Friday
2017-01-04, 09:23
The following instructions have been created to help you to get rid of "PU.AutoComplete" manually.
Use this guide at your own risk; software should usually be better suited to remove malware, since it is able to look deeper.
If this guide was helpful to you, please consider donating towards this site (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=donate).
Threat Details:
Categories:
pups
bho
Description:
PU.AutoComplete is a BHO without benefit for the user. It also changes the starting page to http://search.autocompletepro.com. When you use this search engine every result is modified and includes a referral link to http://www.css.infospace.com.
Links (be careful!):
: ttp://search.autocompletepro.com
: ttp://www.7art-screensavers.com
Removal Instructions:
Installed Software List:
You can try to uninstall products with the names listed below; for items identified by other properties or to avoid malware getting active again on uninstallation, use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) or RunAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=runalyzer) to locate and get rid of these entries.
Products that have a key or property named "7art vitality_clock Screensaver_is1".
Products that have a key or property named "AutocompletePro3_is1".
Files:
Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these files.
The file at "<$APPDATA>\7art\vitality_clock\unins000.exe".
The file at "<$DESKTOP>\7art screensavers.url".
The file at "<$DESKTOP>\Run vitality_clock.lnk".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AutocompletePro\64\AutocompletePro64.dll".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AutocompletePro\chrome\autocompleteprochrome.crx".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AutocompletePro\ChromeSetSearchInBrowser.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AutocompletePro\FireFoxExtension.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AutocompletePro\InstTracker.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AutocompletePro\unins000.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins\acpro.xml".
The file at "<$WINDIR>\vitality_clock.scr".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If PU.AutoComplete uses rootkit technologies, use the rootkit scanner integrated into Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) 2.x or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify files!
Important: There are more files that cannot be safely described in simple words. Please use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) to remove them.
Folders:
Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these folders.
The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AutocompletePro".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If PU.AutoComplete uses rootkit technologies, use our RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify folders!
Registry:
You can use regedit.exe (included in Windows) to locate and delete these registry entries.
Delete the registry key "AutocompletePro.DLL" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\".
Delete the registry key "Autocompletepro" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\".
Delete the registry value "SCRNSAVE.EXE=C:\WINDOWS\VITALI~1.SCR" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\".
If PU.AutoComplete uses rootkit technologies, use our RegAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=regalyzer), RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
There are more registry entries that cannot be safely described in simple words. Please use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) to remove them.
Browser:
The following browser plugins or items can either be removed directly in your browser, or through the help of e.g. Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) or RunAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=runalyzer).
Please check your bookmarks for links to "http://search.autocompletepro.com/*".
Final Words:
If neither Spybot-S&D nor self help did resolve the issue or you would prefer one on one help,
Please read these instructions (http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=288) before requesting assistance,
Then start your own thread in the Malware Removal Forum (http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22) where a volunteer analyst will advise you as soon as available.
Use this guide at your own risk; software should usually be better suited to remove malware, since it is able to look deeper.
If this guide was helpful to you, please consider donating towards this site (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=donate).
Threat Details:
Categories:
pups
bho
Description:
PU.AutoComplete is a BHO without benefit for the user. It also changes the starting page to http://search.autocompletepro.com. When you use this search engine every result is modified and includes a referral link to http://www.css.infospace.com.
Links (be careful!):
: ttp://search.autocompletepro.com
: ttp://www.7art-screensavers.com
Removal Instructions:
Installed Software List:
You can try to uninstall products with the names listed below; for items identified by other properties or to avoid malware getting active again on uninstallation, use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) or RunAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=runalyzer) to locate and get rid of these entries.
Products that have a key or property named "7art vitality_clock Screensaver_is1".
Products that have a key or property named "AutocompletePro3_is1".
Files:
Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these files.
The file at "<$APPDATA>\7art\vitality_clock\unins000.exe".
The file at "<$DESKTOP>\7art screensavers.url".
The file at "<$DESKTOP>\Run vitality_clock.lnk".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AutocompletePro\64\AutocompletePro64.dll".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AutocompletePro\chrome\autocompleteprochrome.crx".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AutocompletePro\ChromeSetSearchInBrowser.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AutocompletePro\FireFoxExtension.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AutocompletePro\InstTracker.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AutocompletePro\unins000.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins\acpro.xml".
The file at "<$WINDIR>\vitality_clock.scr".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If PU.AutoComplete uses rootkit technologies, use the rootkit scanner integrated into Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) 2.x or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify files!
Important: There are more files that cannot be safely described in simple words. Please use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) to remove them.
Folders:
Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these folders.
The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AutocompletePro".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If PU.AutoComplete uses rootkit technologies, use our RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify folders!
Registry:
You can use regedit.exe (included in Windows) to locate and delete these registry entries.
Delete the registry key "AutocompletePro.DLL" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\".
Delete the registry key "Autocompletepro" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\".
Delete the registry value "SCRNSAVE.EXE=C:\WINDOWS\VITALI~1.SCR" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\".
If PU.AutoComplete uses rootkit technologies, use our RegAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=regalyzer), RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
There are more registry entries that cannot be safely described in simple words. Please use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) to remove them.
Browser:
The following browser plugins or items can either be removed directly in your browser, or through the help of e.g. Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) or RunAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=runalyzer).
Please check your bookmarks for links to "http://search.autocompletepro.com/*".
Final Words:
If neither Spybot-S&D nor self help did resolve the issue or you would prefer one on one help,
Please read these instructions (http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=288) before requesting assistance,
Then start your own thread in the Malware Removal Forum (http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22) where a volunteer analyst will advise you as soon as available.