Do you know what a browser hijacker is? A browser hijacker is a malicious computer infection (classified as malware, spyware or a virus) that modifies Internet browser settings behind our backs. Although there are a lot of browser extensions that do the same thing, we cannot call them browser hijackers, because willingly or not users give their permission to change the settings. Delta-homes, on the other hand, falls somewhere in between. It IS a browser hijacker, because it does not want to leave the browser, and yet quite often Delta-Homes provides an installation form that requires your permission for the application to get installed.
Confusing, isn’t it? The more confusing fact is that Delta-homes website appears to look like a decent search engine. Even if you get redirected there by force, it is hard to believe that the website could be related with malware. It has a search bar that allows you to search the Web in general or customize your query into an image, video or news search. Below the search bar you are presented with a list of shortcuts to popular websites, such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, eBay, MSN, Yahoo, Flickr and others. However, right below the shortcut bar we encounter at least four flash advertisements promoting online gaming websites. That is definitely not something one would expect from a decent search engine, so here is the first flag for you.
Next, there comes the intrusive behavior of Delta-Homes. You may use another search engine by simply opening a new tab, but if you try to change your browser settings manually, the chances are that Delta-Homes will still pop up on your browser, even if you overwrite a new home page address, or set a new default search engine. That is so, because Delta-Homes is indeed a malicious infection, and it modifies browser settings at a far deeper level than your average browser extension.
It should not be surprising, considering that Delta-Homes is not a stand-alone program, that it comes from a group browser hijackers that have been terrorizing users for quite some time now. If you have encountered or heard of Qone8, PortaldoSites, Qvo6 or similar infections, you will definitely know what to expect of Delta-homes as well.
I think I should point out that a browser hijacker in ITSELF cannot really do any harm either to your system or to your bank account (because, after all money is what cyber criminals aim for these days). However, couple it with some other malicious program and your system vulnerabilities would be exploited to no end. The same can be applied to Delta-homes – it functions more as a vehicle that could be used my corrupted third party to promote malicious content for you (in the form of flash advertisements), or simply redirect you to corrupted websites that distribute malware.
So here are some basic rules when it comes to Delta-Homes. For one, do not click the flash advertisements. Do not click the search results links. Do not panic. It is important to steer away from this browser hijacker and everything related to it, but it is not an extreme threat, so you can get around it on your own. It is a must, however, to remove Delta-Homes from the system, because having this application on your PC might result in order malware infections, and this is the conclusion no one would like to experience.
Remember when I said that Delta-Homes is not that easy to delete from your browser? Well, here are some instructions on how to bypass its defenses and restore your browser settings to default. However, I would recommend scanning your computer with antispyware program after manual removal, because Delta-homes (and similar infections) usually arrive bundled with other potentially unwanted applications, so you need to be sure that your system is absolutely free of those potential threats.
Restore browser settings
Mozilla Firefox
- Press Firefox button and navigate to Help.
- Click Troubleshooting information and press Reset Firefox on a new tab.
- When pop-up dialog box appears, click Reset Firefox again.
- Wait for the reset to be complete and click Finish.
Internet Explorer
- Press Alt+T and click Internet options.
- Open Advanced tab and press Reset.
- Select Delete personal settings and click Reset.
- Click Close when the reset is complete.
Google Chrome
- Press Alt+F and click Settings.
- Select Open a specific page or set of pages under Startup.
- Click Set pages, delete delta-homes.com, enter a new home page address and click OK.
- Select Manage search engines under Search.
- Set a new default search engine, delete Delta-homes and click Done.
