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  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Adware
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Aug 2018

How to remove WhiteClick

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

Linas Kiguolis · Expert in social media

WhiteClick is an adware which stealthily installs a questionable Toolbar

WhiteClick adware

WhiteClick is a potentially unwanted program (PUP) which is programmed to install a controversial Toolbar on most frequently visited browsers, including Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Google Chrome. WhiteClick Toolbar supposedly allows accessing popular sites faster. Although, according to the researchers, this adware program uses Ukrainian Google site to deliver search results. Even though such actions are not malicious, experts say that WhiteClick hijack might cause more damage than you think. 

Name WhiteClick
Type Adware
Also known as White Click Toolbar
Danger level Low, does not affect other computer systems
Purpose To provide numerous ads and gain income from the pay-per-click method
Spreads by Official downloading page, bundled freeware, various sites, and links
Deletion process You can install FortectIntego in order to get rid of WhiteClick ads

Be aware that WhiteClick adware gathers all browsing experience-related information. That includes the following:

  • Pages you have visited;
  • Keywords you typed via the search section; bookmarks;
  • IP addresses;
  • Etc.

This kind of activity allows the developers of an ad-supported program to deliver customized ads and attract users into clicking on them. In some cases, particular personal details can also be misused. In order to avoid such risk, remove WhiteClick from your browser as soon as you see it. We recommend using FortectIntego or any other similar anti-malware tool.

WhiteClick adware

Moreover, this ad-supported program benefits from various intrusive ads[1]. It provides all kinds of advertisements: pop-ups, pop-unders, banners, coupons, etc. These ads might slow down your browsing activity increasingly. So, these annoying actions are just only another reason to do WhiteClick removal.

In addition, ads by WhiteClick might not only help gain revenue from the pay-per-click marketing method but might also lead you to various infective pages. There you can even get a more serious malware infection than annoying WhiteClick ads or WhiteClick Toolbar. Nevertheless, advertisements often occur to be misleading.

Ways to identify WhiteClick adware

Most users do not even know that they have downloaded WhiteClick installer. As developers of potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) manage to infiltrate their questionable applications stealthily, it might be difficult to identify and adware infection for regular computer users. 

Usually, WhiteClick setup starts from either visiting a suspicious site or downloading freeware without attentively monitoring the installation procedure. As this adware can also take over most popular browsers, it begins altering browser settings to generate never-ending ads. 

WhiteClick Toolbar

After WhiteClick download, users are also provided with WhiteClick Toolbar which allows browsing Ukrainian Google (https://www.google.com.ua/) or selecting specific pages to open in the default browser. If you have noticed that a suspicious Toolbar has occurred on your browser, you should start searching for WhiteClick removal tool immediately. 

WhiteClick PUP

Additionally, there is a substantial risk that your computer is infected with the adware, if an excessive amount of advertisements are displayed during your browsing sessions. The easiest way to identify WhiteClick ads is by noticing the following marks:

  • Ads by WhiteClick;
  • Brought to you by WhiteClick;
  • WhiteClick ads;
  • Powered by WhiteClick.

Understanding adware distribution peculiarities can help you avoid the infection

It is common that users can download WhiteClick installer from its official website. However, further research revealed that developers not only promote their controversial products as useful but also pack them together with other third-party applications. This distribution method is regarded as bundling technique which helps install potentially unwanted programs bundled with freeware without user's knowledge[2]

WhiteClick distribution

If you want to avoid ad-supported program's infiltration, follow these steps:

  1. Do not download freeware from secondary sources. Better look for the original downloading sites and get your software from there. However, if you manage to do downloads from third-party websites, go to the Custom/Advanced section and analyze all incoming downloads.
  2. Try not to skip downloading/installing steps. If you are in a rush – better do the installation next time than risk getting an adware-type program downloaded together.
  3. Be careful while browsing the web and visiting various sites as they might contain links which once clicked, will launch the ad-supported program and start its downloading process. If you already have encountered a suspicious-looking page, close it immediately and never return to it again.
  4. Install a professional security tool. An antivirus will scan your computer system and guide you through the removal process if some threats are found.

WhiteClick uninstall guide is suitable for WhiteClick Toolbar removal as well

It is vital to mention that WhiteClick virus term is merely used by frustrated computer users who can't get rid of WhiteClick easily. This term is not accurate as adware infections are categorized as potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) rather than viruses by IT experts[3]. Although, our experts have useful tips to help you perform WhiteClick uninstall. Note, that these steps are suitable for WhiteClick Toolbar removal as well.

You can remove WhiteClick either manually or automatically. However, keep in mind that manual WhiteClick removal requires you to identify, locate and delete all components which are related to the adware. If you think that you are not experienced enough, try following the guidelines presented at the end of this article. 

Otherwise, you can remove WhiteClick Toolbar more quickly by installing an anti-malware tool. The ad-supported program elimination will take only up to a few minutes. After the process is fully done, we recommend refreshing your computer to ensure that no dubious content is left hiding.

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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