=\"651\" height=\"482\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-3.jpg 651w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-3-300x222.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 651px) 100vw, 651px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>A confirmation dialog should now be displayed, detailing the components that will be restored to their default state should you continue on with the reset process. To complete the restoration process, click on the <strong>Reset<\/strong> button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17690\" title=\"Click on Reset button to restore Chrome to default settings\" alt=\"[Image: Click on Reset button to restore Chrome to default settings]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-4.jpg\" width=\"651\" height=\"482\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-4.jpg 651w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Reset-Chrome-Settings-4-300x222.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 651px) 100vw, 651px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Your computer should now be free of the 16Start.com infection. If your current anti-virus solution let this infection through, you may want to consider purchasing <strong><a title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware\" href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/malwarebyts-pro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the PRO version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware<\/a><\/strong> to protect against these types of threats in the future.<br \/>\nIf you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove 16Start.com hijacker from your machine, please start a new thread in our <strong><a title=\"Free Malware Removal Support\" href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/Forum-Malware-Removal-Assistance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Malware Removal Assistance<\/a><\/strong> forum.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>16Start.com\u00a0is a browser hijacker, which is promoted via other free downloads, and once installed it will change your browser homepage and default search engine to http:\/\/16Start.com. 16Start.com will display advertisements and sponsored links in your &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Remove 16Start.com hijack (Virus Removal Guide)\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/remove-16start-com-virus\/#more-17684\" aria-label=\"Read more about Remove 16Start.com hijack (Virus Removal Guide)\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17685,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2725],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adware","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50","resize-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17684\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}