Following the installation of a program or after the malware warning from the antivirus that eliminates the infection or even after browsing many sites that are not properly cleaned, it may happen that you have the problem of some sites that do not open or that load different pages .
This is a more common mistake than you think, technically called Browser hijacking which literally means browser hijacked.
In practice, the browser, then Chrome, Firefox or others, responds to user requests on the computer with different responses, configured by the program or by the virus that infected the PC.
You are therefore asked to visit a site like facebook.com and this does not open by returning error 404 or you open a different site, perhaps similar or with all advertising.
If that's the problem, let's see how to fix it and make sure sites open normally when they're online, without strange redirects .
First it is important to understand if the problem occurs with a single site or with all, then if it occurs on a specific browser or with all.
Obviously if no site is opened it will be advisable to check that the internet connection is working.
In another article we have seen what to do if the internet connection is absent.
If a site is offline or returns a 404 error page, you can check whether that site is offline for everyone or just us using some tools.
In addition, another check to do is to verify that the site you are trying to open is not obscured in Italy, perhaps because it publishes prohibited content, which may also be for commercial rights reasons (such as sites with free streaming football ).
In another article we have therefore seen how to open each blocked or obscured site.
After checking that the problem does not depend on external factors, we now go to see the causes that can cause redirects of websites to others or to 404 error pages.
1) Presence of a proxy
If malware has acted on the PC, its effects may remain even after the virus has been removed and cleaned.
one of these effects may be the addition of a proxy that redirects the connection to websites.
A proxy is a server to which the browser directs requests and if this server was that of a hacker, then it could lead to browsing on the sites decided by him.
To check that there is no active proxy in Windows, go to Control Panel> Network and Internet> Network and Sharing Center, then press on the bottom left on Internet Options, go to the Connections tab, press on LAN Settings and make sure that the proxy server option is disabled and empty.
2) DNS changed
For the same reasons described above, DNS servers may have changed.
To check, go to Control Panel> Network and Internet> Network and Sharing Center, then click on the link in the center of the Ethernet or wifi network used and go to Properties.
Or press the link on the left Change card settings and then right-click on the network card used to go to the Properties .
Select Internet Protocol version 4 and click on Properties .
Make sure that the primary and secondary DNS fields are empty or otherwise there are addresses recognized by us.
3) File Hosts
The hosts file is a very hidden Windows system file, often targeted by malware because it is responsible for custom redirects of IP addresses.
It is a text file that can be used to overwrite DNS and give different addresses to websites.
For example, just write something like:
www.google.com www.navigaweb.net
To bring up Navigaweb.net every time you try to open Google.
To check the hosts files you need to open the following folder:
C: \ Windows \ System32 \ drivers \ etc
Right click on the file called Hosts, open with and choose Notepad .
If there are more lines than the ones with the # in front (which is like a guide to use), delete them all and save.
4) Browser extensions
If the problem of redirects occurs only on Chrome or only on Firefox, the fault is certainly an extension installed.
Then try to open the browser without loading the extensions to see if it fixes it.
Then disable all extensions and selectively reactivate them until you find the culprit.
In Chrome you can manage extensions by pressing the button with three dots at the top right, then in Other tools> Extensions .
In Firefox, press the key with three lines at the top right and then on Add-ons .
5) Delete temporary browser files and reset it
If the problem still occurs only on Chrome or only on Firefox, you can try a complete reset.
In another article, the guide to reset Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer to the default settings, which is simple, being integrated in browsers, the one-click error recovery and correction function works.
If you don't want to reset, you can try to clear cache, cookies and temporary files, which can work if the problem is not being able to open some usual sites.
6) Do an antivirus scan
To be sure that a virus is not active on your PC, you should immediately do an antivirus scan with MalwareBytes antimalware, free of charge.
If there are any malware detections or if Malwarebytes seems unable to check, then I recommend following the guide to remove malware from the infected computer.
7) Use Hijackthis
This step is for the more experienced, who are able to use this small tool capable of revealing everything that is loaded by Windows, with the possibility of recognizing harmful elements.
To learn more read the guide to Hijackthis.
