Computer help forum: 'Searchiu' browser hijacker removal?

Resetting Firefox removes this problem, but only until you reboot. Then it is back. It is also present on ALL OTHER browsers installed on your computer. Searching for info about "searchiu.com" results in a site offering "removal instructions" consisting of downloading and then running three seperate files. You get there from anyplace in a google search, which means that you are being DIRECTED there by the malware. Following those instructions will probably install something far worse and far more dangerous.
Norton Antivirus finds nothing, but they offer a tool called "Norton Power Eraser" which does a more thorough scan. That tool finds a "bad file" called (rikvm_f47b619c.sys). After removing that file, it re-appears with a new set of characters following the underscore character, so this tool obviously fails to find the core problem.

I repeated the reset on all browsers and it worked in all cases. Not sure what I did wrong before, but the "Best Answer" by tli004 is the answer.

I repeated the Reset procedure on all browsers and it successfully eliminated the problem. Not sure what I did wrong previously, but this easy "reset" fix is valid.

After reclaiming your home page through Reset, do a google search for "easyfixvirus.com" If you get hits that tell you that this is a fake antivirus that just extorts money, you are good top go. If instead, you find only direct links to easyfixvirus.com, with few if any exceptions, you are still infected, as am I.
It obviously affects searches, but God knows wjat ELSE it's doing!

After finally being able to use another computer for searches, I was able to verify that I was WRONG! Searches appear to function normally, making it likely that hijacking the home page is the only problem with this nuisance. Resetting all affected browsers does, in fact, appear to be a complete cure.
Sorry for my previous misleading information. This thing caused me much more panic than was deserved.I promise to quit "helping" now!

To those reading this thread:

Unless you're using a safe browsing tool such as Web of Trust (WOT), please be cautious when visiting sites offering removal tools/instructions for searchiu.com. Or any other type/named malware, for that matter.

A good deal of the sites found via a Google search (or other search engines) are deemed unsafe. Verify the site's reputation, prior to downloading any of their tools or running any of their scans.

Read what Web of Trust reports about a few of the sites which "claim" to have a fix.

http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/easyfixvirus.com
http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/cleanpcguide.com
http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/uninstallvirus.com
http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/fixspywarenow.com
http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/killallvirus.com
http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/mygoodpc.com

And the list goes on and on and ....

Carol

I reset firefox, which seems to have worked. It didn't come back after reboot - but I don't think all of the files associated with the hijacker are present - I deleted temp folder contents, which might have contained the reinstall files, preventing it from coming back.

No, I haven't tried it in safe mode yet - I will. But I examined each and every add-on, and none look suspicious (Java, DivX, Microsoft .Net, Realplayer are the only add-ons).

Unless it somehow appears as an official, recognized 'toobar and extension,' disguised as something like "Google Earth," they all look legit, too (unidentified/unverified add-ons have been disabled)

When you run Malwarebytes to intercept or attempt to do a removal boot to then scroll to SAFE MODE WITH NETWORKING to do this, not just basic SAFE MODE...you have a better shot at interception/removal of certain nefarious entities by using this procedure.

I'm having the same problem on my computer, I think for a couple of days now. I can confirm that none of the add-ons are the problem. Starting in safe mode with add-ons disabled results in the same issues. I can also confirm that the problem goes beyond Firefox. I'm having the same problem with Chrome, which I almost never use, and certainly not in the past several months. I ran Ad-Aware and found a couple of things which I removed, but didn't solve the issues.

Try running a Malwarebytes scan in SAFE MODE WITH NETWORKING..as mentioned in a prior post. The other thing(s) I would be concerned with would be the type of A/V software you might be running in your system, configuration, etc. If you also are depending on MSE to be the panacea to all security issues, web related, I'd give it another guess..