Remove Qdownloader virus (Free Guide) – Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge

Qdownloader – an online YouTube video downloading service that might infect your computer with malware

Qdownloader

Qdownloader virus is a term used by users to describe malicious activity coming from a video downloading website qdownloader.io. Users are promised a service that allows them to convert and download videos from YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and other popular websites. The lack of a download button next to videos that are posted on these popular sites is what fuels these converting websites, and this one is just one of the thousands created, each benefiting from ad revenue.

While such websites might seem useful, it is important to know that they often utilize unsafe affiliates and advertising networks, which results in users seeing frequent pop-ups, redirects, fake updates, push notification prompts, and other unwanted content. At best, these ads can be annoying to deal with, and at worst, they could be the reason why users get infected with a virus, which can range from unwanted ads to threats like ransomware.

Name	Qdownloader or Online Video Downloader
Type	Redirect virus, adware
Official websites	qdownloader.io, qdownloader.net
Concerns	The service might be used to download copyrighted content such as TV shows, movies, or music Site uses unsafe advertising networks Redirects can lead to malware-laden sites Fake Flash update prompts might make users install malware Encountered scams might result in financial losses
Safety	The safety of video conversion websites is typically low, as deceptive techniques and fake ads might be often used to make users download potentially unwanted programs or malware
Elimination	The removal process depends on the type of the infection (notifications can be eliminated via web browser settings; PUPs can be uninstalled manually; malware should be terminated with the help of powerful anti-malware program
Virus damage fix	In case you got infected with malware, you should also employ PC repair tools such as Fortect Intego to get rid of the infection consequences (computer slowdowns, crashes, BSODs, lag, stuttering, etc.)

This is one of many websites that allow users to download videos from YouTube and other sites (for example, Online Video Converter, Mp3hub, Flvto, and many others). However, there is a reason why original websites do not provide download buttons – mainly because of copyright infringement policies. While listening to a music video for free is completely acceptable, downloading it on your phone would be illegal, as music is not generally free – the same goes for TV shows and movies.

As a result, many video converting sites started being shut down, as many users download videos they are not supposed to. Nevertheless, the service itself is not illegal, as long as it is used to convert and download videos that are not copyrighted. In essence, the conversion service is similar to torrenting, and many websites, such as 1337x.to, exist to this day.

However, copyright infringement is not the only issue that affects the this website. As soon as you enter the URL of the video into the search bar, you will be immediately redirected several times to some other domain. In many cases, you will land on a site that asks you to enable notifications – various deception techniques are used, for example, the website asks you to press “Allow” and confirm that you are not a robot.

Qdownloader virus

Eventually, you might land on a destination site that promotes unknown browser extensions or suspicious apps. We encountered the following message which promoted a well-known browser hijacker known as UpdateSearch:

Download Ready
FREE
UpdateSearch

By clicking the button below you will be prompted to install the UpdateSearch Chrome extension. By doing so, your browser's default search will be changed and will have access to UpdateSearch extension's functionality.

Download Step 1

Please be aware that you should never download and install apps from such redirects, as you might end up infecting your machine with severe malware, such as ransomware. As a result, malware removal might be complicated, and it might also result in permanent personal file loss, sensitive information disclosure to cybercriminals, and other dangerous consequences.

In case you enabled notifications via one of the sites you got redirected to, you can remove Qdownloader ads and pop-ups by accessing the settings of your web browser – we explain how to do that below. Besides, if you interacted with the site in many different ways or downloaded something, you should also scan the machine with powerful anti-malware software and then utilize a repair program like Fortect Intego – it could help you get your computer up and running smoothly again after the infection.

Potentially unwanted programs and malware avoidance techniques

There is a huge misconception about the security of computers – users believe that infecting the device with PUPs or malware is almost impossible. Besides, the mentality of “if it happens to somebody else, it does not mean that it will happen to me” does not help at all. As a result, users neglect secure web browsing practices and security advice from experienced security researchers.^[1]

To protect your machine from nasties, you should employ secure web browsing practices and automated tools that could help you to protect the computer from invisible threats. Many people believe that malware infection is always visible – it displays pop-ups, BSODs,^[2] and other strange behavior. However, hackers are sophisticated individuals, and they write code that runs silently in the background without crashing the machine or disclosing its presence in other ways. As a result, your PC might be infected with a Trojan or other stealthy malware for weeks or months until it is discovered.

Thus, be attentive while you browse the internet and download new programs. If possible, always choose official download sources for the software and avoid third-parties. In case you insist on downloading apps from high-risk sites, you should always watch out for fake “Download” buttons, software bundle components (use “Advanced” settings instead of “Recommended” at all times) fake Flash update prompts or virus alerts, etc.

Finally, employ comprehensive security software that would repel potentially unwanted programs, malicious apps, and prevent access to malicious JavaScript sites^[3] that are engineered to download malware automatically.

Qdownloader downloads

Get rid of Qdownloader virus by following these instructions

As already mentioned above, the elimination process differs, depending on your actions performed when visiting the website or converting videos. For future reference, we advise you to avoid websites that offer free video conversion services, as these sites can be dangerous and result in severe malware infection. In fact, there is a chance that your machine for infected with a silent malicious program that is running in the background without displaying any symptoms.

Thus, the first step to remove adware is to perform a full system scan with powerful anti-malware software. In case you installed potentially unwanted applications that belong to scareware or similar categories, a security tool would immediately flag them and eliminate them for you automatically. Besides, anti-virus will also check for invisible threats that would otherwise steal sensitive user data or install other malware on the device.

Since Qdownloader redirects often lead to suspicious site notifications being enabled, we recommend performing a full web browser reset. Alternatively, you can also stop notifications from a particular website by following these instructions:

Google Chrome

Press Menu > Settings
Locate Privacy and security section and click on Site Settings
Under Allow section, you should see the unwanted URL
Click More Actions and then select Block.

Mozilla Firefox

Go to Menu > Options
Select Privacy & Security section
Under Permissions, click Settings near Notifications section
In the Settings – Notification Permissions window, select the drop down menu
Select Block and then Save Changes.

Safari

Select Safari > Preferences…
Under Websites tab, choose Notifications
Click on the web address and then select Deny.

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.

How to remove Qdownloader virus

Qdownloader – an online YouTube video downloading service that might infect your computer with malware

Potentially unwanted programs and malware avoidance techniques