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  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Browser Hijackers
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Jun 2020

How to remove Dongtaiwang.com

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Linas Kiguolis · Expert in social media

Dongtaiwang.com is a news site that tries to push a VPN app Freegate to Chinese-speaking users

Dongtaiwang.com

Dongtaiwang.com is a Chinese website that specializes in various news stories and promotes the Freegate VPN service app. Due to heavy censoring policies practiced by the Chinese government, people cannot access the world wide web as most of the others. Instead, they are presented with a Chinese version of social networks, Google, and other services most are used to in the West.

For that reason, many Chinese citizens resort to using a VPN service that modifies DNS[1] settings in order to bypass restrictions set in China. Dongtaiwang.com is one of the websites that offers a solution and prompts users to download Freegate VPN by Dynamic Internet Technology, Inc. However, the service is simply not as trustworthy, as it is known to hijack Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, MS Edge, Safari, or another browser, redirect users to Dongtaiwang.com and other websites, as well as make users visit phishing, scam or otherwise-dangerous sites.

Those who try to access Dongtaiwang.com directly will be simply presented with an automatic download “phome.gz,” which is an archive file of unknown contents – do not open the file as it might install malware like rootkit or ransomware on your device.

Name Dongtaiwang.com
Type Browser hijacker, potentially unwanted program (the offered Freegate VPN is more of an adware app)
Associated download  Upon entering the site, users might encounter an automatic download prompt “phome.gz” – do not open it as it might be infected with malware
Other files fgp.zip, fg768p.zip, Freegate.exe, FreegateX.exe, DynaPass.exe
Installation  Users might install browser hijackers willingly or unintentionally when installing freeware from third-party sites. Additionally, they might get tricked by fake updates
Associated risks  Installation of other potentially unwanted programs or malware, sensitive data leak to unknown parties or cybercriminals, monetary loss due to exposure to scam sites, etc. 
Termination To uninstall the browser hijacker, follow our manual removal guide below. Alternatively, you can also scan your computer with anti-malware software
Recovery After you get rid of the hijacker, various system settings might still be altered or certain system files damaged. To fix any issues that might arise after a computer infection, scan it with FortectIntego

If you installed the app offered by Dongtaiwang.com, you might start experiencing intrusive web browser behavior, and your web browsing sessions will be traced by the implanted cookies and other tracking technologies. The following data is typically traced by browser hijackers:

  • Websites visited;
  • Links clicked;
  • Bookmarks added;
  • IP address;
  • ISP;
  • Technical data of the device (OS version, installed browsers and apps, etc.).

This information is usually collected by the Dongtaiwang.com virus in order to present you with targeted advertisements.[2] The served ads are then more likely to lure you into clicking on commercial content, and each click provides the developer's profits. However, keep in mind that these links and ads might not be secure and bring you to scam sites where you might be tricked into installing malicious software or entering your personal information that might be stolen by cybercriminals.

To remove Dongtaiwang.com redirects, ads, pop-ups, deals, banners, offers, and other unwanted activity, you will have to uninstall Freegate VPN application from your computer. Besides, it is also worth noting that you should reset all the installed browsers and scan your machine with FortectIntego for best results, as it can fix virus damage done and restore normal computer functions without you having to reinstall your operating system after the infection.

Dongtaiwang.com hijacker

Freedom of speech and the ability to view various websites online should be a right. Unfortunately, Chinese people are not provided these rights, and there is no wonder that many turns to services like VPN that change the proxy and DNS settings to bypass the restrictions set by the government. However, Dongtaiwang.com-offered application is not the right choice, as it might be used to track users instead of helping them. Besides, the annoying commercial content, as well as intrusive ads, will not let users perform regular web browsing activities.

Dongtaiwang.com removal should also be performed because it is known that the site might be offering a corrupted version of the VPN, which can bring Tearspear and Rapidstealer Trojans on your device. These malware apps can steal personal and sensitive information from your machine and expose it to cybercriminals.

Stay away from unsafe applications by being attentive when browsing the internet

In some cases, users are offered applications that might seem useful: video converters, system optimizers, file converters, video players, etc. While some of these programs might be great additions to users' computers and help them perform tasks they want to achieve easier, others might not only fail to provide what was promised but also expose users to intrusive commercial content, change web browser settings without permission, and even install other unwanted apps without permission. What makes matters worse is that there are millions of apps offered on various sites. So, how do you determine is the app is good or bad?

There are many factors that users should be paying attention to. Security experts[3] provide the following guidelines:

  • If possible, download programs from official websites (Chrome store, Amazon, etc.);
  • Before downloading an app from an external source, read up on it online (forums, blog posts, etc.);
  • During the installation, always opt for Advanced/Custom settings instead of Recommended/Quick ones;
  • Make sure the app provides vital documents like Terms of Service and Privacy Policy;
  • Beware of software bundling tricks: pre-ticked boxes, fine print text, misleading button placements, deceptive deals/offers, etc.;
  • Install reputable anti-malware that will most likely stop most of the potentially dangerous apps before they manage to get in.

Dongtaiwang.com Freegate VPN

Get rid of Dongtaiwang.com ads by uninstalling Freegate VPN from your computer

You can either remove Dongtaiwang.com hijack either manually or automatically. Manual elimination should usually not be too complicated – all you have to do is access the list of the installed programs and uninstall the Freegate VPN app. However, as we previously mentioned, Dongtaiwang.com might promote a malicious version of the program. Therefore, the machine might also be infected with Trojans that secretly record sensitive information and send it to remote servers controlled by malicious actors.

For that reason, automatic Dongtaiwang.com removal is recommended – simply download and install a reputable anti-malware program and run a full system scan. This way, you will be able to eliminate not only browser hijackers/potentially unwanted programs but also more sinister infections like Trojans. Finally, a full browser reset is recommended – you can also find all the details about the process below.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.Reset Internet Explorer

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. 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.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. 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.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. 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:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

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