Erasing “Conduit”

If you have ever been hit by the Conduit attack, you know what I’m talking about. It sneaks in with random programs, usually without permission or anyone telling you it came with. Magical Jellybean Keyfinder is one such program. It’s a search engine/home page that takes over every browser or page you use. In fact, I keep feeling like it is somehow a virus. Very suspicious. But also Very Hard to Get Rid Of.

Here’s how you erase Conduit:

Go to “My Computer”
1. Windows 7: Click the “Windows”/Start button.
2. Windows 8: Open File Explorer & click “Computer” on the left side
Start Up “Uninstall or Change a Program”
1. It’s usually an option on the task bar at the top.
Search there for anything that says “Conduit.”
1. Sometimes it installs as an actual program.
If you Find Something, go through the process or removing it.
1. Click the name.
2. Hit “Uninstall/Change”
3. Go through the steps
Go Back to “My Computer”
1. Uninstalling it won’t always remove all of the files. We need some extra steps.
In the Search Box in the upper right, type in “Conduit”.
1. This will search your entire computer for anything with that name in the file.
2. If it brings anything up, delete it/them.
Now open up Your Browser (IE, Chrome, Firefox, Maxthon, Opera, etc.)
Go to the Browser’s Settings and Erase Conduit Wherever it Shows UP:
1. IE:
  1. Click the Gear Symbol in the top right corner
  2. Choose “Manage Add-Ons”
    1. Choose “Search Providers”
    2. Pick whichever one you want to be your default (I use Google). Click it, and choose “Set as Default”
    3. Now go back to the “Conduit” search engine and click “Remove”
  3. Close this page.
  4. Click the Gear Symbol again.
  5. Choose “Internet Options” and select the “General” tab
    1. Under “Home Page” you have several options.
      1. You can choose “Use Default” which goes to Microsoft as a home page.
      2. You can choose “Use New Tab” which opens the ‘New Tab Page”
      3. Or you can add in the url of whatever page you want to be your first screen.
    2. Whatever you choose, don’t go with “Use Current.” That’s Conduit and you don’t want that.
    3. Click “Apply” at the bottom. Then Click “Okay”
2. CHROME:
  1. Click the Three horizontal bars button in the top right.
  2. Choose “Settings”
  3. Under “On Startup”
    1. Choose “Open in a New Tab” or “Open a Specific Page.”
      1. If you Choose “Open a Specific Page” click “set Pages.”
      2. Enter the URL of the home page you want.
  4. Under “Search”
    1. Click “Manage Search Engines”
    2. Select whichever one you want and click the blue “Make Default” button.
    3. Now pick “Conduit” and hit the “X” button. This removes the search engine.”
  5. Restart Chrome
3. FIREFOX:
  1. Click the Three horizontal bars button on the top right.
  2. Choose “Options”
  3. Under the “General” Tab
    1. Look under “Start Up”
      1. Choose what you want your Home page to be. It can be any url you choose, the default, or “the pages and tabs Open before. Just make sure that it is no longer “Conduit.”
  4. Close “Options.”
  5. Look at the Search Engine Box in the top right of your page. Click the small “Downward” Triangle/arrow.
  6. Now choose “Manage Search Engines”
  7. Remove “Conduit”
  8. Re-start FireFox
4. OPERA:
  1. Click the “Opera” button on the top left corner.
  2. Choose “Settings” or Press Alt+P ~ This should take you to the “Browser” tab under Settings.
  3. Under “On Startup”
    1. Choose “Open the Start Page” or “Open a Specific Page” or “Where I Left Off”
      1. If you Choose “Open a Specific Page” click “set Pages.”
      2. Enter the URL of the home page you want. Just make sure this isn’t set to Conduit.
  4. Under “Search”
    1. Click “Manage Search Engines”
    2. Select whichever one you want and click the “Make Default” button
    3. Now delete Conduit from the list.
  5. Close and Re-start Opera
    1. Make sure that your last open page is not the “Conduit” search engine page (Opera might automatically try to reload the last page you visited upon re-start)
5. MAXTHON:
  1. Click the farthest right button on your top toolbar. It has Three Horizontal Lines.
  2. Choose “Settings”
  3. On the “General” Tab:
    1. Under ‘ Home Page”
      1. Make sure “Conduit” isn’t your Home Page. If so, enter another url and delete Conduit or pick another option than opening to a url page.
  4. On the “Search Engine” Tab
    1. See if Conduit is there. If so, Remove it.
  5. Shut down and Re-start Maxthon.
    1. Make sure the last page you have open is not the “Conduit” search engine page. Maxthon might automatically try to reload the last page you visited upon re-start.