Always Weather virus (Removal Guide) - Oct 2017 update
Always Weather virus Removal Guide
What is Always Weather virus?
Always Weather extension is not the most reliable app to keep on your browser
Always Weather is advertised as a useful browser extension that provides hourly and 5-day weather forecasts based on your location. Even though, it looks like a legit and functional tool, this programs as well as its update Always Weather 1.0.2 works as a potentially unwanted program (PUP)[1] and has features of the adware.
The program is available on Chrome Play Store.[2] If you decide to download it, the informational message pops up stating that the tool can:
- Read and change all your data on the websites you visit
- Display notifications
- Manage your apps, extensions, and themes
Furthermore, regardless of the appealing official site, it does not present any privacy policy nor EULA. Due to these factors, the site is labeled as PUP. Thus, you might want to remove Always Weather. In this situation, you might find FortectIntego or Malwarebytes useful. At first glance, the application might seem quite ordinary. If you are not aware of security dangers, you may disregard the absence of the above-mentioned documents.
However, a website or an app without privacy policy sparks doubts whether it is safe to use it. Furthermore, there is no information whether the application collects any information about users and whether Always Weather transmits the data to its business partners. Considering the past incident involving AccuWeather[3], the collection of personal data might cause more troubles.
Therefore, it is likely that you might be bothered with Always Weather redirect problem. However, you should not disregard this issue. Always Weather ads or notifications might not only inform you about weather changes but direct you to shady domains. Thus, there are more than enough reasons to initiate Always Weather removal.
Always Weather 1.0.2 does not offer fewer ads than the previous version
This potentially unwanted program (PUP) seems to have features of the adware. It means after the installation it might deliver an increased amount of online ads and initiate redirects to sponsored websites.
Just like many other apps, PUPs might also be updated. Therefore, security researchers noticed a new variant of our discussed app spreading all over the internet – Always Weather 1.0.2. This application acts similarly as its predecessor.
Even though it is available on the official website and Chrome Play store, it still might be spread in software packages. Thus, be careful when installing new programs!
Unfortunately, developers did not include EULA and Privacy Policy to this version as well. Thus, it’s better to remove Always Weather 1.0.2 if it appears on your browser in order to avoid possible security threats.
Always Weather seeks more control over your browser
Being careful when downloading free programs helps to avoid installation of undesired apps
While adware becomes more intertwined with malware[4], certain samples exhibit different distribution campaigns, however, such typical PUPs as this one spreads the ordinary ways. It can be found on Google Chrome Web Store and on its official site – http://alwaysweather.net/.
Considering other distribution possibilities, “Always Weather hijack” does not exist. Nonetheless, be vigilant while installing even well-known apps such as Java or Skype. Recklessly dashing through the installation wizard might deprive you of overlooking optional but often irrelevant add-ons.
Uninstall Always Weather extension from your browser
If you have already installed the extension, you can uninstall it manually by removing it from the extensions list. However, you should also eliminate its cookies and web elements. You can do so with the assistance of malware elimination tool.
In addition, below instructions will be of service to you decide to remove Always Weather virus manually.
The extension can be promoted to non-native English speakers, for instance, Danish[5]. Now start Always Weather removal procedure.
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 Always Weather virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Make sure that any files related to this extension were not installed to your PC:
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
Get rid of Always Weather extension and remove its web scripts from Google Chrome by following these steps:
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 Always Weather 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
Stream videos without limitations, no matter where you are
There are multiple parties that could find out almost anything about you by checking your online activity. While this is highly unlikely, advertisers and tech companies are constantly tracking you online. The first step to privacy should be a secure browser that focuses on tracker reduction to a minimum.
Even if you employ a secure browser, you will not be able to access websites that are restricted due to local government laws or other reasons. In other words, you may not be able to stream Disney+ or US-based Netflix in some countries. To bypass these restrictions, you can employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN, which provides dedicated servers for torrenting and streaming, not slowing you down in the process.
Data backups are important – recover your lost files
Ransomware is one of the biggest threats to personal data. Once it is executed on a machine, it launches a sophisticated encryption algorithm that locks all your files, although it does not destroy them. The most common misconception is that anti-malware software can return files to their previous states. This is not true, however, and data remains locked after the malicious payload is deleted.
While regular data backups are the only secure method to recover your files after a ransomware attack, tools such as Data Recovery Pro can also be effective and restore at least some of your lost data.
- ^ Software Terms : PUP Definition. TechTerms. The Tech Terms Computer Dictionary.
- ^ Chris Hoffman. Google's Chrome Web Store lists malicious Chrome apps ahead of legit extensions. PCWorld. News, tips and reviews from the experts on PCs, Windows and more.
- ^ Alice Woods. Accuweather lost its trust: the weather app shares users’ location data with third-party companies. 2-spyware. Spyware and security news.
- ^ Russell Brandom. Lenovo settles with the FTC over Superfish adware. The Verge. IT News and Commentary.
- ^ Eliminate malware. Udenvirus. Security news and malware elimination guidelines in Danish.