You must have heard of Amazon Assistant if you use Amazon for online shopping. It is a browser extension that acts as your personal assistant when you are using Amazon. Amazon Assistant is provided by Amazon itself. Amazon Assistant is a browser plug-in. It will help you to track your orders, keep you aware of the current best deals, and compare prices. This helps many users to get the best deals and utilize Amazon online shopping to its fullest.
But, there is also a doppelganger of Amazon Assistant. This is called amazon assistant aa.hta virus pretender. It is better to remove it from your computer because it is not a friendly and helpful version of the browser extension.
The working of Amazon Assistant aa.hta virus pretender
It changes the default and homepage of the search engine by acting as a browser hijacker. This is effective on popular browsers like Explorer, Edge, Firefox, Chrome, etc. Additionally, most of the times you will be redirected to other pages that have been sponsored. This is very annoying and it interferes with the browsing experience.
Due to all these actions, the users assume that they gave been affected by a virus. But, this is not a virus. Amazon Assistant aa.hta virus pretender does not possess any harmful elements themselves. It will never corrupt your files like the ransomware and Trojans. However, it can lead you to pages containing ransomware and Trojans. Other than this, it can also extract information from your browsing history. These pieces of information can then be sold to make profits. Hence, it is better to remove it from your computer.
The procedure for Amazon Assistant aa.hta removal
Now, let us see the procedure for Amazon Assistant aa.hta removal.
Step I
First of all, you have to restart your computer in Safe Mode.
Step II
After that, you have to open the tab of “Processes” by pressing the Shift, Ctrl, and Esc button at the same time. If you are using Windows 8 or Windows 10, then this will the tab of “Details”. In here, you have to find out the dangerous processes. After locating these processes, you have to right-click on them. Then, you have to choose the “Open File Location” option from the appearing menu. After that, you have to “end the process” for those files which are infected. Then these folders can be deleted.
Step III
Now, you have to open the Run dialog box by pressing the R and the Start Key simultaneously. Then, you have to write “appwiz.cpl” within the Run box and then click on “OK”. Now the control panel will open. Here, you have to locate any entries which look suspicious. Then, you can select them and uninstall them.
Now, you have to go to the search field and write “msconfig”. Then press Enter. In the pop-up window, you have to go to the tab of “Startup”. After that, you have to uncheck the entries whose manufacturer is listed as “Unknown”.
Step IV
Next, open the Run dialog box again by pressing the R and the Start key at the same time. Now, copy and paste the given command:-
notepad %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/hosts
This will open a new file. In this file, you will see a lot of random IPs that are connected to you if you have been hacked. Then, you have to search for “Network Connections” in the Start menu. After writing you have to hit Enter.
- At first, you have to go to the “Network Adapter” and then right-click on it. Then, you have to select the option of “Properties”. After that, you have to select the option of “Internet Protocol Version4 (ICP/IP)”. Next, select the option of Properties”.
- After that, if your DNS server is not set to “Obtain DNS server automatically”, then you have to set it to this option.
- Next, you have to select the option of “Advanced”. In this window, you have to go to the tab of “DNS”. Then, you have to select the option of “Remove”, this will clear anything present inside the box. After that, click “OK”.
Step V
Now, we have to remove the Amazon Assistant aa.hta virus from the browsers. Here, I will be discussing the procedure for Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox.
Google Chrome
You have to go to the icon of your browser and right-click on it. Then, from the menu, you have to select the option of “Properties”. Now, from the “Properties” window, you have to go to the tab of “Shortcut”. Then, in the “Target” box, you have to clear whatever is written after .exe. After that, you have to close Chrome. Then, go to the “C” drive and open the folder of “Users”. Now, select “User Names”. Next, you have to select “App Data”. After that, go to the folder of “Local”, then the folder of “Google”. Next, you have to select “Chrome” and then “User Data”. Within this folder, you will find a folder named “Default”. Select this folder and name it “Backup Default”. Lastly, restart the Chrome browser. Now, you have successfully completed the process for “how to remove Amazon Assistant aa.hta from Chrome?”
Interner Explorer
First of all, you have to open Internet Explorer. After that, click in the gear icon. This is the icon for “Settings”. From the drop-down menu, you have to click on the “Manage Add-ons” option. Then, locate the threat and then “Disable” it. Again, go to the settings option and select the option of “Internet Options”. Then, you have to change the URL if have been hijacked. This URL you have to change back to whatever you were using before. After completing the process, you have to click on the option of “Apply”. Hence, you have completed the process of “how to remove Amazon Assistant aa.hta from the Internet explorer?” successfully.
Firefox
Open the Firefox browser and select the icon which represents three horizontal lines. After that, you have to select the option of “Add-ons”. Then, the “Extensions” option. Now, locate the malware and then select the option of “Remove”. This concludes the process of “how to remove amazon assistant aa.hta from Firefox?”.
Conclusion
I hope that you have understood the procedure for Amazon Assistant aa.hta removal from your computer and browser. This Amazon Assistant aa.hta virus pretender is the gateway to many harmful malware. It also keeps redirecting the users to another page and hence affecting the browsing experience of the user. So, remove it from your system as quickly as possible.
