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Amazon Assistant virus. Is it a threat? 2021 update

removal by Gabriel E. Hall - - 2021-01-02 Also known as amazon assistant | Type: System tools

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Amazon Assistant is a browser extension created by Amazon, although displays too many pop-up ads and tracks its users

Amazon Assistant virus image Amazon Assistant is not technically a virus, the key dilemma lies in its security. The application causes browsing and privacy-related problems.

Questions about Amazon Assistant virus

Unable to uninstall Amazon Assistant 29/05/18 2
How can I stop Amazon Assistant? It keeps loading 09/08/17 1

Amazon Assistant is a browser extension created to share attractive-looking deals and offers with its users. This type of browser tool can be downloaded from Amazon's official website or found in original e-stores such as Google Play Store, App store, etc. However, this application can be bundled with other programs also and force unwanted changes on web browser apps. As a result of stealth infiltration, you might experience modifications with your homepage and search engine. Nevertheless, Amazon Assitant might start pushing intrusive ads on your screen and promoting various sales. Even though this plugin is a legitimate one, it can cause too many annoying activities and is linked to the PUP category.

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Names	Amazon Assistant, aa.hta, Amazon Browser Bar
Category	Potentially unwanted program (PUP)
Danger level	Low. Does not cause damage to the OS
Operating systems affected	Windows XP, 7, 8, 10, Mac OS X
Distribution ways	Software bundles, Google Play store, Firefox add-on store, etc.
Prevention guide	Custom/Advanced configuration allows managing all downloads safely
Travels together	Amazon Web Search, Amazon Smart Search
Infiltration symptoms	Changes the homepage/default search engine, causes pop up messages

Initially, the program was designed as a handy tool that would make the shopping experience for users better. However, as shown by Amazon Assistant reviews,^[1] the application got quite a bit of negative feedback. Users are unhappy about its functionality, as it does not fulfill what it promises – all the functionality can be simply accomplished when visiting the official Amazon site.

Probably the most concerning part of Amazon Assistant is the information tracking that it performs during its operation on users' browsers.^[2] Search queries, IP address, sites visited, links clicked, and similar non-personally identifiable data is carefully gathered to compile a profile that is later targeted by pop-ups, in-text links, promotional offers, deals, and other intrusive content.

Finally, Amazon Assistant changes the homepage, search engine and the new tab address to Amazon Smart Search – this is a clear indication of browser hijacking, and this technique is used to display altered search results, filling them with sponsored links

Though it is not technically a virus, it still raises speculations for IT experts that it might be related to Amazon virus. Even though it is legitimate, the key dilemma lies in its security. The application not only causes browsing-related problems but might put the user’s privacy at risk due to suspicious data tracking activities.^[3] As a result, people have already started using Amazon Assistant virus term while trying to describe their issue on the Internet.^[4]

The application is compatible with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and other browsers on both Windows and Mac operating systems. However, after the installation of the extension, browser performance deteriorates due to these reasons:

Ability to change the homepage or default search engine (e.g., Browser Bar, Amazon Web Search);
Delivery of aggressive pop-ups;
Displaying too many shopping offers;
Opening new browser’s windows;
Inability to uninstall it.^[5]

Many computer users report that they were having problems with Amazon Assistant removal. Despite the fact, they remove the extension from the browser, it still comes back after a system reboot. If it happens to you too, you should opt for the automatic elimination method with anti-malware software.

If you are looking for a quick way how to get rid of this add-on, remove Amazon Assistant faster with the assistance of ReimageIntego or Malwarebytes. However, in some cases, browser reset is needed too. We have given the instructions on how to do it at the end of the article.

Amazon Assistant offers a wide choice of services but also presents security dilemmas.

According to LosVirus.es specialists,^[6] browser hijackers sometimes have the capability of redirecting to affiliate pages. So, if you did not prompt for the Amazon Assistant installation by yourself but the app somehow appeared on your computer system, do not be surprised that it is there to promote various suspicious activities.

Talking about the redirecting itself, it can be not only annoying but also dangerous. Amazon Assistant is not malware itself and it is not dangerous but its redirecting can relate to some harm. If you are frequently experiencing such activity, you have a chance of landing on an infected website and facing malware there.

Potentially dangerous activities of the browser extension

Many users ask if Amazon Assistant a virus. However, technically speaking it's not. It’s a browser extension that is categorized as a potentially unwanted program because it may negatively affect the performance of the browser. Hence, the term “virus” is not correct to describe this cyber infection. However, it’s still a popular definition among people who used this tool.

Talking about negative features of this suspicious extension,^[7] Amazon Assistant virus Windows 10 version seems to be very annoying and aggressive. Many users report that this application opens new browser’s tabs or windows:^[8]

Each time I start up my laptop PC Amazon assistant opens all by itself new windows (one after the other filling the whole screen) indicating “C:\Program Files(x86)\Amazon\Amazon Assisitant\aa.hta”.

However, older Windows OS, as well as Mac OS X, users report about having problems with Amazon Assistant pop up virus. Soon after this application is installed on the browser, it starts displaying various commercial offers suggesting to buy goods on Amazon.

Amazon Assistant can be downloaded directly, but it’s not the only possible distribution method.

According to the reports, the extension displays tons of pop-ups, banners, in-text, and other types of ads soon after the installation. Typically, these advertisements are based on user’s search keywords and browsing history. This activity raises another important issue related to the extension's data tracking activities. The add-on might collect the following information about the user:

visited websites and pages;
clicked ads;
search queries;
IP address;
location;
etc.

There’s no doubt that aggregated information is used for advertising purposes. However, security specialists warn that this data might be shared or sold to third-parties, including advertising networks.^[9] The problem is that such advertising networks often gets compromised and can display malicious ads. After clicking on such commercial offer, you may be redirected to the domain of suspicious origin, for instance, a phishing website that is used for stealing personal information, including credit card information.

