Webalta is a Russian search engine, the creators of which at one time seriously planned to squeeze the recognized leaders of Internet search - Yandex and Google. Various means have been used for this purpose, including the annoying installation of the Webalta start page in browsers that many users want to avoid.
Despite the fact that the peak of activity of this problem has long passed, on the Internet, computer users still often come across programs that contain a special code (toolbar) for installing Webalta as a start page in browsers. Having installed such a program on a computer, many immediately wonder how to remove Weblata.
First, check if you have in the list installed programs next line Webalta Toolbar. If there is, then you are in luck. In this case, you can remove the intrusive application using standard delete programs from the Programs component in Control Panel.
If the installed programs do not have this toolbar, then you will have to use the computer for a longer amount of time.
- Close all open browsers.
- Click the "Start" button and in Windows XP select "Find" from the menu that appears. In Windows 7 and Vista, do not click anything, but type in the search box that appears under the Start button and enter the query webalta in it. Delete all found files that contain the given word.
- Start Registry Editor. To do this, in Windows XP, click the "Start" button, select "Run" in the menu that appears, enter the word regedit in the field that appears, and press the Enter key on your keyboard.
In Windows 7 and Vista, simply click the Start button and type the word regedit in the box immediately above the button and press the Enter key.In the Registry Editor window in top menu click on "Edit" and select "Find" in the menu that appears. Enter webalta in the search query window and press the button next. Delete the found value from the registry by pressing the Delete button. To continue the search, press the F3 button. In this way, you delete all entries from the registry that mention webalta. On average, you will need to delete from three to nine records.
In browsers, the start page you need.
- Reboot your computer. Open any browser. If Webalta reappears, remove the browser icon from the desktop. Go to the folder with the name this browser, which by default should be located at C: / Program Files /. Click right click mouse by select in context menu item "Send" and then "Desktop (create shortcut)". After that, Webalta should be removed for good.
V Mozilla browser Firefox, you may also need to do the following additionally.
- Open your browser and click the "Firefox" button in the upper left menu. In the menu that appears, select "Help" and then "Information for solving problems". On the page that opens, in the "Application Information" table in the "Profile folder" line, click the "Show folder" button.
- In the opened folder with browser user profile settings, find files named user.js and prefs.js, open them in any text editor and delete lines containing webalta from them.
Our files contained the following lines:user_pref ("browser.search.defaultenginename", "Webalta Search");
user_pref ("browser.search.selectedEngine", "Webalta Search");
user_pref ("keyword.URL", "http://webalta.ru/search?from=FF&q=");
user_pref ("webalta.startup.flag", "1");
How to remove webalta if after installing any program the utility appeared in the browser?
Secrets of cleaning your computer from unnecessary program further in the article.
What is Webalta and what is it for?
Webalta search is a complete viral program, which is presented simultaneously in several modifications: as a toolbar of all browsers installed on the computer, as a search engine and a browser start page.
The search engine was created as an analogue of Yandex and Google services, the project was launched in 2005.
However, the site webalta.ru did not receive the expected popularity among users, and the developers decided to make the system viral content - a program that, without the user's consent, is installed into the operating system along with any other utility.
Malicious program may not uninstall and reinstall Webalta on your computer.
If your antivirus software found on personal computer adware.webalta item, quarantine it immediately.
This method allows you to permanently remove the service page from the browser.
How to erase Windows XP control
Repeat all the steps that were described in the process of removing the service from operating system Windows 7.
You should also add a few more actions that need to be performed due to the peculiarities of the operating system.
Go to the My Computer window and use the search field to find the user.js file and delete it. Also look for the file prefs.js.
It may not be on the system, but if you find it, open the file using the standard notepad utility and go to line 50-60 of the document.
In the area of these lines there will be text browser.startup.homepage or _http // webalta .ru... Delete both options and save the file. Now restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Also try searching for the file operaprefs_fixed.ini... Remove all found by given request files.
Following all the instructions above, you will remove the virus from the operating system directories, however, the search engine may remain in browsers, so you need to clean all Webalta components from each browser installed on your computer.
Remove virus from browser
For IE (Internet Explorer) follow these instructions:
- Turn on the main Start menu and go to the Run window or the Win + R combination;
- Enter the regedit command in the window that opens
- Open the registry search as described in the instructions above;
- Enter webalta.ru into the search bar and delete all items. Repeat the action several times.
