Hao.ylmf.com

What is Hao.ylmf.com?

If you face Hao.ylmf.com after launching your Chrome, Firefox, or Internet Explorer browser, you should have no doubt that a browser hijacker has slithered into your computer. Unfortunately, this is one of the more annoying hijackers because you cannot delete it using a few simple steps. While most hijackers can be tamed by replacing unwanted homepage and search provider tools, this one is much more complicated than that. In fact, this hijacker can only modify the homepage on Internet Explorer, but it affects other browsers by modifying their Targets. Considering that most users are unaware of a browser Target, it is not surprising that most struggle with the removal of Hao.ylmf.com. Well, after analyzing this threat in our Anti-Spyware-101.com internal lab, we can provide you with all the information you need to erase this hijacker from your browsers and your PC.

How does Hao.ylmf.com work?

Just like Hao123.com and several other infamous hijackers, Hao.ylmf.com is targeted at users living in China. Although nearly 30% of all users are located outside of China, there is no question about which users it is targeted at, especially if you look at the language used. The interface of this hijacker reminds of a regular web page, but this one includes a search box, and the text is all in Chinese. If you discover ads showing up on this page, it is most likely that you can blame Qvod, an advertising-supported program that comes bundled with the hijacker. Of course, other ad-supported programs could be introduced instead of/together with this unreliable piece of software. Because the hijacker is not represented in an official manner, it is most likely that its developer relies on third-party installers to spread it across the web. Once installed, it continuously connects to 123.a101.cc/u.php?id=89, aq8.cc/?aa=ch&sd--ant-, and 17990.vicp.net/1/YWJvdXQ6Ymxhbms= servers. These servers might store data that the hijacker needs, and, in order to terminate this communication, you need to erase the infection.

Needless to say, it is not difficult to discover Hao.ylmf.com because this infection does not hide itself. On the contrary, the idea behind this hijacker is to force you into using it, which is exactly why it modifies the settings of your browsers. If you encounter this hijacker as soon as you launch your browser, there is no doubt that it was infected. Well, what if you agreed to install this hijacker? It is possible that you will have the opportunity to accept or decline this search tool when installing bundled software, and, if you install it willingly, you might think that it is trustworthy. Well, reliable search tools would not hijack your browsers the way this infection does. Do you think that a reliable program would create a shortcut (called "Intrenet. Expleror.lnk") on your Desktop and add an IE icon to trick you into launching it as a regular Internet Explorer browser? Of course, this would not happen with reliable software. Hopefully, you will realize this, and you will quickly delete this infection. If you choose to interact with this hijacker instead, you might encounter big security problems.

How to delete Hao.ylmf.com

It should be obvious by now that you should delete Hao.ylmf.com from your operating system. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done because this threat is quite complex, and inexperienced users might have problems eliminating it. Are you inexperienced? If you are, it might be best for you to install anti-malware software capable of eliminating unreliable and malicious programs from your PC automatically. We have created a guide that shows how to eliminate files and registry keys, as well as how to modify your browsers back to normal. We cannot stress enough how careful you need to be to get rid of this hijacker successfully without disrupting other functions of your PC, especially when messing with the Registry Editor. On top of that, you might find that you need to eliminate other threats, including the Qvod adware. If multiple threats are active, manual removal is not recommended.

Removal Guide

Get rid of files

1. Tap Win+E simultaneously to launch Explorer.
2. Type %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\tools or %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\tools (for Windows XP users) into the address bar at the top and tap Enter.
3. Find the file called “google.html” and Delete it.
4. Deletethe LNK files (bolded) in these directories:
   • %USERPROFILE%\Desktop\Intrenet. Expleror.lnk
   • %PUBLIC%\Desktop\打折网购.lnk
   • %PUBLIC%\Desktop\上网导航.lnk
   • %AppData%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\打折网购.lnk
   • %AppData%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\上网导航.lnk
   • %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\打折网购.lnk
   • %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\上网导航.lnk
   • %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\打折网购.lnk
   • %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\上网导航.lnk

Erase registry keys

1. Tap Win+R simultaneously to launch RUN.
2. Enter regedit.exe and click OK to launch Registry Editor.
3. Navigate to {HKCU/HKLM}\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\DOMStorage\.
4. Find www.hao.ylmf.com and hao.ylmf.com keys and Delete them one at a time.

Restore Internet Explorer homepage

1. Launch IE and tap Alt+T to access the Tools menu.
2. Click Internet options.
3. Click the General tab and find the Home Page section.
4. Erase the unwanted URL and enter the preferred one. Click OK.

Modify Firefox and Chrome shortcuts

1. Right-click the infected shortcut and click Properties.
2. Click the Shortcut tab.
3. Navigate to the Target box.
4. Erasethe hijacker’s target. Here are a few examples:
   • %PUBLIC%\Desktop\Google Chrome.lnk
   • %AppData%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\Google Chrome.lnk
   • %PUBLIC%\Desktop\Mozilla Firefox.lnk
5. Enter the original location (e.g., "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" or "C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe").
6. Click OK and repeat these steps for all other infected shortcuts.

Keep in mind that Anti-Spyware-101.com malware analysts welcome all questions regarding Windows security and the removal of existing malware. If you have questions regarding these topics, use the comments section below to ask them.

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