Do not tolerate History Cleaner ads and remove the associated adware for your security
History Cleaner is a highly suspicious Google Chrome extension[1] that presents itself as a tool that helps to erase all necessary data in Google Chrome. However, IT professionals rank it as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) or adware[2], since it hardly does what it promises. Instead of providing promised features only, History Cleaner might display highly annoying web ads during user’s browsing sessions.
History Cleaner virus is a highly suspicious piece of software that should not be kept in the computer system. As soon as it gets a chance to establish itself on victim’s computer, it starts tracking user’s behavior online.
Typically, the adware aims to find out what kind of websites the victim visits or what content he clicks in them. It can also record search queries and collect time stamps showing how much time the victim spent on particular websites. Such activity allows HistoryCleaner developers select proper ads to display for the victim.
The extension communicates with ad networks and then loads commercial offers on the screen in the form of pop-up ads, banners, or even in-text links. It can be hard to understand that these ads do not originate from sites the victim visits.
However, the number of ads the infected computer generates clearly indicates that something is wrong with the system and that it needs a thorough system scan using anti-malware software like FortectIntego.
You can also try to find and remove History Cleaner manually. To delete this highly suspicious threat from Chrome and get rid of its remains for good, we suggest using guidelines prepared by the 2-Spyware team (you can find them below).
Distribution of ad-supported browser extensions
Unwanted browser extensions similar to History Cleaner (for instance, Always Weather, Noter Save and others) sneak into user’s computer alongside vague freeware packages that can be downloaded from the majority of file sharing websites.
It is also possible to encounter a suggestion to install the suspicious program while surfing the Internet if you click on an ad or link leading to the official website of such extension. However, software bundling is a much more efficient technique and therefore it is actively used in History Cleaner’s distribution.
To keep this suspicious extension away from Chrome and your computer system overall, always pick Custom or Advanced settings when installing new software. Installation wizards tend to include permissions to install “recommended” programs in Default or Standard installation options, which, to say at least, look trustworthy at first sight.
However, do not let these deceive you and opt for Custom/Advanced settings instead! Here, deselect all extras without any doubt. Dieviren.de experts report[3] that adware similar to HistoryCleaner has used similar infiltration techniques to infect computers of many German-speaking computer users.
Remove History Cleaner from your browser
Users willing to remove History Cleaner virus from Chrome and other browsers the virus possibly affected should carefully read the instructions provided below the article. We strongly suggest paying close attention to them and following given directions attentively. Do not try to eliminate this adware program hastily.
A complete History Cleaner removal can be completed using anti-spyware or anti-malware programs. If you are out of ideas of what security program to use, consider choosing one of the ones we recommend.
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.
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 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.
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