SocialDownloadr is a browser hijacker that alters web browser settings to monetize on pay-per-click scheme

SocialDownloadr is a potentially unwanted application[1] that can be downloaded on the official website and was designed to backup photos. Nevertheless, most of the users will find the app installed without their permission, right after downloading shareware or freeware from the internet.
SocialDownloadr virus is usually installed on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or another browser as an extension. Right after that, users will notice that their homepage, new tab address, and the search engine are set to search.socialdownloadr.com.
The potentially unwanted program will then prevent users from setting their homepage is the default unless SocialDownloadr removal is performed. Additionally, users might notice an increased amount of ads, popups, banners, etc. on all sites that they visit, redirects to dubious websites, as well as sponsored links at the top the search results, which are used for the pay-per-click[2] money-generating scheme.
| Name | SocialDownloadr |
| Type | Browser hijacker, potentially unwanted program |
| Homepage set to | search.socialdownloadr.com |
| Distribution | Software bundling, ads, third-party sites |
| Symptoms | Changed homepage and new tab URL |
| Risk factors | Installation of other potentially unwanted programs, personal data disclosure to unknown parties, malware infections |
| Termination | Delete the PUP automatically with anti-virus software or manually with the help of our guide below |
| Recovery | For a swift recovery after the computer infection, scan it with FortectIntego |
The main aim of SocialDownloadr is to display advertisements that are filled with third-party links, whose aim is to redirect people to predetermined sites. Beware that these links may also be used to redirect you to dangerous websites, so there is no doubt that you have to ignore SocialDownloadr ads, no matter how attractive they look.
If you have just started seeing its pop-up windows, banner ads, and similar commercial content on each of your web browsers, you should check the guide below and remove SocialDownloadr from your computer. If you need a quick solution, you can rely on anti-malware software, as well as FortectIntego repair tool to fix virus damage.
Unfortunately, but SocialDownloadr virus works not only by causing annoying pop-up ads on people's browsers. It also tracks its victims and collects information about their most visited websites and details that they add when visiting their favorite domains. With the help of this information, it can show people pop-up ads that are close to their interests. However, because of this ability, this program can reveal:
- your email address,
- IP address of the PC,
- its location, and similar data.
If your Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome web browser is attacked by this browser hijacker,[3] you can try to avoid SocialDownloadr redirect to predetermined websites, misleading pop-up ads and similar activities. However, there is only one way to prevent tracking behind your back. If you want to avoid such activity, you have to consider SocialDownloadr removal from your computer. For that, check the guide on the second page of this post.

Ways to get infected with a potentially unwanted program
Adware-type programs, browser hijackers and similar PUPs attack computer users by using ”software bundling”. In this case, SocialDownloadr is added to other software, which is offered for free. In most of the cases, the user is suggested to install computer performance enhancing products or services, free updates, extensions and plug-ins. However, this is a straight way to virus infiltration, so you must opt out of these suggestions.
The main way to prevent install of this virus is to select either Custom or Advanced installation of the freeware. However, you should be more cautious while downloading any software to the computer. It strongly suggested to read such terms as Privacy Policy or End User's License Agreement and get more knowledge about the program before its installation.
Secondly, stay away from Quick or Recommended installation options and monitor each step of this process. Now it is time to deselect any suspicious or unwanted files, such as SocialDownloadr or Search.socialdownloadr.com, which is related to this program. Finally, make sure you have a reliable anti-spyware that could let you check each of files before opening them. If you have just become a victim of this hijack, use out step-by-step guide given on the second page.
SocialDownloadr removal instructions
It is important to note that computer security threats evolve every day. However, security software is there to counter that, and many industry experts[4] work on improving virus detection techniques constantly. Therefore, if you want to remove SocialDownloadr virus from your computer, you can scan it with reputable anti-malware software (make sure it is up to date first).

You can also perform SocialDownloadr removal manually – follow our guidelines below. Nevertheless, be aware that these instructions might be quite confusing for novice computer users. If you are one of them, rather let security software perform the task for your.
After SocialDownloadr elimination, you should reset each of the installed web browsers, including Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc. We also provide the guide for the procedure below.
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?
6 comments
Benjamin Linx
Guess what, I downloaded SpyHunter and it really did the good job removing this sneaky virus! Im glad I found your site!
Arthur Henrie
Ha! Finally, removal instructions that actually WORKED. I was struggling with this program way too long
TrishThompson
What can I use to remove adware from Mac?
Anthony34
Ive hear Webroot is quite decent antivirus for Mac OS X
TrishThompson
I looked into it. Looks like its really worth a try... THANKS!
Laundry8PerCent
NICE GUIDE GUYS!!