What is Cloud-connect.net?
Cloud-connect.net is a malicious advertising platform that is compatible with any browser you may use, such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. Even though the website itself is not malignant, cyber criminals are using it as a network referral ID. They do that, because this platform is designed to generate traffic for their affiliates and sponsors and to earn money doing that. While this is not illegal per se, their ways of monetizing their programs are intrusive and unreliable. This leads to the fact that you should remove Cloud-connect.net as soon as you are aware of its presence in your computer.
How did it get in and what does it do?
If this nasty platform has found its way into your system, it is very plausible that it sneaked in without your actual consent. Cloud-connect.net and other such programs have been known to enter bundled with freeware downloads or pirated software, as well as via peer-to-peer file sharing websites. It can also travel via infected websites or genuine ones that have been compromised or go back to classics and infect your machine with the help of spam email attachments or links. There are also cases where it masks as legitimate and useful software and tricks you into downloading the infection yourself.
When it is already residing in your computer, it will produce countless advertisements whenever you use any search engine or any browser, will redirect you to sponsored and potentially dangerous websites. It will also flood your screen with countless pop-up ads and flash update boxes; all of that to make you generate their income. With such an infection in your system it is very easy to catch something even nastier and the only way to prevent that is to delete Cloud-connect.net immediately.
How to remove Cloud-connect.net?
The removal process depends on what tool the criminals are using to produce their ads. Whichever it is though, it is the safest option to scan your computer after you delete Cloud-connect.net, because it could have been infected with something else while the adware was in it. If it is using a certain program(s) or extension(s), here are some of the examples what those may be:
- Auto-Lyrics;
- LyricsContainer;
- WebCake 3.00;
- DownloadTerms 1.0;
- LessTabs;
- TidyNetwork.com;
- Browser Defender;
- Selection Links;
- SimpleLyrics.
The key right now is to look for any programs and/or extensions that you have not purposefully downloaded and installed. If you see any of the examples above or have found another unknown program or extension, it may be the source of your infection and you should get rid of it as soon as possible. Please note that even if you do successfully eliminate the infected programs, it is essential to still scan your system afterwards, especially if you have not had to deal with malware before.
Remove malicious programs:
Windows 8:
- Open the Metro UI screen.
- Right click on any program
- Click Uninstall in the bar that appears below.
- Programs and Features will open.
- Select and uninstall programs from the list above or other unknown programs.
- Be careful not to delete any important programs.
- To avoid that, check the dates of installation and only remove the ones that appeared along with the ads.
- Download and install SpyHunter.
- Run a free scan to check for infections.
Windows Vista/7:
- Click Start.
- Select Control Panel.
- Go to Uninstall a program.
- Select and uninstall the programs you saw on the list above or other that were not authorized.
- While doing that, double check the installation dates to avoid removing important programs.
- Go to http://www.anti-spyware-101.com/download-sph to download SpyHunter.
- Install it and run a free scan to make sure your system is not infected any more.
Windows XP:
- Press Start.
- Go to Control Panel.
- Click Add or Remove Programs.
- Choose and uninstall programs that are presented in the list above and others that you have not downloaded.
- Be careful to check the installation dates, because it is easy remove an important program by accident.
- At http://www.anti-spyware-101.com/spyhunter, download a malware removal tool.
- Install it and perform the free scan to make sure the computer is clean.
Delete malicious browser extensions:
Internet Explorer:
- Click Alt+T.
- Go to Manage Add-ons.
- Click the Toolbars and Extensions tab.
- Select and disable all unknown extensions.
Mozilla Firefox:
- Click Alt+T.
- Select Add-ons.
- Under Extensions bar, disable all unauthorized extensions.
Google Chrome:
- Click Alt+F.
- Select Settings.
- Click Extensions tab on the left.
- Uninstall all unknown extensions by clicking the bin icon on their right.
After successfully removing the extensions, make sure to scan your computer with SpyHunter to double check for any threats that may still be in your system.
100% FREE spyware scan and
tested removal of Cloud-connect.net*
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