Hijack.ControlPanelStyle

Short bio

Hijack.ControlPanelStyle is Malwarebytes’ detection name for hijackers that alter (or add) the registry values on Windows systems:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
ForceClassicControlPanel

or

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
ForceClassicControlPanel

Symptoms

If the registry value(s) ForceClassicControlPanel is set to “1”, the system’s user can not change the control panel display mode.

Remediation

Malwarebytes can modify this registry value data back to its Windows default setting without user interaction.
Also, we advise users to do a full system scan as Hijack.ControlPanelStyle could have been added to the system by malware or PUP.

Add an exclusion

When Hijack.ControlPanelStyle is detected on your computer, Malwarebytes for Windows does not know if it was authorized. Optimization software, malware, and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) are known to make these types of changes, hence they are regarded as potentially unwanted.

To have Malwarebytes for Windows ignore a Hijack, you must add the Hijack as an exclusion.

1. Open Malwarebytes for Windows.
2. Click Settings, then click the Protection tab.
3. Scroll down to the bottom.
4. Turn off Automatically quarantine detected malware. Turning this setting off prevents Malwarebytes for Windows from quarantining the Hijack automatically.
5. Go to the Dashboard, then click Scan Now.
6. When the Threat Scan Results appear, uncheck the box next to the detected Hijack you want to keep.
7. Click Next.
8. On the Remaining Items window, click Ignore Always to add the exclude the detectedHijack(s).
9. Turn on Automatically quarantine detected malware.To find this setting, click Settings > Protection.

When a Hijack is excluded, Malwarebytes for Windows does not detect the Hijack during scans or real-time protection.

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