Remove Robotcaptcha3.info “Virus” (Chrome/FF/IE)

Robotcaptcha3.info in Depth

Internet is full of different ad-generating and page-redirecting applications which serve the online advertising industry by spamming us with different ads and pop-up banners. These applications oftentimes end up inside our computer without our direct approval. In this post, we will discuss one particular program of this type which is called Robotcaptcha3.info. This program contains the features of a typical Browser Hijacker and, in the next lines, we will show you how to safely remove it. So, if you have installed the Robotcaptcha3.info “Virus” by accident and want to uninstall it fast, stay with us till the end.

Usually, the web users are promised that once they install a Browser Hijacker such as Robotcaptcha3.info, www1.ecleneue.com or Chainthorn.com on their system and allow it to integrate with their default browser (be it Chrome, Firefox, Explorer or another one), this will significantly improve their browsing experience. However, the sole purpose of these programs is to generate revenue for their developers through pay-per-click ads and sponsored redirects. That’s why, instead of providing real value to the normal web user, the browser hijacker initiates unwanted redirects to different sponsored sites and collects various types of traffic data. Apart from that, this software may install some new components inside the browser, such as a new homepage or a new search engine and to spam the screen with different intrusive ads, banners, and pop-ups every time you start a new browsing session.

Is Robotcaptcha3.info Dangerous?

Most Browser Hijackers, including the one that we are discussing here, may have an official download website from where they can be downloaded for free and installed. This greatly differentiates them from Viruses and malware such as Ransomware or Spyware, which are usually distributed via illegal sites or shady transmitters. However, these programs are usually introduced into the system without the users’ direct approval, since the developers distribute them through intrusive advertisements and with the help of a deceptive marketing method called “software bundling”. The intrusive ads are usually designed to redirect the users to specific websites and to persuade them to execute a code that can download/install the potentially unwanted ad-generating application. The software bundling is a method that allows the automatic installation of third-party programs along with some (mostly free) software that the users desire. The developers typically include the Browser Hijacker as a bonus application to the main installation and hide it under the customized or advanced settings of the installation. The fact that many users often skip those settings and quickly run through the automatic installation steps without knowing what the advanced settings contain also helps programs like Robotcaptcha3.info “Virus” to silently become part of the system. The good news is you can uninstall those programs relatively easily if you follow certain removal steps.

The ads and the pages promoted by Browser Hijackers may often seem reliable since the advertisers invest a lot of resources in their design. However, some of these ads and links may point to dubious websites (pornography, gambling, surveys, online games, etc.) or even worse – they may be carriers of nasty viruses, Ransomware, Trojans and other malware. Therefore, we recommend that you stay away from them and immediately remove all suspicious applications and/or browser extensions related to the Robotcaptcha3.info “Virus” with the help of the removal guide below.

SUMMARY:

Remove Robotcaptcha3.info “Virus”

Robotcaptcha3.info Android Removal guide

Robotcaptcha3.info Mac Removal guide.

The following guide is only for windows users, it will help our readers get rid of the unpleasant Robotcaptcha3.info software. Follow the instructions and complete each step for best results. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them using our comment section down below.

Preparation: Entering Safe Mode and Revealing Hidden Files and Folders

Before you proceed with the actual removal instructions, you will need to take two extra steps in order to ensure that the guide has maximum effect.

For best results, we advise our readers to boot into Safe Mode prior to attempting to remove Robotcaptcha3.info. If you do not know how to do that, here is a separate How to Enter Safe Mode guide.

Also, in order to be able to see any potentially undesirable files, you should reveal any hidden files and folders on your PC – here is how to do that.

Removing Robotcaptcha3.info From Windows

Step 1: Checking the Task Manager

Before we start deleting files related to Robotcaptcha3.info we want to make sure that all services related to the viruses are killed before we proceed. 

Open your Task Manager by using the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys and go to the Processes tab. Look for any suspicious processes. For example, any unfamiliar process that uses high amounts of RAM and/or CPU. If you aren’t sure if a certain process comes from malware, tell us in the comments.

