Computer viruses are the scourge that gives users the most trouble. And they do not always work directly on the operating system. One of these threats is the Trotux program, which is completely useless in terms of OS functionality. How to remove it completely and completely, not many users know. Here you will need a comprehensive uninstall using several basic methods to get rid of the threat.
What is Trotux?
Trotux computer virus belongs to the category of browser hijackers. The principle of its impact on the user system is a violation of access to Internet resources. After penetrating the computer, the application spontaneously changes the start pages in browsers and establishes a constant redirection of user requests to trusted sites to resources of dubious (most often advertising) content. As a result of such an impact, Trotux.com opens with a search bar when the browser starts. In fact, the search engine built into it has nothing to do with trusted search engines.
How to remove Trotux from Firefox, Internet Explorer and Chrome will be said a little later, but for now a few words about the symptoms of infection. The first signs of virus penetration into the system may be a change in the start page (as shown above), redirection to questionable sites, spontaneous appearance in search queries of extra letters or words, the presence of advertising banners on resources where they should definitely not be, opening pop-up windows with the suggestion of updating system components like Flash Player, launching unknown programs and processes.
How does a virus enter a computer system?
It is obvious that in most cases the virus enters the computer terminal only with the consent of the user, although he himself may not be aware of this. The fact is that when installing some software downloaded not from a trusted source, users usually just press the continue installation buttons and almost never read messages about offers to install additional software (supposedly useful and extremely necessary).
And then Trotux appears. How to remove this virus? It is not limited to disabling the add-ons that it installs in all web browsers without exception. The problem is that the virus remains in the system and still carries on its parasitic activity, tracking all the work in browsers. And after a while, if it is not completely removed, it can be activated again in the system. And no change in the settings of Internet browsers will help (the virus simply blocks the change of settings). That is why the problem of how to get rid of Trotux at the initial stage boils down to removing the threat from the system using a software method. For all Windows OS, the algorithm is the same.
Windows Trotux Removal
For standard removal, it uses the program and component section, called from the “Control Panel”, in which you need to find the desired virus and click on the uninstall button.
The virus itself in the system is not masked, so finding it in the list of work will not leave. At the end of the removal, some additional actions should be performed.
Cleaning files, folders and registry keys
In the second stage, the question of how to remove Trotux from the browser remains open, because the standard Windows uninstaller does not completely remove the program, and a lot of garbage remains in the system.
You will have to remove all these residual components manually. On the system drive (usually the drive "C") you need to find all the objects of the same name. To do this, you can use the usual search in the "Explorer". When they are found, they need to be removed (and from the "Recycle Bin" too).
Next, you need to call the registry editor (regedit command in the "Run" console) and search for the name of the virus already in it. As a rule, all keys of the remote program will be located in the SOFTWARE directories of the HKLM and HKU branches. Again, all found entries are deleted.
How to remove Trotux from Chrome?
Now we are ready to remove browser add-ons. First, let's see how to remove Trotux from Chrome.
In an open browser, click on the "Menu" button in the upper right corner, go to the advanced settings and use the extensions section. In the list opposite the Trotux component there is a trash icon that you need to click on and then confirm the deletion.
After that, you need to go into the settings and click on the "Add" button and use the menu "Open at startup ...". Here, to install a clean page at the start of the browser itself, you need to select about: blank or enter the desired address. Upon completion, you need to close the "Chrome" and make a full restart of the system (this applies to all browsers).
Removing a virus from Firefox
Now let's see how to remove Trotux from Firefox. In principle, the technology is the same. Here we also use the menu call, select the "Advanced" section and move on to extensions. Next, select the Trotux element and turn it off.
To change the start page we use the same menu, but we select the basic settings, and on the tab of the home page we set a blank (as described above).
Then we enter the about: config command in the address bar , agree with the warning and look for the browser.newtab.url line, right-click on it and reboot Firefox.
Actions in Internet Explorer
Now a few words about Internet Explorer, in which the Trotux add-in may also appear. How to remove it? There is nothing easier. We use the service menu or Alt + X combination, select the add-on settings, in the corresponding panel we find Trotux and disable the extension.
Next, from the same service menu, select the browser (browser) properties section and on the common tab click the tab button. In the opening field at startup, use the value "Empty" as the home page or in the English version described above. If necessary, enter the address yourself.
Reset settings for all browsers
In some cases, you can get rid of the virus add-on by completely resetting the browser settings.
In Chrome, the settings section is used for this, in which the display of additional parameters is selected, after which you need to find the reset button and confirm your actions.
In Firefox, you should click on the help button in the menu, indicated by a question mark, and find there a line with information on how to solve problems. After clicking on it, a new window will appear where you need to use the Firefox setup section, where there is a cleanup button that you need to click on and confirm the selected action.
In IE or Edge, use the browser properties section, where you need to click on the reset button on the "Advanced" tab. At the same time, you must check the box next to the line for deleting personal data and settings.
Finally, for all browsers, one more thing to fix regarding Trotux. How to remove the virus is already clear, but due to the presence of a link to it in the description of the path to the executable file, the virus can be activated again over time.
To fix the problem, use the right click on the application’s shortcut, select the property bar, and on the “Shortcut” tab in the field of the full path, the end is checked, which should be presented in the form “Browser name.exe”. If at the end something else is installed, all this should be removed (as a rule, http://Trotux.com will be present there).
Using third-party programs
This could be the end if it were not for the presence of a sufficiently large number of programs capable of removing viruses of this type, making it easier for the user to work.
So, for example, at the first stage of standard removal, you can use automated uninstallers (iObit Uninstaller, Revo Uninstaller, etc.). In addition to eliminating the main components of the virus, such programs in the process of in-depth scanning independently identify residual files, folders and entries in the system registry, after which they are also deleted.
In some cases, it is justified to use utilities like Malwarebytes Anti-Malware or AdwCleaner, which are designed specifically to search for threats of this type. They are capable of detecting some hijacking viruses that skip standard anti-virus scanners installed in the system, since most viruses in this category have the status of trusted applications, and some are even equipped with publisher certificates. Unfortunately, not all antiviruses are able to determine that such a certificate is "fake".
It remains to add as advice that when installing any type of program you need to carefully read all the recommendations and suggestions for installing additional components during the installation process. At least in this way you can be at least partially sure that some unnecessary program or virus will not be installed on your computer.