For Opera, you need to do the following:
- Go to the main directory of the system called C: \ Windows \ System32;
- In this package, find the operaprefs_default.ini file and open the files with notepad;
- The file contains malicious code that prevents Vebalta from being removed from the browser. If you find the line Home URL = http: //webalta.ru, change the address to the one you need search engine and save your changes. Only then launch the browser;
Advice! If you open a browser and nothing has changed, perform a registry cleanup.
Removing a service from this browser is quite difficult. Follow the instructions below:
- Launch your browser and find the Help menu. Open it;
- Now enable the troubleshooting information field and navigate to the main directory of your browser. In this folder, find the user.js and / or prefs.js files;
- Typically, in these files, the virus changes the text to become the main page in the browser. Open each of the files you find with notepad and look for the lines that mention the name webalta.
You can search the document using the CTRL + F keyboard shortcut. Then enter the word or phrase you want to find in the text box.
After completing the above steps, clear the registry as described in the previous instructions in this article.
Google chrome
- First, go to the browser settings and remove Vebalta from the field of the browser start page.
Today I decided to talk about a problem that Internet users do not encounter so often. Namely in this article, we will discuss with you how to remove Webalta from the start page - an intrusive search engine that so persistently asks to become your favorite search engine.
The bottom line is that the virus changes the default search engine, as well as the start home page to Webalta services. At the same time, it also hinders giving the opportunity to choose their options. Therefore, some users, not knowing how to remove the webalta start page, start using it. As you can imagine, Webalta was exactly what they wanted to achieve. The rude methods of promotion caused a corresponding reaction, after all, it is not for nothing that they say that they were involved with cybercrime.
Search engine (PS) Webalta is installed through sites that were created in order to advertise this PS (according to old data). For the time being, be careful when installing programs, because distribution happens this way as well. Now you know how Webalta got to the computer, now let's start removing it.
We start removing Webalta
First, see if you have the toolbar installed. Run the Webalta Toolbar uninstallation: "Start" - "Control Panel" - "Programs and Features", for Windows XP - "Uninstall Programs".
When you delete the toolbar, check the box and continue deleting.
After uninstalling in Windows 7, look for the presence of files in:
If there is no Webalta Toolbar in the list of installed programs, then along the path indicated above, find the uninstall file and run it.
It so happens that when the program is removed for the first time, the program is not deleted, but when the request is repeated, the uninstallation should take place.
To uninstall, I recommend using a good software uninstaller that performs an independent search for the remaining registry keys and files for subsequent destruction. About this program I have already told on my blog and I recommend reading: "".
By the way, recently this program helped me out again. I wanted to update the program, but for various reasons I could not do it. I tried to update from the program itself, and also tried to install a fresh version over the old one, but it was not going to be installed. Launched RevoUninstaller, uninstalled the program and installed updated version without any problem. So I recommend this software, proven more than once and not only by me.
After that, we clean the registry manually. Run: "Start" - "Run".
In the window that opens, enter regedit and press "Enter".
To delete a found object, right-click on it and select "Delete". Use the F3 key to search again.
Continue this procedure until the search returns zero.
These procedures are not enough to remove webalta, so read the article to the end.
We do a cleanup
The next step is to clear the browser shortcuts to be precise that you will remove webalta from your computer once and for all.
The properties may contain a link to the main page of the search engine. To check - open the properties of the icon (right-click - select "Properties"), then go to the "Shortcut" tab, find the line "Object", where the path to the source file is written. At the end there is a link of the form: "http // start.webalta.ru /" - we erase it without hesitation. All that remains is the path to the browser.
Attention! You do not need to delete the file path.
Another option for solving the same problem: we find original file browser (C: \ Program Files), delete the shortcut from the desktop and create it again: right-click on the browser - "Send" - "Desktop (create shortcut)".
This operation must be done for all shortcuts. installed browsers- on the desktop and the quick launch bar.
After removing the toolbar, you need to change the browser settings. If you use several, then it makes sense to do it in all. So that next time this search engine does not remind of itself once again.
Launch your browser and use the settings to set the home start page and default search engine. If you don't know how to do this, see the video below on how to get rid of webalta.
Automatic way to remove Webalta
Apparently, the Webalta search engine was so tired that the guys decided to create a program that would automatically do the entire procedure for the user. To download the program, go to the site of the same name (in this moment site does not work). You can download the program.