READ ALSO: Change the settings in browsers modified by malware, adware and toolbar
This is a more common mistake than you think, technically called Browser hijacking which literally means browser hijacked.
In practice, the browser, then Chrome, Firefox or others, responds to user requests on the computer with different responses, configured by the program or by the virus that infected the PC.
You are therefore asked to visit a site like facebook.com and this does not open by returning error 404 or you open a different site, perhaps similar or with all advertising.
If that's the problem, let's see how to fix it and make sure sites open normally when they're online, without strange redirects .
First it is important to understand if the problem occurs with a single site or with all, then if it occurs on a specific browser or with all.
Obviously if no site is opened it will be advisable to check that the internet connection is working.
In another article we have seen what to do if the internet connection is absent.
If a site is offline or returns a 404 error page, you can check whether that site is offline for everyone or just us using some tools.
In addition, another check to do is to verify that the site you are trying to open is not obscured in Italy, perhaps because it publishes prohibited content, which may also be for commercial rights reasons (such as sites with free streaming football ).
In another article we have therefore seen how to open each blocked or obscured site.
After checking that the problem does not depend on external factors, we now go to see the causes that can cause redirects of websites to others or to 404 error pages.
1) Presence of a proxy
If malware has acted on the PC, its effects may remain even after the virus has been removed and cleaned.
one of these effects may be the addition of a proxy that redirects the connection to websites.
A proxy is a server to which the browser directs requests and if this server was that of a hacker, then it could lead to browsing on the sites decided by him.
To check that there is no active proxy in Windows, go to Control Panel> Network and Internet> Network and Sharing Center, then press on the bottom left on Internet Options, go to the Connections tab, press on LAN Settings and make sure that the proxy server option is disabled and empty.
2) DNS changed
For the same reasons described above, DNS servers may have changed.
To check, go to Control Panel> Network and Internet> Network and Sharing Center, then click on the link in the center of the Ethernet or wifi network used and go to Properties.
Or press the link on the left Change card settings and then right-click on the network card used to go to the Properties .
Select Internet Protocol version 4 and click on Properties .
Make sure that the primary and secondary DNS fields are empty or otherwise there are addresses recognized by us.
3) File Hosts
The hosts file is a very hidden Windows system file, often targeted by malware because it is responsible for custom redirects of IP addresses.
It is a text file that can be used to overwrite DNS and give different addresses to websites.
For example, just write something like:
www.google.com www.navigaweb.net
To bring up Navigaweb.net every time you try to open Google.
To check the hosts files you need to open the following folder:
C: \ Windows \ System32 \ drivers \ etc
Right click on the file called Hosts, open with and choose Notepad .
If there are more lines than the ones with the # in front (which is like a guide to use), delete them all and save.
4) Browser extensions
If the problem of redirects occurs only on Chrome or only on Firefox, the fault is certainly an extension installed.
Then try to open the browser without loading the extensions to see if it fixes it.
Then disable all extensions and selectively reactivate them until you find the culprit.
In Chrome you can manage extensions by pressing the button with three dots at the top right, then in Other tools> Extensions .
In Firefox, press the key with three lines at the top right and then on Add-ons .
5) Delete temporary browser files and reset it
If the problem still occurs only on Chrome or only on Firefox, you can try a complete reset.
In another article, the guide to reset Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer to the default settings, which is simple, being integrated in browsers, the one-click error recovery and correction function works.
If you don't want to reset, you can try to clear cache, cookies and temporary files, which can work if the problem is not being able to open some usual sites.
6) Do an antivirus scan
To be sure that a virus is not active on your PC, you should immediately do an antivirus scan with MalwareBytes antimalware, free of charge.
If there are any malware detections or if Malwarebytes seems unable to check, then I recommend following the guide to remove malware from the infected computer.
7) Use Hijackthis
This step is for the more experienced, who are able to use this small tool capable of revealing everything that is loaded by Windows, with the possibility of recognizing harmful elements.
To learn more read the guide to Hijackthis.
READ ALSO: Change the settings in browsers modified by malware, adware and toolbar
