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Spyware News
  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Browser Hijackers
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Jun 2020

How to remove DownloadManagerNow

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

DownloadManagerNow – a toolbar that changes your web browser settings in order to serve you intrusive ads

DownloadManagerNow

DownloadManagerNow is one of many Mindspark Interactive creations and is presented as a useful toolbar that is capable of helping users to download and watch various videos. While this feature might seem useful initially, it is evident that the app is a browser hijacker[1] that changes web browser settings of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, MS Edge, or another web browser to deliver various commercial content.

Just as many other potentially unwanted programs, DownloadManagerNow can be downloaded on official sources (such as Chrome web store), although users typically find the toolbar installed after they download freeware from third-party websites when software bundling is used. As a result, the PUP gains access to the web browser without direct user permission.

Once installed, DownloadManagerNow virus changes the homepage to hp.myway.com and appends a browser extension. It shows promotional ads and sponsored links via a customized search engine and tracks users' web browsing activity in order to benefit from the targeted advertisements.[2]

Name DownloadManagerNow
Type Browser hijacker, toolbar, potentially unwanted program
Also known as PUP.Optional.MindSpark.Generic
Distribution Browser hijackers can be installed intentionally by users themselves, although many notice these type of apps installed without permission (due to software bundling)
Symptoms Browser new tab and homepage address changed to hp.myway.com; extension installed on the browser; customized search engine applied; all search results are filled with sponsored links and ads, etc.
Dangers Users' web browser activities are monitored, which might result in privacy issues. Also, users might end up installing additional PUPs or even malware due to various ads encountered via the hijacked search engine 
Removal To eliminate the extension, you should right-click on it via your browser. You should also scan your device with anti-malware software and reset web browsers for best results
System fix In case malware of PUPs were found on your device, we recommend using FortectIntego to fix potential damage that could have been done by the infection

Mindspark Interactive is one of the better known potentially unwanted application developers out there. The company is known for its shady distribution campaigns, app persistence practices, excessive information tracking, and similar dubious activities. The company is distributing such apps as CryptoPriceSearch, SearchYA, EasyPDFCombine, GardeningEnthusiast, and many others. Due to the developer, DownloadManagerNow is also often called PUP.Optional.MindSpark.Generic.

In most cases, users install DownloadManagerNow because they believe that the app is useful. Nonetheless, it can also be spread via software bundle packages (unintentional installation). Once installed, the app would show the following symptoms:

  • Homepage and new tab is set set to myway.com;
  • An extension is installed on your browser;
  • All search results are filled with sponsored links and ads;
  • Overall increased amount of advertisements, etc.

While the extension is advertised as a download manager, it is actually nothing like it. All it does is provides links to various insecure websites that allow downloading videos from YouTube, Dailymotion, Facebook, and many other sources. These types of sites are notorious for injecting malicious ads to users' web browsers, which may result in the infection of malware, personal data disclosure, or monetary losses. Thus, you should not delay DownloadManagerNow removal.

Just like many other typical hijackers, DownloadManagerNow also incorporates links to the most popular websites, such as YouTube, eBay, Gmail, Yahoo, Amazon, and many more. While this might seem convenient, such functionality has been long included within all modern web browsers and is obsolete to users. If anything, you can include links to websites you like – you won't have to deal with DownloadManagerNow hijack and fake search results.

DownloadManagerNow hijack

Another reason to remove DownloadManagerNow is its information gathering practices and permissions that the app asks upon installation. Even though the extension mainly gathers anonymous information (such as search queries, websites visited, links clicked, technical details of the device, location, ISP, etc.) for marketing purposes,[3] it allows itself to perform the following actions:

It can:

Read and change data on a number of websites
Replace the page you see with opening a new tab
Read your browsing history
Display notifications
Manage your apps, extensions, and themes

As evident, there is no need to risk your online privacy and engage in diminished web browser experience by using this fake download manager. To eliminate it, right-click on the add-on and select “Remove.” However, if the browser changes do not get set to default, we recommend resetting them as explained below and scanning the computer with FortectIntego, as well as a reputable anti-malware software.

Avoid installing apps that clutter your computer and track your online activities

Potentially unwanted programs are called so for a reason – they typically arrive at users' machines without permission. This happens due to several reasons:

  • users are unaware of deceptive distribution practices of PUPs;
  • installation process of new apps is typically rushed;
  • applications are downloaded from shady websites;
  • third-party app developers often deliberately hide optional components within the installer.

However, the unintentional installation can also be followed by an array of other problems. For example, some PUPs can collect personal information in the background, compromise security settings, establish new registries for persistence, and much more. Besides, some unwanted apps can be difficult to eliminate, or they might also leave traces behind.

Thus, it is best to avoid potentially unwanted applications in the first place – choose trustworthy apps that do not track you and use overall fair practices. To do that, you should employ robust security software with PUP detection feature, download apps from credible sources, and always pick Advanced/Custom settings when prompted. This will allow you to remove ticks next to download managers, file converters, extensions, and similar useless tools.

DownloadManagerNow optional apps

DownloadManagerNow removal instructions

To remove DownloadManagerNow from your machine, you should right-click on the extension. If it is not showing up, you should access web browser settings or reset web browsers entirely. However, you should also be aware that potentially unwanted programs often arrive in bundles, so it might be that suspicious apps are present on your machine. In such a case, you would have to uninstall the program as per the instructions provided below.

In case DownloadManagerNow removal did not stop unwanted browser activity, and you are still encountering frequent ads and redirects, you should also scan your computer with anti-malware software. In fact, security applications can also get rid of PUPs automatically, in case such function is enabled.

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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