nevermind, it is not working again, I did get rid of the browser hijacker (conduit) but I still can not come to this site without using a web proxy.
How did you get rid of hijacker? If not done correctly you still have it.
Maybe this will help.....
Methods to Remove Conduit
The purpose of this article is to give a number of steps to remove Conduit from the hard drive and browser (s), in particular the FireFox and Pale Moon browsers.* However, a few of the steps below can also be applied to the IE and others.
Further, there is also some steps on blocking the Conduit Cookies.* But in time, new ways to install Conduit will be devised.* In the interim, the steps below can be repeated at anytime.
Symptoms of Conduit:
1.* Conduit appears in the url window of your browser after you execute a search.
Example:**
http://www.bing.com/search?q=google...ABF&form=CONADR&conlogo=CT2786678&ShowAppsUI=
2. Connectivity to the internet is slow, erratic and unstable,* and your computer continues to troubleshoot and resolve the intermittent connection with limited success.
3. Webpages don’t pull up and instead show error messages like, “unable to find or connect to server”.
Methods to seek and destroy:
Below are 11 steps for eliminating the conduit contaminate from the hard disk, registry and browser(s).
Step 1 – Uninstall Conduit Toolbar Program:
Open add/remove programs control panel or program / features control panel
Uninstall Conduit Toolbar or anything from Conduit, if it is listed
Note: You may also have other programs, like freeware, that don’t state Conduit in its nomenclature, but are embedded with some kind code for conduit.* If so, these programs may be rendered useless after executing the additional steps provided below.
Step 2 – Delete Conduit Folders, Files and Gifs from hard drive:
Search your C drive for: conduit
If results are produced, then simply send everything listed to the recycle bin and then empty the bin.
Note1 :* The search results will produce individual listings of folders and files.* So if you delete the parent folder, don’t be surprised if the rest of the files inside it wont delete.* This is because they have already been deleted, when you deleted the parent folder(s).* Simply execute a refresh to see a revised list of the search.
Note 2: The search results may also include items from IE’s history and IE’s cookies.* These items that are tagged with conduit can be deleted.
Step 3 – Delete Conduit Registry Keys:
Click on Start Button > Run > Regedit
Next, click on Menu Bar > Find > Conduit > (select, keys, value and data) > click the Find Button
If keys are found, then from inside the right hand panel right click on the sub-key,* select modify and erase the value/data, then click OK
Next click F3 button to continue the search for Conduit. If there are more results, then repeat step above and erase their value/data.
Upon completion of the search, simply Exit the registry editor and reboot.
Note 1:* Depending on how conduit is installed on your system, there may not be any registry keys for it.
Note 2: IE also stores its configuration data and typed urls in the registry.* So if any keys mention conduit, go ahead and erase their value / data.
Recommendation:*Download / install RegAnalyzer freeware.* Launch, then click the Search Button. * Enter conduit in the search field, then tick/check all options for searching “except” for high speed.* Do not check the option to search high speed mode.* After results are displayed and searching has stopped, right click on items and select “DELETE“
Step 4 – Delete Conduit from Browsing History:
Open FireFox browser
Click on History > Show all History >
Next enter in the search field and execute the search for: conduit
Delete all of the results on the list.
Close window
Internet Explorer
Open Internet Options Control Panel
Click on Settings Button under Browsing history section
Click View Files button
Enter in search window:* conduit
Delete the resulting entries
Note 1:* Because IE stores some cookies with the browsing history on the disk drive, the procedure above will was already accomplished via Step 2 above.* But executing this step is a double check for the conduit
Step 5 – Remove Conduit Cookie:
Open FireFox browser
Click on Tools > Options > Security
Go to Remove Individual Cookies
Enter in search field: conduit
Delete / remove all results
Note:* Some of the results won’t have the word “conduit” embedded in them.* But they are coded and you should proceed to delete all the results listed.
Internet Explorer
Open Windows Explorer
Click on Menu Bar Tools > Options > View > Show Hidden Folders and Files
Next search your c drive for the hidden cookie folder by entering in the search field: Cookie
Next, if you do have a cookie folder, then execute a sub search for conduit and delete items listed in the search results, if any.
