Free WiFi Hotspot virus (Tutorial) - Easy Removal Guide
Free WiFi Hotspot virus Removal Guide
What is Free WiFi Hotspot virus?
Can you trust Free WiFi Hotspot software?
Free WiFi Hotspot virus is a potentially unwanted program (PUP)[1] that we have assigned to spyware[2] category. It is a suspicious free program that is mostly distributed via software bundles,[3] and the latest version of it is called Free WiFi Hotspot 4.2.0. On its official web page, it promotes itself with such slogans: “World’s #1 WiFi Hotspot Software,” “Turn your Laptop into Wi-Fi Hotspot and share the Internet with any devices” and so on. The program, which is developed by FreeWiFiHotspot Co., Ltd, has versions for both Windows and Mac users. After analyzing Privacy Policy document available on Free Wifi Hotspot website, we discovered that this software injects tracking cookies[4] (small text files that this PUP writes to your hard drive). Be aware of capabilities of these cookies – they can track down your passwords, preferences, and purchases. If you do not want to be tracked, do not use this suspicious hotspot-creating software and remove Free WiFi Hotspot PUP from the system immediately. Considering how doubtful this program is, and how it collects your information, we do not believe that it is safe to use this free program on a daily basis. For Free WiFi Hotspot removal, you might want to use a professional spyware removal software – we recommend FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes software.
The official website of Free WiFi Hotspot software presents it as a very useful tool. Sadly, it seems that this program is distributed using software bundling technique, and users are not happy about it.
Considering that Free WiFi Hotspot spreads in software bundles, you can get infected with adware or a browser hijacker at the same time when installing the indicated program. If after installation of this software you started experiencing annoying browser redirections or if your browser started to send you dozens of pop-up ads daily, understand this as a warning that your system contains some potentially unwanted programs that need to be removed instantly.
How did I infect my PC with potentially unwanted programs?
Various PUPs like Free WiFi Hotspot hijack computers when bundled with popular free programs that computer users tend to download and install from questionable file sharing websites. Free programs can quickly trick you into installing unwanted third-party applications, especially if you tend to ignore information provided by software installers. It is essential to know that Default or Standard installation settings are not the most trustworthy ones and sometimes choosing them means that you express permission to install all additional programs suggested to you[5]. If you want to avoid installing unwanted programs, you should be choosing Custom or Advanced software installation settings at all times. These will allow you to look through the list of bundled items and give you an opportunity to deselect the ones that you don’t need/want to install.
How can I remove Free WiFi Hotspot?
If you accidentally installed Free WiFi Hotspot virus, you can remove it using anti-spyware programs. However, you can also try yourself and remove Free WiFi Hotspot PUP manually using the guide provided below the article. Quick Tip: When trying to uninstall this software, look for all other programs installed on the same day. It is highly recommended to remove programs that brought this software to your PC or that were installed alongside it. Free WiFi Hotspot removal tutorial explains how you can remove suspicious programs from the system manually, so if you’re not interested in automatic spyware removal option, take a look at these instructions instead.
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 Free WiFi Hotspot virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Try to uninstall Free WiFi Hotspot using Control Panel. These instructions are filled with informative pictures that will guide your through the Free WiFi Hotspot removal process step-by-step.
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
Find and move Free WiFi Hotspot app to Trash.
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
If you can find any suspicious extensions by Free WiFi Hotspot virus, remove them from Chrome using this tutorial:
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 Free WiFi Hotspot 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 adware
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.
- ^ Watch out for the latest in browser hijackers – Qtipr.com, Motious.com and Launchpage.org. eSolutions Blog. Company News and Security-Related Tips.
- ^ 8 things you should know about spyware. WeLiveSecurity. IT Security Site Covering the Latest News, Research, Cyber Threats and Malware Discoveries, with Insights from ESET Experts.
- ^ Jérôme Segura. Potentially Unwanted Program borrows tricks from malware authors. Malwarebytes Labs. The Security Blog From Malwarebytes.
- ^ Joanna Geary. Tracking the trackers: What are cookies? An introduction to web tracking. The Guardian. News, Sport and Opinion from the Guardian's US Edition.
- ^ Here’s What Happens When You Install the Top 10 Download.com Apps. How-To Geek. By Geeks, For Geeks.