Remove File Opener Pro (Removal Instructions)

File Opener Pro is a potentially unwanted program that injects browsers with intrusive ads

File Opener Pro

File Opener Pro is an application that users might find on their computers after the installation of freeware or shareware apps from third-party websites, although some might be keen to try using it because of its functionality. As stated by developers Choice Install, the app works perfectly for opening various file types, such as MS Office, PDF, audio, video, and text files – all for free. However, users initially don't know that File Opener Pro is adware^[1] app that spams Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and other browsers with intrusive ads.

Besides unwanted advertisements, File Opener Pro can also add a browser extension and insert browser helper objects into Internet Explorer in order to display banners, pop-ups, coupons, deals, and other commercial content. Additionally, users' web browsing activities might be tracked with technologies like cookies or web beacons^[2] to increase the revenue from targeted ads.

Name	File Opener Pro
Type	The potentially unwanted program, adware
Main executable	fileopenerpro.exe
Infiltration	In most cases, users install PUPs like File Opener Pro unintentionally when downloading apps from third-party sites. Additionally, they might also get tricked by an attractive advertisement or a fake update
Main dangers	Installation of other unwanted programs or malware, money loss due to frequently encountered online scams,
Symptoms	Those who get infected might start noticing intrusive ads that are sometimes marked as “Ads by File Opener Pro,” “File Opener Pro ads,” and similar; searches might be filled with sponsored links; browser redirects might frequent users' web browsing sessions, etc.
Termination	Either use anti-malware software that has PUP detection feature or apply steps provided in our manual removal guide below
Recovery & optimization	In case your computer still acts sluggish or you experience software crashes, you should scan your machine with PC repair tool Fortect Intego

Those who installed File Opener Pro intentionally might not instantly recognize that the intrusive ads are comping from the program, as it is often not easy to separate the embedded commercial content from the one that is caused by an adware. However, users may also experience sudden redirects to websites that they never intended to visit in the first place.

In many cases, users will find themselves on insecure websites that promote shady scareware^[3] apps by showing fake virus alerts or claim that Adobe Flash is out of date. These are typical online scam pages that users infected with File Opener Pro might face. Those who are not familiar with such scams may be tricked by cybercrooks' social engineering skills and download the promoted app (which might as well be malware) or contact malicious actors via the provided phone number.

Therefore, if you are experiencing browser behavior that seems odd, you should remove File Opener Pro virus from your system. Adware might be considered as far as malware by some security researchers, while others might only see it as a nuisance that constantly bugs them. If you belong to the latter category, remember that free apps are usually not free at all, as they are sponsored by advertisements. Indeed, showing ads is not a crime, it is just when users are exposed to insecure online material like online scams it becomes a problem – and File Opener Pro will show you bad ads as well as safe ads regularly.

File Opener Pro adware

If you want to keep your machine secure, you should not delay File Opener Pro removal – you can either rely on security software that recognizes potentially unwanted programs or use our manual instructions below. If you also installed software that was promoted via online scams, your machine might also be infected with malware, and anti-virus will take care of that.

Finally, experts^[4] recommend resetting all the installed browsers after PUP elimination and scanning the computer with Fortect Intego or similar repair tool if having problems with system slowdowns and crashes post File Opener Pro termination.

Avoiding potentially unwanted programs is easy – here's how

As mentioned above, adware might be categorized as a relatively harmless app that displays ads, as well as software that engages in background activities that can compromise users' online security. In some cases, the adware can also be a part of far more malicious campaigns like botnets or be injected via backdoors. Security experts noticed multiple instances when advertising revenue is being generated by adware programs which were injected via other malware that was previously installed on the system.

Thus, while in most cases, on its own, the adware will not cause such major consequences like identity theft or financial data leak, it might be a sign of much more serious infections. Additionally, software that disrupts online web browsing sessions on a regular basis is no good addition to any home user's computer.

Since the main distribution method of adware is software bundling, these tips should help you to keep PUPs away from your machine:

If possible, always choose official download sources instead of third-party ones;
Always visit the official website to update software or do it via the app;
Before installing app you are not familiar with, check online reviews and blog posts about it;
During the installation process, check the installation instructions carefully: unmark all the pre-ticked boxes, read the fine print, watch out for misplaced buttons and deceptive offers;
When prompted always pick Advanced/Custom settings, as sometimes it is the only way to uncover optional components and remove them before they are automatically installed.

Additionally, you should always keep a comprehensive security program installed on your device and keep it updated – it might warn you and prevent the installation of unwanted programs, along with malware.

File Opener Pro installation

Get rid of File Opener Pro

File Opener Pro removal can be either difficult or easy – it all depends on the system configuration, whether other PUPs/malware is present on the machine, and your computer skills. Note that ads are not necessarily a sign of infection, as they might be simply embedded within sites that you visit. To prevent those, you can use specially designed ad-blocking browser extensions. Nevertheless, if you encounter ads on websites that typically don't serve them or they are marked by “File Opener Pro ads,” you need to take care of the unwanted program installed on your machine.

You can remove File Opener Pro with the help of security software automatically – note that not all anti-malware programs will recognize all PUPs, as it depends on a vendor (each has different criteria for marking program as a “potentially unwanted”). Thus, you could simply employ the instructions we provide below and get rid of the File Opener Pro virus manually. Resetting browsers is also highly recommended, as adware changes their settings without permission, and only a reset could fix that.

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.

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.

How to remove File Opener Pro

File Opener Pro is a potentially unwanted program that injects browsers with intrusive ads

Avoiding potentially unwanted programs is easy – here's how