Alexa Toolbar (Free Instructions) - Jan 2021 update
Alexa Toolbar Removal Guide
What is Alexa Toolbar?
Alexa toolbar is the browser add-on that creates issues with the system when it controls various browsing online features
Alexa Toolbar is a service that people tend to call an intruder or potentially unwanted program. This is the service which is owned by Amazon and is compatible with Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox web browsers. Mostly, users install this program on their computers because they expect helpful information from it – Alexa Toolbar promises them to provide varied information about websites, such as traffic rankings, various user reviews, visitors' numbers, and similar data that is very useful for the most of PC users.
Alexa Toolbar is developed by webcrawler known for shady business with affiliates, sponsored material, and third-parties that can possibly affect your time on the internet and the general performance of the device. The program should be helpful, and people believe those claims about the browser add-on's usefulness.
However, this is not the only feature that Alexa Toolbar is known for. Some things may make you think twice before downloading this program to the system. But the PUP can easily enter the system during insecure processes or browsing on shady websites.
| Name | Alexa Toolbar |
|---|---|
| Type | Browser plugin |
| Symptoms | The toolbar gets installed on the browser and controls online traffic, redirects users to unwanted sites |
| Issues | The program appears out of nowhere and triggers reroute to various suspicious sites leading up to PUP infiltrations and privacy issues |
| Distribution | The program can be installed from freeware sites, deceptive pages, or during the installation of a different program |
| Elimination | Alexa Toolbar removal can be achieved with anti-malware tools |
| Repair | Clearing the system includes PC repair functions that FortectIntego can possibly offer |
Beware that this program may also initiate some annoying activities on the computer, for example, slowdowns, continuous pop-up advertisements, and so on. It can also collect data about the user and consume such data as people's most visited websites, data that they enter when visiting them, and even PC's IP address.
Typically, this program can also get data about a user's web browser and operating system, his/her email address, location, and products or services that were purchased via its service. However, this data is considered as personally non-identifiable, so there is no reason to worry about your financial data when having this toolbar installed on the system.
This data tracking issue uses the recorded information because sponsored material triggers more advertisements, and commercial content creators associated with Alexa Toolbar can be involved in shady misleading and deceptive campaigns.
Alexa collects information about surfing habits. Use of some features may transmit personal information to Alexa. Default with Internet Explorer an Alexa component is installed but is only active when the function Show Related Links is used.
Nevertheless, it seems that those who have issues with the Alexa Toolbar removal are especially annoyed. The frustration is also triggered by its Amazon shopping button, which appears when you hover your mouse over some product. If you want to get rid of it, you will have to remove a responsible program for showing it.
For the sake of general system cleaning, you should remove Alexa Toolbar using tools that are developed to eliminate threats like this. Anti-malware is the way to go, especially when you do not know how long this application has been running there. As for the issues with your PC – run FortectIntego.
Potentially unwanted program distribution ways
Alexa Toolbar can be downloaded from various websites that are used for promoting such and similar programs. These third-party websites are widely known, so you can download this program without trouble. However, you may also download it in a bundle with other programs, such as freeware and shareware, as an optional component.
Note that this distribution technique is still legitimate, but it has also initiated various doubts and discussions. Also, it seems that it can be easily avoided. You can do that by paying more attention to the installation process of freeware and shareware.
You should simply select the Custom or Advanced installation option and then carefully check the installation windows of the freeware you will install on your computer. Make sure you get rid of each of the checkmarks that agree to download and install Alexa Toolbar to the system.
If you use Alexa Toolbar and don't think it's annoying, you can leave it on your computer without any concerns. This program is NOT a virus, just a potentially unwanted application. However, this is not the best tool you can use, and remember to take those affiliate and deceptive websites in question.
The process of Alexa Toolbar removal might take time
If you want to remove Alexa Toolbar from your computer, the first thing you should do is to uninstall it via Add/Remove Programs feature. You can do that with the help of those listed below or using the manual removal guide.
However, a better option would be an automatic system cleaning with anti-malware tools. You can remove Alexa Toolbar and eliminate other possibly related applications using anti-malware tools that can find intruders, other installed viruses and clear the machine fully. The only step for you is to reset your browsers and repair the damage in system files with proper applications.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of Alexa Toolbar. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
Delete from macOS
Remove items from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (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 Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
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.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
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.
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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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 the suspicious plugins that might be 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 unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of Alexa Toolbar registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting browser plugins
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
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