“This website has been blocked for you” browser hijacker will appear suddenly while you are browsing the internet. This threat normally affects the Windows hosts file on victim’s computer, adding some entries to redirect queries to specified web addresses. Other files are also dropped to the system in order to perform the hijacking tricks.
Once “This website has been blocked for you” is in effect on the computer, it will interfere with your online browsing. This virus pop-ups and demand some actions from user. It forces you to complete a survey before you can proceed with the requested URL. On other times, “This website has been blocked for you” malware impose that you must sign-up for some online services, or buy some products.
It is reported that “This website has been blocked for you” exhibits its control when users attempt to visit popular web sites like Facebook, Ebay, Yahoo, Google, Bing, Tumblr, Twitter, or Youtube.
How does the browser hijacker enters a computer?
Ever since, malware authors have countless ways to spread their harmful code. In particular, “This website has been blocked for you” spreads online and therefore it utilizes the best possible way to induce computer users into downloading the file. It may be in disguise as a useful file or bundling itself to some genuine applications hosted on certain servers. Other ways to deploy this malware includes the following:
– It pretends as a required tool when visiting relevant web sites.
– The code is packed to other free software like MP3 players, Video players, games, and others.
– Links pointing to the code are deployed on social media web sites using fake sender’s details.
What are the effects of “This website has been blocked for you” browser hijacker on my computer?
There is single effect of “This website has been blocked for you” virus once it has invaded your computer. It hijacks your web browsing activities showing a warning page insisting you to perform several processes like what is stated in the message.
“This website has been blocked for you!
Steps to access this website again:
1. Click unlock button below
2. Pick survey to verify that you are human
3. Complete survey
4. Continue using this website”
“This website has been blocked for you” Removal Procedures
Stage 1: Reset Windows Hosts File Back to Default
To reset the Windows Hosts file back to the default, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, and then click Run, type %systemroot% \system32\drivers\etc, and then click OK.
2. It will open Windows Explorer on the specific folder. Double-click on hosts file. If it prompts for ‘Open with’ please choose Notepad from the list.
3. Below is an example of a Windows hosts file. Any items other than/below what is listed as localhost should be deleted. If your computer is connected to a network, we highly advised seeking help from network administrator before proceeding with this fix.
Stage 2: Scan and Delete Adware with AdwCleaner
1. Download the tool called AdwCleaner from the location stated below.
Click here to download AdwCleaner (this will open a new window)
2. Once you have completed the download, please close all running programs on the computer.
3. Locate the file and double-click on adwcleaner_Ver.exe to start running the tool. Then, click on Scan button.
4. It searches for presence of harmful programs, plug-ins, add-ons, or any data that were found malicious and linked to “This website has been blocked for you” virus. You need to Clean all items detected by this tool.
5. Once scan is done, the tool may need to reboot your computer to finalize the cleaning process.
6. After reboot, AdwCleaner will display the log file of the recent scan.
Stage 3: Cleanup your Internet Browser
Cleaning your internet browser from clutter and unwanted add-on/extension is a must when dealing with malware like “This website has been blocked for you”. The procedure below discuss on resetting various browsers to its default state.
Reset Mozilla Firefox to Default
This section describes how to remove unwanted extension from Firefox that may be related to “This website has been blocked for you” virus. This process can fix many browser issues by restoring Firefox to factory settings without affecting your essential information (bookmarks, browsing history, passwords, and Internet cookies) on the browser. If you desire to remove only specific extension, please see manual removal of add-on from Firefox.
1. Navigate to Firefox menu at the top of the browser and access the Help area. Click on Troubleshooting Information.
2. A new tab will appear. You will notice a section on upper-right corner of the screen stating Give Firefox a tuneup. Click the Refresh Firefox button.
3. If confirmation window appears, click Refresh Firefox to continue.
4. Firefox browser will close and start the resetting process. When done, it will display a list of restored data. Click Finish to open a fresh version of Firefox.
Restore Internet Explorer to Default Settings
1. Open Internet Explorer and navigate to top menu. Click Tools, and then Internet Options.
2. Select Advanced tab on Internet Options window.
3. On lower part of the window, under Reset Internet Explorer Settings area, click the Reset button. Please see image below for reference.
Your data like favorites, bookmark, and history will remain it the browser. However, this process may delete add-ons and other unknown objects. If you prefer to carry out the procedure manually, please add-on removal from Internet Explorer.
I tried the first step but when I try to access the hosts file, it says access is denied. How can I fix this?