Clean.shield-plus.com (Simple Removal Guide) - Free Instructions
Clean.shield-plus.com Removal Guide
What is Clean.shield-plus.com?
Clean.shield-plus.com is a potentially unwanted program which might snatch your non-PII
Clean.shield-plus.com is a browser hijacker[1] which was created by Babylon Ltd. and is considered to be potentially dangerous. It spreads together with Shield Plus History Cleaner – a browser extension which was allegedly developed “to provide the ultimate search experience”.
Just like a related extension, Clean.shield-plus.com virus offers a variety of supposedly beneficial features where the main is to remove users' search history, download history, and browsing history. Additionally, as developers mention, it provides software packages which are giving users' the opportunity to experience “free advertising.”
This is pretty ironic because it is hard to find a user who would be grateful for the opportunity to experience continuous ads which bother his or her every time when the browsing session starts. To prevent them, we highly recommend you to remove Clean.shield-plus.com virus and all its components from your computer.
As soon as Shield Plus is installed, this PUP initiates suspicious system changes and similar activity on Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc. Typically, the following is altered by it:
- The homepage of your Internet Browser
- The default Search engine in your Internet Browser’s built-in search box
- The page displayed when opening a new tab
- The page displayed when you open your browser
As noted by security experts,[2] these changes might seem insignificant at the start as the most of them can hardly be noticed if you do not pay much attention to your browser. However, users who would like to keep their browsing habits in the previous state can notice that reverting these changes to normal becomes impossible. Returning to previous settings is possible only if you perform Clean.shield-plus.com removal on your computer. This can be achieved merely by using a reliable security tool, such as FortectIntego.
Clean.shield-plus.com modifies browser settings without user's permission
After performing system changes on your computer, Shield-Plus browser hijacker quickly starts displaying various ads and popups on web pages which usually do not present such content. Beware that you might be redirected to websites of dubious content that can lead you to installation of malware that can utterly destroy your computer files.
In addition to its redirecting tendencies, Clean.shield-plus.com gathers a variety of non-personally identifiable information.[3] This data is used to personalize ads to users’ taste. This technique allows developers generating profit while offering products from their sponsors. As stated in the Privacy Policy of Babylon Ltd., the collected information includes:
[…] information such as URL address, software names, files formats, IP address, default language setting, browser type, browser user agent, referring and exit pages, operating system, date/time stamp, clickstream data and an anonymous unique ID. […]
Distribution methods used by browser hijacker creators are not entirely fair
If you wonder how this pesky infiltrator acquired access to your machine – you do not need to think twice. In most cases, the useless services that are offered by developers bring no value to regular users. Thus, typically users do not search for such functionality themselves.
Hence, developers thought of an effective tactic used by many free software developers. To apply unwanted programs to as many computers as possible, creators hide additional components in installation packages. These packages can include everything from add-ons to adware.
To protect yourself from these unwanted intruders we recommend always using Advanced/Custom installation mode. This allows unticking any preselected additional elements with ease. Despite recommendations, never opt for Recommended/Quick settings.
Clean.shield-plus.com can be removed just as easy as it was installed
Luckily, Clean.shield-plus.com removal can be performed even by the most inexperienced users. It can be achieved by downloading and installing reliable security software. Please select one of the programs that are offered below and perform a full system scan. Once the program finishes its work, make sure you remove detected viruses and potentially unwanted components.
For those who do not wish to install additional software, there is an alternative way to remove Clean.shield-plus.com from the system. For that, please see guidelines written by our security experts below. However, we must warn you that the procedure should be performed accurately and without mistakes as wrong actions might simply fail to eliminate the virus.
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 Clean.shield-plus.com. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
To remove this PUP from Windows, check the list of recently-installed programs and uninstall Shield Plus or the ones that look suspicious.
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
To get rid of this hijacker from Mac OS X, follow these simple steps. You need to find useless apps that could be related to this browser hijacker.
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 Clean.shield-plus.com 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 stealing programs
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.
- ^ Browser hijacker definition. Securety4web. Creating Awareness on cybersecurity.
- ^ Faravirus.ro. FaraVirus. Romanian internet secuurste site.
- ^ Non-personally identifiable information. MMA. Mobile Marketing Association.