Convertmypdf.co urges to install Online Document Converter extension

Convertmypdf.co is a browser hijacker[1] which disguises itself as a useful browser extension. It suggests converting .doc and .ppt files to .pdf file format without paying. However, one way or another[2], tools that provide free services have to earn money for their developers.
The Convertmypdf site suggests installing Online Document Converter extension, which demands the following permissions:
- Read/Change user's data on websites one visits;
- Read/Change browsing history;
- Detect user's physical location.
Once installed, the extension instantly meddles with browser's parameters and causes the browser to open http://www.convertmypdf.co/homepage/homepage.html?id= on startup as well as whenever a new tab is opened. The hijacker pushes the victim to use this search site only to initiate redirects to search.yahoo.com site. Unfortunately, these results might be altered by hijacker's developers and filled with ads leading to affiliate websites.
The described hijacker clearly makes it to the Yahoo Redirect virus family. Its main goal is to trigger unexpected redirects to external sites whenever the user clicks on sponsored search results. This way, it drives traffic to particular websites and earns money[3] for doing it.
That is an additional service you did not ask for. And it is not a particularly safe one either. You may soon find that search results presented by Convertmypdf.co redirect you to affiliate websites more frequently and, often, against your will. Thus, you should remove Convertmypdf.co if you don’t want to end up on some malicious domain one day. We highly recommend using software like FortectIntego for a system cleanup.

If you have been successfully using this tool and you are not sure whether Convertmypdf extension is really something that's not worth your time, just look at the evidence. The program shows up on your computer automatically, it generates unwanted ads and causes URL redirections [4].
Finally, it makes the computer sluggish and may even disturb the operation of other programs. Besides, often trouble arise with Convertmypdf.co removal as well. Aren’t these some good reasons to stop using this service and move on to some other, more reputable PDF converting tools? If so, do not waste time and clean up your computer with FortectIntego or similar anti-malware tools. To track today's Virus Activity and keep up with the latest news, visit VirusActivity.com[5] page.
Strategies used to promote browser hijackers
One of the primary strategies that the developers of browser hijackers use to compromise users' computers is the so-called software bundling [6]. Generally, it is a legitimate software distribution technique that allows program developers to spread their products together with supplementary components or applications.
Nevertheless, developers of Online Document Converter virus and other shady software have learned to use this technique to promote their questionable products. They add these programs to the software packages of legitimate applications and hope for the unsuspecting users to install them without checking the full list of package components.
All they have to do next is wait for the potential victim to use “Quick” or “Recommended” settings for the installation and unknowingly allow the installation of bundled software. “Advanced” or “Custom” installation can save you the trouble since these modes allow hand-picking the package components you actually want to install and rejecting the ones that are not necessary.
Techniques that help to remove Convertmypdf.co from affected systems
Many users infected Convertmypdf.co virus do not know how to uninstall it. For this reason, we have prepared a free Convertmypdf.co removal tutorial that explains how to find all components associated with the hijacker so that you could remove them.
You should know for certain, though, that such infections are best tackled with automatic antivirus software, anti-malware or anti-spyware tools. If, however, you do not have an opportunity to obtain such a tool, you can also remove Convertmypdf.co manually.
You do not want to mess up your system even more so be careful and closely follow the guidelines provided below the article. After uninstalling the hijacker from the system, don’t forget to delete this extension from the infected browsers and then reset them.
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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