GardeningEnthusiast Toolbar – a browser hijacker that tries to appeal to people with certain interests
GardeningEnthusiast is a browser plugin developed by Mindspark Interactive and can be downloaded from Google Chrome store or other official sources. Nevertheless, most users notice it right after installing free applications from the internet. This is because this browser hijacker[1] travels within software bundles and users fail to spot an optional program inside the installer.
As soon as the toolbar is installed, In changes the homepage, new tab address, as well as search engine and redirects all searches to search.myway.com. Myway is one of the biggest browser-hijacking engines that is associated with questionable marketing techniques, intrusive ads, and sponsored content that might not be entirely safe.
While GardeningEnthusiast is meant to help users find all the information about plant cultivation, all it is trying to do is gain revenue from miserable web users' experience, which is often forgotten by potentially unwanted program authors. For that reason, it is best to remove the PUP from your device, especially if it entered without your permission.
| Name | GardeningEnthusiast Toolbar |
| Type | Potentially unwanted program/Browser hijacker |
| Developer | Mindspark Interactive |
| Related tools | Maps Galaxy, CryptoPriceSearch, Your Template Finder, etc. |
| Affected browsers | Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer, Safari, etc. |
| Infiltration | Software bundles, official sources |
| Symptoms | Altered web browser settings, increased amounts of ads, sponsored links, etc. |
| Risk factors | Installation of other PUPs or even malware, money loss, sensitive data exposure to unknown parties |
| Termination | Delete the toolbar manually as per the instructions below or make use of automatic option by using reliable security software |
| System health | Repair virus damage by employing the FortectIntego system tune-up tool |
GardeningEnthusiast is not the only thematic tool created by the same developers. Each of them is targeted at a specific auditory, for instance, those who need translations of certain texts (TranslationBuddy Toolbar), who continuously shop online and need to keep track of their parcels (TrackAPackage Toolbar), who likes cooking and looks for new recipes (RecipeSearch Toolbar), and so on. Unfortunately, none of these toolbars should be trusted.
According to security experts, these toolbars can hardly be useful because their primary purpose is to promote third-party websites, their products, services, and software. The majority of the users report that it infiltrated computers without their consent.
This way, this dubious GardeningEnthusiast Toolbar virus gets the ability to display sponsored search results and make people visit predetermined websites. However, unless you are a hundred percent sure that the plugin redirects will make you visit reliable websites only, you should better avoid doing searches until it's removed from the system. Otherwise, you may unconsciously access suspicious websites and end up with another PUP, or even malware, on your machine.
By the way, these browser hijackers are commonly blamed for spying on their users. It seems that may use tracking cookies and collect personally non-identifiable information, including:
- search terms;
- websites visited;
- data entered in them;
- clicks, IP address;
- PC location;
- cookies;[2]
- email address, and so on.
Unfortunately, some pieces of personally identifiable information[3] may be accumulated as well. Therefore, the best that you can do is to proceed with GardeningEnthusiast Toolbar removal right away. You can easily accomplish that by running a full system scan with the SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes software.
If you're willing to get your hands dirty, feel free to use our detailed and illustrated instructions at the bottom of the page. When the browser hijacker is eliminated, we highly recommend performing system diagnostics with the FortectIntego software to repair all corrupted system files and settings.
Potentially unwanted programs often get installed without users noticing
The wanted program has an official website and can be downloaded by the users if they have a will to use it. However, more commonly, it gets into the system without being noticed, which may happen if you install freeware filled with 'optional downloads' and failed to decline the installation of 'additional components.
In order to prevent such happenings in the future, you should opt for Advanced/Custom mode when installing freeware and decline the installation of all programs except the one that you have chosen. To do that successfully, you have to be very careful and read all terms provided during installation attentively.
Ways to delete GardeningEnthusiast for good
There are two ways you can remove GardeningEnthusiast Toolbar: either manually or automatically. While both options can be as effective as the other, opting for the latter would give you the desired results quicker and more reliably.
Therefore, you want to op for automatic removal, you need to download and install reliable security software and perform a full system scan. Be aware that, because the plugin is a potentially unwanted program, not all AV engines might be able to detect it. Thus, using tools that specialize in PUPs is the optional solution.
In case you are not a novice computer user, you can terminate GardeningEnthusiast virus with the help of our guide below. After that, you should also reset each of the installed browsers to make sure that no traces of the PUP remain.
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.
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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