Collectorcommander.com ads (spam) - Free Guide

What is Collectorcommander.com ads?

Collectorcommander.com redirects can appear because you are infected by adware

Adware is a PUP that may cause redirects and pop-up spam

If you get redirected to Collectorcommander.com frequently, it might be a symptom of adware. It is advertising-supported software that can cause an increased amount of commercial content on your machine, like pop-ups, banners, and redirects. Usually, it operates in the background without the users' knowledge.

Adware distribution can be a lucrative business because crooks generate revenue through pay-per-click advertising. However, for users, this is not good news. Crooks may use rogue advertising networks^[1] that place ads leading to dangerous websites.

As a result, such redirects could lead to pages that try to lure out personal information, trick people into downloading PUPs (potentially unwanted programs),^[2] and even malware. We recommend following our guide to find out how you can get rid of spam.

Distribution methods

Adware is mostly spread through freeware^[3] distribution platforms. They include bundled software in the installers and do not disclose this clearly. Most people rush through the installation process and do not notice additional applications. If you want to avoid PUPs as best as possible, you should apply simple security measures.

Make sure to always choose the “Custom” or “Advanced” installation methods. Read the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. The most important step is to check the file list and untick the boxes next to any unrelated applications. Of course, it is best to use only official sources, like web stores for software installations.

Even though it may get costly, you might save in the long run by keeping your system running smoothly. You should also always do your research – read the reviews, look at the ratings, and the number of users. Choose apps that have plenty of positive feedback and thousands of users.

Install software from official sources to avoid infections

Scan your system

If you have installed any programs recently, we suggest removing them to see if the unwanted symptoms disappear. If you did not, you should scan your system with professional security tools, like SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes. They can detect any suspicious processes running on your machine and delete malicious files. You can also remove unwanted applications manually:

Windows

• 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 the uninstallation process is complete and click OK.

macOS

1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
2. In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
3. 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:

1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
2. Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
3. In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
4. Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.

Check your extensions

Sometimes adware can come in the form of a browser extension. As a plugin, it can gain certain permissions to alter your browser settings which allows it to perform unwanted tasks the same as a program installed in the system would.

If you have any extensions installed, we recommend going to your browser settings and removing them one by one, to determine if any of them are at fault for unwanted behavior. It may not be named Collectorcommander.com, sometimes malicious extensions are made to look like very popular ones to not cause any suspicion. You can follow our guide:

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.

Mozilla Firefox

• Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the window's top-right).
• Select Add-ons.
• In here, select the unwanted plugin and click Remove.

MS Edge (Chromium)

• Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
• Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

MS Edge (legacy)

• 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.

Safari

• Click Safari > Preferences…
• In the new window, pick Extensions.
• Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.

Clear your browsers

The main purpose of adware is to get people to click on ads, and install other PUAs or malware but they can also collect browsing-related information with cookies which are small data files stored on your device. Inherently, they are not bad. They provide the ability for websites and web-based applications to personalize the user experience.

The problem emerges when cookies can be used by bad actors. The data collected with them can be sold to third parties, advertising networks, which can use them to target you with ads even more. If the pages you visit or plugins you use do not have strong security measures in place, cookies can even be hijacked and used for malicious purposes.

Those small data files can contain information like your IP address, the websites you visit, links you click on, and things you purchase online. That is why it is so important to clean cookies and cache regularly to avoid this information landing in the wrong hands. To avoid a lengthy process, we recommend using a maintenance utility like FortectIntego. Besides that, it can fix various system errors, registry issues, corrupted files which is especially useful after a virus infection.

Google 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.

Mozilla Firefox

• 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.

MS Edge (Chromium)

• 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.

MS Edge (legacy)

• 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.

Safari

• Click Safari > Clear History…
• From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
• Confirm with Clear History.