AllConvertersSearches is a browser hijacker that checks your browsing history
AllConvertersSearches is a browser extension that can be downloaded from various sources, although most users reported finding it seemingly out of nowhere. This happens due to browser hijacker's[1] suspicious infiltration techniques, including software bundles downloaded from third party websites, as well as deceptive advertisements or fake updates.
Once installed, AllConvertersSearches attaches an extension to Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, MS Edge, or Safari, and sets the homepage and new tab address to portal.allconverterssearches.com or feed.allconverterssearches.com. Due to this, users are forced to use a customized search tool that redirects all searches to Yahoo – these are also filled with sponsored links and ads. In the background, AllConvertersSearches also spies on users by harvesting information about their online behavior, which helps the developers monetize easily.
| Name | AllConvertersSearches |
| Type | Browser hijacker, potentially unwanted program |
| Distribution | PUPs are distributed via deceptive methods in most cases – software bundles, fake updates, deceptive ads, and similar, are common. In some cases, users might install a hijacker without knowing much about its true functionality |
| Symptoms |
|
| Risks | Installation of other potentially unwanted programs, privacy risks due to information gathering practices, monetary losses |
| Elimination | To uninstall the extension, you should access the settings section of your browser. In case this process fails for some reason, you can reset your browser as we explain below |
| Further checks | An unexpected install might also indicate that other unwanted programs or malware might be present on the machine. To check for malware, scan your computer with security software (such as SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes) and then attempt to fix virus damage with tools such as FortectIntego |
AllConvertersSearches is a browser hijacker that belongs to a larger family of PUPs and is one of the hundreds of apps that are rebranded on a regular basis. The only difference between these extensions is that they all use different (although similar) names and also a different icon. Examples of previously-released hijackers include SearchGamez, SearchTheConverter, AllConvertersSearch, ConvertMySearch, and many others.
The similarities of these PUPs do not end there, however, as they follow the same patters. For example, the front page that is set as soon as AllConvertersSearches hijack occurs is almost identical and includes seemingly useful components such as a currency converter or a calculator that can be accessed by clicking on the left panel. These attributes are mere disguises to make users believe that these extensions are useful are capable of enhancing user experience.
While it is true that widgets such as PDF converter can be handy, you should not forget that you are dealing with a browser hijacker, and its main goal is not to provide you with free features. To reach its goals, AllConvertersSearches takes over the browser, i.e., it changes the new tab and homepage to pre-set settings.
While visually, such changes might not seem significant, it becomes evident that it is not the case as soon as web search is performed – many users soon find that Google is redirecting to Yahoo. While the latter is also a legitimate tech company and is used by millions of users worldwide, this behavior is initiated by the so-called AllConvertersSearches virus, which uses Yahoo's engine to provide results.
However, these search results are not genuine, and more observant users would notice that top results are actually AllConvertersSearches ads that lead to sponsored sites. By clicking on these links, users allow the developers of the PUP to monetize easily. Due to this seemingly harmless activity, users might struggle to find relevant information and be mislead on multiple occasions.
If altered search results did not convince you to perform AllConvertersSearches removal, you should get yourself informed about the data gathering practices oh the hijacker. Just as any other potentially unwanted application of such kind, it gathers an IP address, ISP, visited websites, links clicked, browsing history, and other data with the help of tracking technologies such as cookies.
To make matters worse, some of the collected information might be shared with third parties for marketing purposes:
We may share your information, in the event of a corporate transaction (e.g. sale of a substantial part of our business, merger, consolidation or asset sale).
Other third parties (including retailers, media networks, feed providers) in any of the above circumstances, as well as for the purpose of developing or delivering content (whether via our Service, or websites, applications or services of third parties) <…>.
Thus, if you value your privacy, remove AllConvertersSearches from your computer by terminating the extension that is clipped to your browser. Alternatively, you can also check the list of the installed applications as per instructions we provide below. If you struggle with uninstallation process, simply scan the machine with anti-malware, such as MalwarebytesMalwarebytes. If your security tool flagged malware, you should apply system fixes with FortectIntego for a better computer performance.
Easy steps to prevent installation of unwanted software on your computer
First and utmost, we can not stress enough that there are thousands of users who install potentially unwanted applications intentionally and do not comprehend the implications of such actions. While these apps are typically not a high-risk threat, users who do have them installed are more likely to infect their machines with malicious software or come across phishing and scam sites while browsing the web.
Thus, before you install any program on your computer, you should do a little bit of research online – blog posts, reviews, forums, and other portals are a good place to start. It is just as equally important to choose safe websites to download software from – torrent and warez sites are not among them.
One of the main distribution methods for PUPs is software bundling, where several components are injected into a single installer – this is one of the main reasons why users find suspicious software on their machines seemingly out of nowhere. To prevent these apps from accessing your device, follow these tips provided by novirus.uk[2] experts:
- When prompted, always pick Advanced/Custom mode to remain in control of the installation process;
- Remove all the ticks from pre-ticked checkboxes (unless it's a ToS agreement);
- Read the fine print;
- Watch out for misleading button placements;[3]
- Decline all the offers or deals.
Eliminate AllConvertersSearches to protect yourself from ads and other unwanted browser behavior
AllConvertersSearches removal should not cause problems for the majority number of people who got infected by it. All you have to do is access the extensions section of your browser and delete the app as per the usual procedure. Unfortunately, this process does not always go as planned, as users who had other apps installed on their browser by the same developer claimed that they were unable to remove AllConvertersSearches in a regular manner due to a setting known as “Managed by your organization.” If that is the case for you, you should proceed with the browser reset at once – we provide all the instructions for that below.
Note that AllConvertersSearches hijack might be related to an application installed on your system instead – you can look for it by accessing Control Panel (Windows) or Applications folder (Mac). If that still does not get rid of ads and redirects, you should employ powerful anti-malware and perform a full system scan.
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.
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