Why my browser homepage and the search engine have been changed into this 16Start.com? Every time I open my browser, I get this domain instead. And to my surprise, I can’t change it back to my normal homepage from the browser setting. Is there something wrong with my computer or my browser? Is it a virus? But my anti-virus tells me that my computer works fine? What’s the problem?

Brief Introduction to This Domain

Once this 16Start.com has become the homepage of your browser, you need to be cautious. That means your computer is infected by a malicious browser hijacker which can bring a lot of troubles to your computer. Once you come to this domain accidentally, you will be shown a pop-up box ask you to allow this domain become your homepage, this is a common way for this browser hijacker to invade. People who are not computer savvy can be easily misled to allow this domain becomes their homepages. Once they choose “Yes” option, this redirect infection can take effect in the computer immediately. Also, cyber criminals can bundle this browser hijacker with other free software on the web, once people download those software into their computer, during the install process, this 16Start.com hijacker can pretend as an optional program which can be installed at the same time.

The Screenshot of This Domain

16Start-com-virus

Do not think this 16Start.com domain is a legit search engine as another famous engine like Google. Instead of showing the thing that PC user wants to find by using the search engine, this browser hijacker can display many commercial advertisements and sponsored links in the search result. Also, this redirect can collect the search terms from user search queries, and will pop up related materials to the computer user. The main purpose of this 16Start.com redirect is to earn commercial advertisements revenue and increase some specific sponsored links’ page ranking in the search results.

Furthermore, this browser hijacker can also create many useless files in the infected computer. With those garbage files in the hard drive, computer performance can be slower and slower. Computer needs a large time to load the specific files to launch some programs. Also, with the endless pop-up ads, this 16Start.com redirect can occupy a large percent of the usage of the CPU; in this case, computer can act as a snail. What’s worse, computer can face many other viruses or Trojans infection if the computer is connected to the Internet. Those pop-up materials from 16Start.com browser hijacker can contain many dubious and harmful items which can make a further damage to the infected computer.

The properties of Browser Hijacker

-Can not be detected by your anti-virus software, which makes it hard to uninstall from the computer.
-Once you open your browser, you will be redirected to some unknown websites.
-Can slow down the performance of the computer, or even blue screen.
-Can pop up many unwanted advertisements when you are doing something else.
-Can change your settings in your browser and it is not easy to change it back.

If you find any symptoms listed above showing on your computer, then your computer must be suffered with a browser hijacker that causes you keep being redirecting to 16Start.com. Welcome to contact YooSecurity Online PC Experts for manual removal guide. Also, we will provide a short removal guide below for computer literate.

NOTE: Being afraid to do any wrong operation during the process of removing this browser hijacker? Please contact YooSecurity Online PC Experts, we are here to help you:

Manual Removal Guide of Browser Hijacker (For Computer Literate)

There is a removal guide of Browser Hijacker provided here; however, expertise is required during the process of removal, please make sure you are capable to do it by yourself.

Step 1: Find Ctrl, Alt, and Delete these 3 keys and then press them together to open task manager to end the process related to this redirect, the name of the process of it is random.

XP task manager

Step 2: Try to find Folder Options in Control Panel, select the View tab, and then tick Show hidden files and folders and non-tick Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) and then click OK.

FolderOptions

Step 3: Click on Start button at the right lower corner, then click on Control Panel

XP-start-control-panel

Then you will come to the Control Panel windows, click on Add and Remove Programs

xp-add-remove-icon

Then try to find the program which relates to this 16Start.com, highlight it and choose Remove, the program’s name is random.

4789794954_df8cfb11b2

Step4: Change your homepage in your browser (Take Chrome Google as an Example)

Open the setting in Chrome Google

QQ图片20131209193158

Then choose Set pages, and type the URL you want into the box and click OK.

Similar video on browser hijacker removal:

Conclusion:

16Start.com is categorized as browser hijacker which can attack the infected computer in browser and the system. It can add many useless plug-ins into the infected browser and change many key settings. In this circumstance, the browser cannot visit some specific websites and the Internet access speed is extremely slow, which give an unpleasant online experience to the computer user. At the same time, computer can be flooded with tons of fake commercial materials which make the computer run slow and face some unwanted error.

Suggestion: To follow removal guide that mentioned above, a level of computer knowledge is needed. Still can’t get out of 16Start.com? Contact online experts for help now!

Published by Tony Shepherd & last updated on February 4, 2014 12:10 pm

Leave a Reply