Browser extension can be downloaded directly, but it’s not the only possible distribution method

The shopping assistant is available to download on amazon.com website, Google Play store, as well as Mozilla Firefox add-on store. In addition, you may spot this browser add-on being promoted on certain affiliated domains or even via other freeware. Specifically, you should be careful not to install unwanted and irrelevant applications while managing the installation process.

Amazon Assistant for Chrome app

Note that often users accidentally install new applications by overlooking attached add-ons. Thus, it is recommended to choose “Custom” settings. Only when you are sure that no additional tools are installed, proceed further one. If you can find an offer to change your browser settings, make sure you untick it. Now let us proceed to the removal section. For that, you should always opt for Custom or Advanced installation methods.

Detailed explanation on how to remove Amazon Assistant virus

To remove Amazon Assistant virus from your browser, you need to get rid of every, even the smallest component related to this add-on. While it is easier to entrust the process to malware removal tool, you can also get rid of this app by refreshing each of your web browsers.

In case of automatic removal, you should select one of the tools that are given below and let them do their work after updating them to their full versions. These programs will not take long to eradicate the extension fully. However, keeping in mind that it is not a serious computer threat, you can also think about manual elimination.

To perform manual Amazon Assistant removal on your computer, you may check instructions designed by our experts. Technically, you should run thru your recently-installed programs on Control Panel and get rid of the ones that seem suspicious. Then, you need to reset your web browser if you suspect any of the files to be remaining. Upon choosing a new search engine or browser extension, check its reviews on independent user forums.

You may remove virus damage with a help of ReimageIntego. 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.

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To remove Amazon Assistant virus, follow these steps:

WindowsmacOS Internet Explorer Microsoft Edge Firefox Google Chrome Safari

Erase Amazon Assistant from Windows systems

To remove Amazon Assistant from Windows, you need to remove this extension. You can do that with the help of these instructions:

To remove Amazon Assistant virus from Windows 10/8 machines, please follow these steps:

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 entries related to Amazon Assistant virus (or any other recently installed 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.

WindowsmacOSInternet Explorer Microsoft Edge Firefox Google Chrome Safari

Remove Amazon Assistant from Mac OS X system

Remove Amazon Assistant virus from Applications folder:

From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
In the Applications folder, look for Amazon Assistant virus-related entries.
Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)

To fully remove Amazon Assistant virus, 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 related to Amazon Assistant virus and then delete them.
Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the Amazon Assistant virus-related entries.

Windows macOSInternet ExplorerMicrosoft Edge Firefox Google Chrome Safari

Uninstall Amazon Assistant from Internet Explorer (IE)

To fix IE, you should reset your web browser. This is the easiest way to get rid of search.amazon.com search engine.

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 Amazon Assistant virus and other 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 again to complete Amazon Assistant virus removal.

Windows macOS Internet ExplorerMicrosoft EdgeFirefox Google Chrome Safari

Eliminate Amazon Assistant virus from Microsoft Edge

You can clean Microsoft Edge web browser application with the help of the below-given guiding steps. Eliminate all “helper objects”:

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 Amazon Assistant virus-related 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 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.

Windows macOS Internet Explorer Microsoft EdgeFirefoxGoogle Chrome Safari

Delete Amazon Assistant from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

To fix Mozilla Firefox and banish Amazon Assistant from the browser completely, you should opt for these steps. A quick solution could be a full browser reset.

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 plugins that are related to Amazon Assistant virus 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 Options.
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

In case Amazon Assistant virus did not get removed after following the instructions above, 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 – this should complete Amazon Assistant virus removal.

Windows macOS Internet Explorer Microsoft Edge FirefoxGoogle ChromeSafari

Get rid of Amazon Assistant from Google Chrome

To remove this shopping assistant from Chrome, follow these steps. You should change your start page and the default search engine from Amazon Web Search to your preferred one.

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 Amazon Assistant virus 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 like Amazon Assistant virus 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 Amazon Assistant virus-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 to complete Amazon Assistant virus removal.

Windows macOS Internet Explorer Microsoft Edge Firefox Google ChromeSafari

Erase Amazon Assistant from Safari

To uninstall questionable add-on from the Safari, follow these steps:

Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:

Click Safari > Preferences…
In the new window, pick Extensions.
Select the unwanted extension related to Amazon Assistant virus 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 Amazon Assistant 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: ReimageIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.

Protect your privacy – employ a VPN

There are several ways how to make your online time more private – you can access an incognito tab. However, there is no secret that even in this mode, you are tracked for advertising purposes. There is a way to add an extra layer of protection and create a completely anonymous web browsing practice with the help of Private Internet Access VPN. This software reroutes traffic through different servers, thus leaving your IP address and geolocation in disguise. Besides, it is based on a strict no-log policy, meaning that no data will be recorded, leaked, and available for both first and third parties. The combination of a secure web browser and Private Internet Access VPN will let you browse the Internet without a feeling of being spied or targeted by criminals.

No backups? No problem. Use a data recovery tool

If you wonder how data loss can occur, you should not look any further for answers – human errors, malware attacks, hardware failures, power cuts, natural disasters, or even simple negligence. In some cases, lost files are extremely important, and many straight out panic when such an unfortunate course of events happen. Due to this, you should always ensure that you prepare proper data backups on a regular basis.

If you were caught by surprise and did not have any backups to restore your files from, not everything is lost. Data Recovery Pro is one of the leading file recovery solutions you can find on the market – it is likely to restore even lost emails or data located on an external device.

About the author

Gabriel E. Hall - Passionate web researcher

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