GoHip! (GoHip Browser Enhancement; GoHip Freevideo; WinStartUp) is a browser hijacker that resets the browser's start and search pages. It also inserts signature advertisements in outgoing Outlook email messages and generates pop-up ads.

The GoHip Browser Enhancement was available as a download at the GoHip! site. It also was promoted through pop-up ads containing download links for the program. Currently, GoHip.com no longer seems to provide a live link to the browser enhancement at its Web site.

How To Tell If GoHip! Is Present On Your System

You experience a sudden inundation of GoHip! search tools, shortcuts, and pop-up windows. You also may notice that your outgoing messages include a brief advertisement for GoHip!.

How To Get Rid Of GoHip! With Spybot S&D

An anti-spyware utility such as Spybot S&D can help you detect and remove GoHip!. Open the utility and click the Check For Problems button. Wait while it scans your system for malware and then click the Fix Selected Problems button. Click Yes to verify that you want to remove the selected files, including the installed GoHip! components. If Spybot S&D can't remove all of the selected files at that time, it will prompt you to restart your PC so it can finish the process.

WARNING: The following section includes step-by-step information on how to edit the Windows Registry, a large database containing system and program settings that are essential to how the OS (operating system) operates. Follow Registry-editing instructions to the letter and be sure to make a backup of your Registry before you begin. (Registry errors can render your computer inoperable if you don't have a backup.) This procedure differs depending on the OS you use. For more information on backing up and editing the Registry, see these articles: "Protect Yourself" and "Register Here."

How To Get Rid Of GoHip! Manually

GoHip! offers a free removal utility on its Web site at www.gohip.com/remove_browser
_enhancement.html. By downloading this utility and following the installation instructions, you should be able to clean your PC of GoHip! components.

Alternatively, you can get rid of GoHip! by manually deleting its files from the Windows drive and removing references to the program from the Registry. Start by pressing CTRL-ALT-DELETE to access the Windows Task Manager (the Close Program dialog box in Windows Me and Windows 98). Highlight anything that references Winstartup.exe and click the End Task button. Wait for the program to close, press CTRL-ALT-DELETE again, and close any other program that refers to Download.exe.

The next step is to clean out the Registry. Open the Registry Editor and then locate and delete the following keys and values (if present):

· HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{BA3D9F56-5EC1-497D-881A-93A28F58D9AD}

· HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{F17EDBC0-3EB2-11D3-AB74-00A0C9A522F2}

· HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS\CURRENTVERSION\
EXPLORER\BROWSER HELPER OBJECTS\{BA3D9F56-5EC1-497D-881A-93A28F58D9AD}

· HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\BROWSERENH

· HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\GOHIP

· HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\CLSID\{BA3D9F56-5EC1-497D-881A-93A28F58D9AD}

· HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\CLSID\{BA3D9F56-5EC1-497D-881A-93A28F58D9AD}

· HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\CODE STORE DATABASE\
DISTRIBUTION UNITS\{F17EDBC0-3EB2-11D3-AB74-00A0C9A522F2}

· HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS\CURRENTVERSION\
EXPLORER\BROWSER HELPER OBJECTS\{BA3D9F56-5EC1-497D-881A-93A28F58D9AD}

When you finish, close the Registry Editor and open My Computer. Locate the PROGRAM FILES\BROWSERENH folder on the Windows drive and delete it. Close My Computer, open the Start menu, and locate and open the StartUp folder. Look for a shortcut that refers to Windows Startup, right-click it, and click Delete. Click Yes to confirm that you want to permanently remove the shortcut. Next, use the Windows search function to locate and delete the Winstartup.exe file.

The last step is to reset your start page. Open the Programs tab of the Internet Options dialog box and click the Reset Web Settings button. Reboot your computer when you finish. Clean out the Favorites menu, too, if necessary.