MyCouponize virus. How to remove? (Uninstall guide)
MyCouponize – a potentially dangerous program that won't help you save the money
MyCouponize is an adware program that is presented as a useful tool that can help to save money during online shopping. Once it’s installed on the Mac OS X, MyCouponize virus starts redirecting to questionable websites, flooding browsers with online ads and causing other browsing-related problems.
The adware is identical to Shoppinizer, Couponizer, and My ShopMate PUPs. MyCouponize promises to provide free coupons directly in the browser, notify about limited sales and deliver ads based on previously viewed items. However, instead of providing the best shopping offers, virus usually delivers misleading and fake shopping offers in an aggressive manner.
For the first sight, it seems that MyCouponize virus provide various discounts and price comparisons. However, once you click them, they redirect you to fake shopping sites[1] or phishing websites that are created to swindle personal information. Beware that adding your full name, email address and similar information can be extremely dangerous!
The purpose of MyCouponize adware is to generate revenue from user’s clicks. To achieve this goal, the ad-supported application tracks information about the user, such as:
- visited websites,
- search queries,
- clicked ads,
- location,
- IP address,
- other non-personally identifiable details.
All this data allows building user’s profile and deliver interest-based ads.[2] Besides, these details might be shared or sold to third-party advertising networks. Therefore, if you do not want to receive even more ads, you should remove MyCouponize from Chrome and other web browsers immediately.
For a full MyCouponize removal, you can choose Reimage or another anti-malware and let it terminate the adware for you. If you are not willing to install additional software (note that we highly recommend that as it will remove all malicious components from your computer), you can follow the instructions below and get rid of it manually.



Click 'Start -> Control Panel -> Programs and Features' (if you are 'Windows XP' user, click on 'Add/Remove Programs').

If you are 'Windows 10 / Windows 8' user, then right-click in the lower left corner of the screen. Once 'Quick Access Menu' shows up, select 'Control Panel' and 'Uninstall a Program'.

Right click on each of suspicious entries and select 'Uninstall'

Cick 'Go' and select 'Applications'

Click on every malicious entry and select 'Move to Trash'

Click on menu icon and select 'Manage add-ons'

Right click on each of malicious entries and select 'Disable'

Delete malicious URL, enter your desired domain name and click 'Apply' to save changes

Go to 'Advanced' tab and click on 'Reset' button. Now select 'Delete personal settings' and click on 'Reset' button again

Go to Settings and select 'Choose what to clear'

Select 'Clear' button

Open the start menu and select 'Task Manager'

Right-click 'Microsoft Edge' and select 'Go to details'

Select 'More details' if 'Go to details' option fails to show up

Find Microsoft Edge entries and select 'End Task'

Go to Microsoft Edge folder on your computer, right-click every entry and click 'Delete'

Find Windows PowerShell, right-click it and select 'Run as administrator'

Copy and paste a required command and press 'Enter'

Click on menu icon and select 'Add-ons'

Select 'Extensions' and look for malicious entries. Click 'Remove' to get rid of each of them

Click on menu icon and then on '?'. Select 'Troubleshooting Information'

Click on 'Reset Firefox' button for a couple of times

Click on menu icon. Select 'Tools' and 'Extensions'

Look for malicious entries and delete each of them by clicking on the Trash bin icon

When in 'Settings', select 'Manage search engines...'

Click 'X' to remove malicious URLs

When in 'Settings', scroll down to 'Reset browser settings' button and click on it

Click on 'Reset' button to complete your removal

Click on 'Safari' and select 'Preferences'

Go to 'Extensions' and uninstall malicious add-ons

Click on 'Safari' and select 'Reset Safari...'

