DirectionsOnline Toolbar (Free Instructions) - Free Guide
DirectionsOnline Toolbar Removal Guide
What is DirectionsOnline Toolbar?
Full description of DirectionsOnline Toolbar
DirectionsOnline Toolbar is a computer program that belongs to freeware category. It can be installed in most popular web browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and others. It suggests searching for directions online with a help of Toolbar’s shortcuts to “trusted map sources,” however, this browser extension also changes browser’s homepage and new tab page to a custom version of hp.myway.com search engine. We assume that this piece of software does not clearly disclose what happens after adding “Directions Online New Tab” to web browsers, because users tend to complain about homepage changes that were made without their knowledge. The search engine provided by this browser extension tends to provide quite a lot sponsored search results[1], too, and that is yet another reason why users are not happy with it. If you no longer want to use the described new tab page, remove DirectionsOnline Toolbar using instructions we added to this page.
It turns out that the new tab page presented by this toolbar attempts to collect particular pieces of information during your browsing sessions. The developer of the app collects and stores information you provide to it, for instance, when you register on the site, or provide it in some other manner. It might collect your name, email address, telephone number, username and password. In addition to that, this system tool also captures personally non-identifiable information automatically by using cookies. Such information may include IP address, browser type, a time-stamp, search queries, results clicked, websites accessed, and even more. Such data can be used to “respond to your queries with best possible answers and search results” and “communicate with you by e-mail, postal mail, telephone, […] about products or services may be of interest you either from [developer of the app], IAC affiliates or other third-parties.” Now, we would like to encourage you to think about these statements and decide if you want to continue using these services. Besides, the developer admits to be providing links to external websites that it “does not control.” Some of these websites can be untrustworthy and provide possibly dangerous content, so we suggest you stay attentive when exploring these search results. You might want to start thinking about DirectionsOnline removal options; we provided two of them below the article. DirectionsOnline Toolbar replaces default homepage with a page that is shown in this picture. Many users are not happy when such changes occur unexpectedly.
Possible ways to install browser toolbars
Browser toolbars that are ad-supported (but not necessarily DirectionsOnline Toolbar) can be distributed in various ways. Some of them have official websites, others can be found in browser’s extension/app stores, and the rest chooses to travel alongside other free programs[2]. The last method we mentioned proves to be the most efficient one when trying to distribute ad-supported programs. It is associated with free programs that suggest installing other, less known free programs that are typically considered to be potentially unwanted ones. More popular programs insert a few suggestions to add extra programs during the installation, and these suggestions can be opted out only via Custom/Advanced installation settings, meaning that users who rely on Default or Standard ones agree to install these extras without even realizing it.
Recently, the developer of this program contacted us asking us to remove this post from 2-spyware.com website. We believe that we shouldn’t do that as long as programs that we offer for the removal of DirectionsOnline Toolbar can detect it and help users to remove it from the system. As it is mentioned under each of download buttons, we ARE affiliated with these anti-malware programs, and while some of them are free, others can remove a virus only after purchasing them. These mentions fully fulfill each of the requirements of FTC.
Nevertheless, we have recently decided to make a revision of this and other posts that are related to this developer. We claim that all of them are described properly.
Removal of DirectionsOnline Toolbar
If you cannot find this toolbar in your PC no matter how hard you try, stop wasting your valuable time and remove DirectionsOnline Toolbar using the guide we provided below. In case you’re looking for a computer security software that could clear all shady programs and files from the system at once and guard the computer against future malware or spyware attacks, consider investing in a good anti-spyware or anti-malware software.
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 DirectionsOnline Toolbar. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall every program that somehow entered your computer without your authorization.
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)
Delete the described system tool from Firefox using this comprehensive guide.
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
Open Chrome browser and go to Extensions panel. Here, you should find the extension that should be called DirectionsOnline. Delete it.
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 DirectionsOnline Toolbar 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 system tools
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.
- ^ Search advertising. Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia.
- ^ Liam Tung. Google: Unwanted bundled software is way more aggressive than malware. ZDNet. Technology News, Analysis, Comments and Product Reviews.