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  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Adware
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Oct 2019

How to remove Winner Download Manager

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Jake Doevan · Computer technology expert

Winner Download Manager – a suspicious program claims to be a torrent downloading app when hiding the nature of adware

Winner Download Manager virus

Winner Download Manager, developed by Winner Solution LLC, is advertised as a program not only for “downloading files from torrent trackers but look for them through the program and download files from file-hosting servers.” Besides, it promises to increase download speed and offers downloading files just by clicking on the pop-up windows. That sounds too good to be true having in mind that all these services are offered for no cost. In reality, you will be allowed to use these services in exchange for your patience, time and cybersecurity. We say so because recently security experts have categorized Winner Download Manager as a potentially unwanted program (PUP)[1] and adware because it silently infiltrates random computers and initiates various unwanted activities on them.

Name Winner Download Manager
Type Potentially unwanted program/adware application
Developer Winner Solution LLC
Purpose This program claims to help users download torrenting files, however, it is a camouflaged adware application
True actions Once the PUP enters your computer system, you will supposedly find yourself struggling with intrusive advertising and redirecting activities. Besides, this adware might also modify the homepage/new tab search of your web browser and start collecting non-personal information about your online sessions
Distribution There are many third parties that offer to download this software for free. However, it most likely infiltrates the targeted systems through packages of various unsecured programs
Detection If you have been looking for ways to spot all potentially suspicious content on your computer, try downloading and using a tool such as FortectIntego

As research has shown, the majority of Winner Download Manager users have removed this application less than a week after installing it. That's because once inside, this misleading program may infect each of your web browsers, alter major settings such as the homepage/new tab search, and deliver various pop-up, banner, and in-text ads.

You may see various advertisements promoting a variety of products and services, but we do not recommend clicking on them. If you would, you may feel confused because you may be rerouted to the websites absolutely unrelated to the content of 'Ads by Winner Download Manager'. That's because the main intention of this adware is to drive traffic to affiliate websites, earn the money and spread other PUPs more widely.

Unfortunately, Winner Download Manager redirects are not the only downside of the program. It can also track your browsing activities and share gathered information for third parties which further use it for affiliate marketing. To succeed in this task, third-parties use tracking objects such as pixels, beacons, and HTTP cookies.[2]

Winner Download Manager adware

Keep in mind that Winner Download Manager can act as typical adware and this means – collecting income from the cost-per-click method. The developers might try to display advertisements as attractive as possible by filling them with misleading offers to purchase rogue security software or other useless products/services.

Winner Download Manager can be promoted by various third-party sources, however, its main installation technique is bundling (when the PUP comes injected into an entire software package). After successful infiltration, the adware brings the wdm.exe executable to the computer system.

Also, you can find objects related to Winner Download Manager in locations such as C:\Program Files\ or C:\ProgramData. Note that, once eliminating the threat from your computer system, you have to clean the mentioned directories also, otherwise, the PUP can reappear soon.

Winner Download Manager removal is a process that can be carried out by two different techniques – the automatical one and manual. Automatical requires employing reliable antimalware software and the step-by-step method is described at the end of this article by our security specialists.

In addition, we recommend downloading software such as FortectIntego for performing a thorough system scan. This software might spot all infectious components on your computer. This information might help you to remove Winner Download Manager from your machine if you are trying to take care of the process on your own.

Winner Download Manager

Ways how secret adware infiltration happens

It should be noted that typically potentially unwanted programs are spread around using bundling. It cannot be said that all PUPs only travel bundled with various freewares\ and shareware because some are also quite often downloaded from various download websites manually.

However, more frequently suspicious software infiltrates users' computers behind their backs with the help of free software. Therefore, if you want to avoid downloading and installing freeware with bundles, we recommend reading End-User's License Agreement and Privacy Policy sections in order to find out if the program is reliable.

Moreover, it is advisable to select the Advanced or Custom installation option and look for optional downloads that are offered to you as useful tools. Make sure that you deselect all additional programs before continuing the process. In case you are not allowed to deselect checkboxes claiming that you accept to install additional programs, you should stop the installation process and try downloading it from another source. 

Additionally, according to Virusai.lt experts,[3] some third-party products might get delivered to you via suspicious advertisements or hyperlinks. Keep in mind that before entering a specific website, you have to ensure that it is safe to proceed with. If you have a concerning feeling or your antivirus flags the network as a suspicious one, do not go there.

Removing Winner Download Manager virus from PC and browsers

Beware that after installing this program you may start suffering from annoying Winner Download Manager ads, redirects, slowdowns, and other inconveniences. To stop all these issues, you have to eliminate the PUP entirely.

Winner Download Manager removal covers all the directories where the adware might have been planted. You can find bogus entries and keys in the Windows Task Manager and Registry sections. Furthermore, your web browser settings might also be filled with unwanted extensions and add-ons.

You can remove Winner Download Manager from all locations with the help of reliable antimalware software. These products are especially beneficial for people who lack skills in the virus elimination field. Also, you can try out step-by-step guidelines that have been provided by our security experts and added down below.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.Reset Internet Explorer

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.

Reset Google Chrome:

If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

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