Note : Depending on the version of windows, you may or may not have an a specialty cookie folder
Step 6 – Block Conduit Cookie’s:
Open FireFox browser
Click on Menu Bar Tools > Options > Security > Exceptions
Enter the name of cookie: conduit.com
Then click the Block Button
Enter the name of cookie: search.conduit.com
Then click the Block Button
Enter the name of cookie: alert.services.conduit.com
Then click the Block Button
Enter the name of cookie: storage.conduit.com
Then click the Block Button
Next exit
Note 1: For FireFox versions 10 and above, exceptions for blocking cookies is found via the* drop down listing “Custom Settings for History“
Note 2: For IE, exceptions for blocking cookies is found via Internet Options Control Panel > Privacy Tab > Sites Button.* Use the steps above to block individual cookies.
Step 7 – Remove browser add-ons and extensions:
Open FireFox browser
Click on Menu Bar > Tools > Add-ons
Disable / Remove any Conduit Toolbar Extensions or Add-ons, if any.
Note 1: For IE, Open browser and inspect the Add-ons via Tools > Manage Add-ons
Note 2:* Also, disable anything mentioning JAVA’s.* And only re-enable Java when the webpage* requests it and you know its safe to do so.* Afterwards, disable JAVA add-on’s and inspect system, using Step 5 and Step 8.
Step 8 – Remove Conduit Configuration Settings:
Open FireFox browser
Enter into the url field: about:config
Enter in search field: conduit
Modify and null out the values for each entry by:
Highlight / Select individual item
Press enter key
Press delete key
Press enter key
Select next line item and repeat the nullification steps above
When done, Close tab, Restart browser
Note: For IE, the configuration settings are stored in the registry, which was cleaned out via Step 3 above.
Step 9 – Run Spybot:
It is unclear if Spybot Search and Destroy program targets Conduit. But I have sent them an email on adding conduit to their arsenal.* In the interim, running Spybot semi regularly will be helpful to eliminate spyware on your system.
Step 10 – HiJackThis:
Execute a scan for browser hijacks and see if any line items (particularly R0′s and R1′s) infer conduit.* If so, check them off and click the Fix Button.
Note 1: If the R0′s and R1′s have been infiltrated by conduit, then it is probably best to re-install the browser after removing the hijacks, but not always necessary.
Note 2: Not all line items listed by HiJackThis are evil.* In most cases the are designed to make programs run with a pre-determined settings for ease of user convenience.* So don’t be alarmed with results that go beyond the R0 and R1 levels.* However, double check to see if any of them infer to conduit.* If so, jot down their file locations, before “fixing” them.* Then hunt down those files via explore and remove.* (However, none should appear since you should have previously scanned / searched your disk)
Step 11 – Disable Add-ons:
If the browser still seems to be performing under par, consider disabling all the add-ons in the browser.* It might be that add-ons and or extensions maybe corrupted or contaminated.
In FireFox, click on “HELP”, then restart with Add-ons Disable.
Note: Alternatively, you can try booting up windows in safemode w/networking and run the browser and connect to the internet.* If your system is performing well while in safemode, then you should execute a clean boot to possibly eliminate a rogue start up hindering your internet
Internet Explorer
Close broswer
Click on Start Button > Run
Type iexplore -extoff
Press Enter
Note: Alternatively, you can try booting up windows in safemode w/networking and run the browser and connect to the internet.* If your system is performing well while in safemode, then you should execute a clean boot to possibly eliminate a rogue start up hindering your internet.
Conclusion:
It is unclear what conduit actually is.* It maybe a hybrid of a tracking ware, spyware and or search engine hijacker.
What I do know is that when we search Google or Bing we are entitled to quick and clear results.* However, when our searched* urls suddenly infer conduit in them, then I think we have a right to be suspicious and angry, and when the computer becomes sluggish, and internet connectivity is being hindered, like a spyware infection.
Basically, I have been at war with the infiltration of conduit on my system’s for the past several years and it seems to sneak onto the system in one way or another.
Also, I have noticed that youtube tools and facebook tools seem to infer conduit.* But it is unclear if they have anything to do with Conduit.com or they are simply using the term conduit for descriptive purposes of their codes.
In any case, if you notice that certain programs no longer work after removing “conduit” from the computer, then evaluate the need of that program and determine whether installing it is necessary for you.
After you install a questionable program, or you incur computer sluggishness, internet hindrance or url’s returning with conduit in them, my suggestion is to start with Step 5 first and see if their cookies* infiltrated* your system again.
If so, then execute a full sweep of your system – again.
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