Conduit Search is a browser hijacker and a PUP (potentially unwanted program) and although 'technically' not a virus, it unethically installs itself on your personal computer. If Conduit has been installed on your computer, it is difficult to remove because its uninstaller will remove all Conduit files and registry traces. If you want to manually change your browser settings, it will not allow you to change them because Conduit completely takes control of your browser settings. Furthermore, Conduit will install additional adware on your computer, such as toolbars, and change your browser settings such as your homepage. It even forces its victims to use its own brand of search engine, Conduit Search, to display advertisements and sponsored (paid) links with its search results. The conduit virus came in the first place because of some freeware that you may have downloaded onto your computer and during installation it was bundled with other software that was about to be installed. Be careful when installing software from unknown AND known sources. Always select custom installations so you ignore anything that seems strange, especially software add-ons you didn't want to start with. Some Symptoms of Conduit:1. Conduit can appear in your browser's URL window after performing a search. Example: http://www.bing.com/search?q=google&pc=**conduit**&ptag=ACE4F04C31DEE4BA4ABF&form=CONADR&conlogo=CT2786678&ShowAppsUI=2. Connectivity to the Internet may be slow, erratic, and unstable, or the computer may continue to troubleshoot and try to resolve the intermittent connection with little or no success.3. Web pages fail to load and instead show error messages such as "cannot find or connect to server". Always be v...... middle of paper......s", "fast" or "recommended" ", installations. While customization may be slower by a minute or two, you will have the opportunity to opt out of unwanted software that links to popular downloads. Be patient and read carefully, all screens with small fonts because sometimes they contain little checkboxes that need to be unchecked Always read the titles on the buttons because sometimes the decline and accept buttons are reversed or reworded so that you might actually "ok" for installing unwanted applications. But if you notice, then stop installing the program and start over. Additionally, if your current antivirus solution lets this infection through, you may want to consider purchasing the Premium version of your antivirus to protect yourself from these types of threats in the future or purchasing a new antivirus together.