Click on the "Download" button at the very top of the page.
I want to say right away that it helps most users, but there are no guarantees. You can read reviews about the program at the very bottom of the page.
The program is uploaded to one of the most popular Internet file sharing sites. So there is no point in worrying that the jump is not happening directly. Check the box and click "Download".
Now restart your computer and don't open browsers. This is required for the program to work correctly. We launch the program.
As you can see the program works in automatic mode, no user action is needed anymore. After cleaning the system from Webalta, the message "Submitting a report" will appear.
You can also watch a video on the site of how the deletion takes place using this program.
I tried to tell you in more detail how to remove the webalta search engine. The main thing is that you follow all the steps carefully.
For future dear friends, when installing programs on your computer, be careful! It is your lack of attentiveness that leads to such consequences.
That's it for today. Bye Bye.
Experienced computer users know that when installing programs, you need to carefully look at the windows that open, and not click " Further "On the machine. If you neglect this rule, then you can get, in addition to the program that you need, a lot of unnecessary add-ons that will not be so easy to remove later.
One of these intrusive additions is the Webalta search engine, the creators of which are so eager to unwind and catch up with Yandex that they are not shy about the means. Home page of the Webalta search engine, without your consent, it may register itself as the start page of your browser along with its toolbar, which you also hardly need. There is hope for antiviruses, some of them block these unwanted changes, but still there is no 100% guarantee that this will happen. However, it is not so easy to remove Webalta, it is not enough just to change the start page. Starting Webalta page is registered not in one browser, but in all at once, and reinstalling browsers, that is, completely demolishing them and reinstalling them, does not help either.
It may seem that with Webalta, you can only fight a complete rearrangement of the system. But don't rush to demolish Windows. After all, there is a more humane way to remove the search engine Webalta system.
To begin with, the Webalta search engine goes deep into the system, so the first thing we do is clean the registry. At any Windows versions the registry can be entered in the same way.
Remove Webalta from the registry
- Start — Execute .
- In the line that appears, enter regedit... This command will open the Registry Editor. Our task is to delete all the records that Webalta left behind.
- In the top menu Edit — Find ... A search window will open, enter Webalta and click Find Next ... Select the line with the found entry, which contains the word Webalta and delete it with the key Delete ... Then we continue the search with the button F3 until all records are deleted (there may be more than 100 of them).
- We reboot the computer.
You can try to remove the Webalta toolbar. In fact, while the toolbar is there and working in the browser, it is useless to change the start page - the next time the browser is loaded, the Webalta toolbar will again register home.webalta.ru with the start page.
Remove the Webalta toolbar
- Go to:
For Windows XP: Start — Control Panel — Add or remove programs .
For Windows 7: Start — Control Panel — Programs — Removing a program . - In the list that opens, we find Webalta toolbar, press Delete , a window will open, on the second page of which you must check the box Remove toolbars from browsers .
- You can try to remove the toolbar from the menu. Start — All programs , there should be an icon Uninstall... The uninstaller must be run twice - this is important! The first time the toolbar is deleted, and the second time the start pages are deleted.
- After uninstalling, restart the computer.
But after rebooting, you can see that not all traces of Webalta are removed. It often happens that after these steps the question of how to remove Webalta from the start page remains. If the start page is still home.webalta.ru and not the one you need, you need to check the properties of the browser shortcuts. Right-click on the shortcut of your browser, then Properties - tab Label - line An object , then find the Webalta site addresses and remove those mentions, then click Save ... This must be done in all installed browsers.
To permanently remove Webalta from your computer, you need to uninstall it separately from each installed browser.
How to remove Webalta from Chrome
- Close Google chrome.
- Go to the Chrome user settings folder:
For Windows XP: Start — Execute — % appdata% \ .. \ Local Settings \ Application Data \ Google \ Chrome \ User Data \ Default or % appdata% \ Google \ Chrome \ User Data \ Default — Enter .
For Windows 7: Start — Execute — % appdata% \ .. \ Local \ Google \ Chrome \ User Data \ Default — Enter . - Notepad ) file Preferences , find all the lines that mention Webalta and delete them. Save the file, launch Google Chrome again.
- Install the desired start page in Chrome: New inset - we introduce chrome: // chrome / settings /- adjust Initial group .