Right-click on any process that you consider shady and select Open File Location. Delete anything from the file location of the process.

Step 2: Disabling Startup programs

Use the Winkey + R keyboard combination to open the Run search bar and type msconfig. Hit Enter and in the newly opened window, go to the Startup tab. There, look for suspicious entries with unknown manufacturer or ones that have the name Robotcaptcha3.info on them. Right-click on those, and select disable.

Step 3: Uninstalling unwanted programs

Go to Start Menu > Control Panel > Uninstall a Program. Click on Installed On to sort the entries by date from most recent to oldest and look through the programs that come at the top of the list. Right-click on any entries that appear shady and unwanted and then select Uninstall to remove them from your PC. If you see the name Robotcaptcha3.info in the list of programs, be sure to remove the software without hesitation.

Step 4: Checking for shady IP’s

Open your Start Menu and copy-paste notepad %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/hosts in the search bar. In the notepad file, look below Localhost and see if there are any IP addresses there. If there are some, send them to us in the comments and we will tell you if you should take any action. [add_forth_banner]

Step 5: Cleaning-up the browsers

You will also have to uninstall any undesirable browser extensions from your browser programs. Here’s how to do that for some of the more popular browsers:

Getting rid of Robotcaptcha3.info from Chrome

Open Chrome and open its main menu. Go to More Tools > Extensions. Look through the list of extensions and uninstall any that you think could be suspicious. To remove them – click on the trash can icon next to each extension.

You can also use a specialized Chrome CleanUp tool if you cannot manually remove a certain extension. Here is an article where you can learn more about the CleanUp tool.

Removing Robotcaptcha3.info From Firefox

Open Firefox and go to its Menu. Select the Add-ons button.From the left panel, select Extensions and take a look at the different entries. Remove any of the that might be unwanted.

Removing Robotcaptcha3.info From Windows Internet Explorer

Once you open your IE browser, click on the Tools button at the top-right corner of the program and from the drop-down menu select Manage Add-ons. Check each one of the four different groups of add-ons and search for anything that seems undesirable. If you find anything, click on it and them select Remove.

Removing Robotcaptcha3.info From Windows Edge

Open the main menu of Microsoft Edge and go to Extensions. Find the extensions that you believe could be unwanted and right-click on them. Then, select Uninstall.

Step 6: Checking the Registry Editor

Open the Run search bar again and type regedit in it. Hit Enter and once the Registry Editor opens press Ctrl + F. In the search field type Robotcaptcha3.info and click on Find Next. Tell us in the comments if any results came up when you searched for Robotcaptcha3.info in your PC’s Registry.

Step 7: Deleting recent entries

For this step, you will have to open your Start Menu and copy-paste the following lines, one by one:

• %AppData%
• %LocalAppData%
• %ProgramData%
• %WinDir%
• %Temp%

Hit Enter after each one to open a file directory. In the directories, delete the most recent entries that you find there. In the Temp folder, delete all files.

Step 8: System Restore

In order to be fully sure that the unwanted software has been removed from your machine, you can also try using a Restore Point to roll back your system its last stable configuration. However, in order to do that, you would have to previously had had a restore point created. On most systems, such points get created automatically but this isn’t always the case.

• If you want to learn how to configure System Restore and how to manually create Restore Points, follow this link.

1. Open your Start Menu and type System Restore.
2. Click on the first result – a setup wizard should open.
3. Read the brief description of the process and select Next.
4. Now, choose a restore from the presented list. You can also check the Show more restore points option in order to reveal any other restore points that might be saved on your PC.
5. Click on Scan for affected programs to see what programs will get deleted or restored after you use the Restore Point. (optional)

   

6. Click on next and take and then select Finish.
7. A warning window will appear telling you that once the process starts, it shouldn’t be interrupted. Select Yes and be patient as this might take some time. Do not do anything on your PC throughout the duration of the process.

Step 9: Windows Refresh/Reset

Use this method only if nothing else has worked so far as it is a last resort option. If you do not know how to do it, this separate guide will give you the information that you need.