Select all options and click on 'Reset' button
Distribution of the adware
The PUP is widely promoted in software packages as an optional component. During the installation of freeware, you might find this app offered to download together with a primary program. However, you can only reject its installation if you choose Advanced/Custom installation settings.
However, the adware might hijack your system when you opt for the Quick or Standard installation of the freeware. The problem is that this installation wizard does not openly disclose about third-party software and usually installs them without informing the user.
The ad-supported program mostly attacks Mac OS X users in the United States. However, users in the United Kingdom, Germany[3] or France can be in the target field as well.
Terminate MyCouponize ads from your favorite websites
In order to remove MyCouponize from Mac computer, you have to uninstall programs and browser extensions related to it. For that, you have two options – manual and automatic. Manual elimination options are provided below.
Meanwhile, automatic MyCouponize removal is performed using anti-malware/anti-spyware software. Install a reliable software, update it and run a full system scan. Within several minutes, adware will be wiped out from the system for good.
You can remove MyCouponize automatically with a help of one of these programs: Reimage, Plumbytes Anti-MalwareWebroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus, Malwarebytes Anti Malware. We recommend these applications because they can easily delete potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Manual MyCouponize virus Removal Guide:
Erase MyCouponize from Windows systems
The adware mostly aims at Mac OS X users. However, if you found that it was updated and sneaked inside your Windows OS, follow these steps:
-
Click Start → Control Panel → Programs and Features (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
-
If you are Windows 10 / Windows 8 user, then right-click in the lower left corner of the screen. Once Quick Access Menu shows up, select Control Panel and Uninstall a Program.
-
Uninstall MyCouponize and related programs
Here, look for MyCouponize or any other recently installed suspicious programs. -
Uninstall them and click OK to save these changes.
Get rid of MyCouponize from Mac OS X system
To get rid of MyCouponize from Mac, follow these steps. You need to uninstall all adware-related entries:
-
If you are using OS X, click Go button at the top left of the screen and select Applications.
-
Wait until you see Applications folder and look for MyCouponize or any other suspicious programs on it. Now right click on every of such entries and select Move to Trash.
Eliminate MyCouponize from Internet Explorer (IE)
-
Remove dangerous add-ons
Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top right corner of the browser and choose Manage Add-ons. -
You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for MyCouponize and other suspicious plugins. Disable these entries by clicking Disable:
-
Change your homepage if it was altered by virus:
Click on the gear icon (menu) on the top right corner of the browser and select Internet Options. Stay in General tab. -
Here, remove malicious URL and enter preferable domain name. Click Apply to save changes.
-
Reset Internet Explorer
Click on the gear icon (menu) again and select Internet options. Go to Advanced tab. - Here, select Reset.
-
When in the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset again to complete MyCouponize removal.
Uninstall MyCouponize virus from Microsoft Edge
Reset Microsoft Edge settings (Method 1):
- Launch Microsoft Edge app and click More (three dots at the top right corner of the screen).
- Click Settings to open more options.
-
Once Settings window shows up, click Choose what to clear button under Clear browsing data option.
-
Here, select all what you want to remove and click Clear.
-
Now you should right-click on the Start button (Windows logo). Here, select Task Manager.
- When in Processes tab, search for Microsoft Edge.
-
Right-click on it and choose Go to details option. If can’t see Go to details option, click More details and repeat previous steps.
-
When Details tab shows up, find every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right click on each of them and select End Task to end these entries.
Resetting Microsoft Edge browser (Method 2):
If Method 1 failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method.
- Note: you need to backup your data before using this method.
- Find this folder on your computer:
C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
-
Select every entry which is saved on it and right click with your mouse. Then Delete option.
- Click the Start button (Windows logo) and type in window power in Search my stuff line.
-
Right-click the Windows PowerShell entry and choose Run as administrator.
- Once Administrator: Windows PowerShell window shows up, paste this command line after PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> and press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml -Verbose}
Once these steps are finished, MyCouponize should be removed from your Microsoft Edge browser.
WindowsMac OS XInternet ExplorerMicrosoft EdgeFirefoxGoogle ChromeSafariRemove MyCouponize from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
To fix Firefox, go to add-ons and reset the browser.
-
Remove dangerous extensions
Open Mozilla Firefox, click on the menu icon (top right corner) and select Add-ons → Extensions. -
Here, select MyCouponize and other questionable plugins. Click Remove to delete these entries.
-
Reset Mozilla Firefox
Click on the Firefox menu on the top left and click on the question mark. Here, choose Troubleshooting Information. -
Now you will see Reset Firefox to its default state message with Reset Firefox button. Click this button for several times and complete MyCouponize removal.
Delete MyCouponize from Google Chrome
To remove MyCouponize from Chrome, check all extensions and remove the ones that were installed without your knowledge. Then reset the browser.
-
Delete malicious plugins
Open Google Chrome, click on the menu icon (top right corner) and select Tools → Extensions. -
Here, select MyCouponize and other malicious plugins and select trash icon to delete these entries.
-
Click on menu icon again and choose Settings → Manage Search engines under the Search section.
-
When in Search Engines..., remove malicious search sites. You should leave only Google or your preferred domain name.
-
Reset Google Chrome
Click on menu icon on the top right of your Google Chrome and select Settings. -
Scroll down to the end of the page and click on Reset browser settings.
-
Click Reset to confirm this action and complete MyCouponize removal.
Erase MyCouponize from Safari
Use these guidelines to uninstall MyCouponize from the Safari:
-
Remove dangerous extensions
Open Safari web browser and click on Safari in menu at the top left of the screen. Once you do this, select Preferences. -
Here, select Extensions and look for MyCouponize or other suspicious entries. Click on the Uninstall button to get rid each of them.
-
Reset Safari
Open Safari browser and click on Safari in menu section at the top left of the screen. Here, select Reset Safari.... -
Now you will see a detailed dialog window filled with reset options. All of those options are usually checked, but you can specify which of them you want to reset. Click the Reset button to complete MyCouponize removal process.
About the author
References
- ^ Colleen McKown. Online shopping scams: How to identify fake sites. CNBC. Business news on stock markets, financial & earnings.
- ^ Clint Pumphrey. How do advertisers show me custom ads?. HowStuffWorks. Explanations, reviews, opinions and prices for the Internet, home networking, hardware, and software.
- ^ DieViren. DieViren. German website about computer viruses.