How to remove Webalta from Opera
- Close Opera.
- We clean the registry as described above.
- Find the Opera configuration files: Start — Execute — % WINDIR% — Enter — Ctrl + F - we introduce operaprefs — Enter ... The files you need have names that start with operaprefs and expansion .ini.
- We open with any text editor(For example Notepad) files that you found and using the search, we find all references to Webalta and delete them.
- Launch Opera and install the desired start page: Opera — Settings — General settings — The main — Home .
How to remove Webalta from Mozilla Firefox
- Close Mozilla Firefox.
- We go to the Firefox profile folder:
For Windows XP: Start — Execute — % appdata% \ .. \ Local Settings \ Application Data \ Mozilla \ Firefox \ Profiles \ or — Enter , go to the folder xxxxx.default
For Windows 7: Start — Execute — % appdata% \ Mozilla \ Firefox \ Profiles \ — Enter , go to the folder xxxxx.default where x is any numbers or letters. - Open with any text editor (for example Notepad) files sessionstore.js, user.js and prefs.js(v latest versions Mozilla Firefox file user.js may not be), we find the mention of Webalta and replace it with the address of the site that you want to make the start page. We save the changes.
- Launch Mozilla Firefox and install the required start page: Firefox — Settings — The main — start page .
How to remove Webalta from Internet Explorer
- Close Internet Explorer.
- We clean the registry according to the instructions above.
- Launch Internet Explorer and install the required start page: “ Service » — « Internet options » — « Are common » — « Homepage «.
Go to Windows Control Panel. For Windows 7 and Windows 8- open the Programs and Features component → Programs → Programs and Features. For Windows XP- we are looking for the item Add or Remove Programs.
First, we delete panels and toolbars for all browsers and only then we delete the client itself.
Step 2. Remove the service from Windows Services.
Press the key combination Win + R. The "Run Program" window will open. In it we write the command:
sc delete WebaltaService
Press Enter.
This will remove the Webalta service if it has been installed.
Step 3. Remove Webalta from the system registry.
The registry is actually the heart of the operating system. Windows... Accordingly, the first thing to do is to remove all traces of Webalta from the registry.
Press the key combination Win + R. The "Run Program" window will open. We write in it regedit.
How to remove webalta
Press Enter. Will open registry editor window.
Press the F3 button to call the search form.
how to remove webalta
In the search field, enter the word Webalta and press Enter.
The editor will show the found key. We delete it. Press F3 and Enter again.
You need to delete absolutely all keys in which Webalta is found. Until you remove all Vebalta keys, You will not be able to change the settings of the start page.
Step 4. Remove the Webalt page from the start page in all browsers.
- Internet Explorer
In the browser, click the Service → Internet Options button. Open the General tab - here you need to enter the web address of the new home page and then click the Apply button.
- Google Chrome (Chrome, Yandex.Chrome, etc.)
First, we clean up temporary files and cache. In the browser Chromium (chrome) to do this, press the key combination Ctrl + Shift + Delete. In the window that opens, check the boxes:
- Clear browsing history
- Clear download history
- Clear cache
- Clear cookies and other site data.
Press the button Clear history.
Then, in the settings, look at the Initial group section and remove the link to the search engine from there, if it is there.
Find the search section below and check that Webalta is not set there by default.
- Opera
To get into the browser settings, press the key combination Ctrl + F12.
The browser settings will open. On the General tab, look for the Home field. We delete this line completely and add any other website address there.
Click OK.
- Mozilla Firefox
You need to find files user.js and prefs.js... To do this, go to My Computer and press the F3 button and select Files and folders. By default, files are stored in the directory:
C: \ Documents and Setting \ username \ Application Data \ Mozilla \ Firefox \ Profiles \ xxx.default
Instead of xxx any alphabetic or numeric characters.
Each of the files must be opened in notepad and find the line with Webalta. It may look like this:
user_pref ("browser.startup.homepage", "http://webalta.ru")
Replace Webalta's address to any other and save the file.
Step 5. Checking the labels.
Another place where this infection is very fond of registering its link is browser shortcuts. Therefore, we click on the Opera or Chrome tab (depending on what you are using) and select the item in the menu<Свойства>:
In the tab<Ярлык>we find the line<Объект>and at the very end of the line we check if there is a link, as in the screenshot. If there is, delete it and click OK.
