Video Converter – file converter that displays lots of aggressive ads
Video Converter is a program that allows converting files to various formats. However, it might get into the system unnoticed and start annoying activities. Specialists report that it operates as adware[1] which is capable of delivering lots of ads and redirecting to questionable websites. Hence, it’s installation is not recommended.
Video Converter is similar to Online Video Converter. These tools offer the same services and cause the same problems on the affected computer. Such potentially unwanted programs (PUP) might hijack popular web browsers and use a virtual layer to display commercial content on each visited website.
So-called Video Converter virus is used for generating revenue from online advertising. Such strategy is not a surprise considering the fact that developers of the program offer free service. However, the problem is that aggressive ads diminish browsing experience and might put a computer at risk.
Negative features of the Video Converter adware:
- Displays ads, pop-ups, in-text ads and other types of online advertisements that promote shady programs, their updates[2] or services.
- Redirects to highly suspicious websites.
- Possibly tracks information about users and might share aggregated details with third-parties.
- Installs Video Converter browser extension to affected web browsers.
All of the above-mentioned activities might freeze or crash the browser, cause system slowdowns and increases your chances to suffer from malware or phishing attack. It’s important to mention Video Converter redirect issues which may lead to compromised websites.
The ad-supported application might trigger redirects, or you initiate redirect after clicking on the ad, to potentially dangerous or malicious websites. Of course, not all Video Converter ads are malware-laden. However, you should be aware that great discount coupons might be dangerous and cause your problems.
It goes without saying that we do not recommend using or keeping Video Converter on the computer. If you have installed this extension yourself, you should get rid of it immediately. However, if it was installed without your permission, you should put more effort in PUP elimination.
To remove Video Converter entirely, you have to uninstall not only the browser extension but look up for other suspicious components too. However, you can speed up this tiresome task by employing FortectIntego or another anti-malware software.
However, Video Converter removal also requires resetting the affected web browser. It helps to delete cookies[3] and other tracking technologies that may have been installed by the adware or third-parties.
Authors of potentially unwanted applications use bundling as the main distribution method
Just like any other application, Video Converter can be downloaded from its official website. This can be done for free, so we believe that there are hundreds of people who have already downloaded this program to their computers.
However, you should also know that there is another method that helps for this potentially unwanted program to spread around. This method is called bundling. Fortunately, you don't have to be a genius in order to avoid it and install needed programs without PUPs. For that, you should always double check programs before downloading them to your computer:
- Check what its developers claim in Privacy Policy, End User's License agreement[4] and similar sources of information.
- Select Custom or Advanced installation option instead of Quick or Recommended.
- Advanced setup will help you to see what “optional components’”(browser add-ons, plugins, toolbars, etc.) are trying to infiltrate your computer. If you noticed a warning about additional apps, you should uncheck it.
Security researchers from udenvirus.dk[5] report that the majority of computer users believe that using Recommended settings is safe. However, we want to stress out that it’s not. You should never use Recommended, Standard or Quick setups because they do not openly disclose about third-party add-ons.
Uninstall guide for Video Converter
If you voluntarily installed this PUP on the browser, you should remove it as an ordinary extension. However, if it arrived on the system in the software bundle, you should pay more attention to Video Converter removal. It means that you have to look up for programs, add-ons and other components which might be helping the adware to display pop-ups or ads.
Our prepared instructions below will help you to remove Video Converter manually. However, if you want to be 100% that elimination is successful, you should opt for the automatic elimination. All you need to do is to scan the system with an updated anti-malware program.
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.
Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).
Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.
- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.
Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.
Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.
Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- 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.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- 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.
Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.
Remove from Google Chrome
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- 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:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.
Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.
Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.
Did this guide help?
Be the first to comment