PDFConvertTools Toolbar (Free Guide) - Tutorial
PDFConvertTools Toolbar Removal Guide
What is PDFConvertTools Toolbar?
Shall I install PDFConvertTools Toolbar or not?
PDFConvertTools Toolbar allows converting documents to PDF files. The developers of this tool probably are well-known for many of you – Mindspark Interactive Network, Inc.[1], that are already known as IAC Applications. The company is famous for developing toolbars and software that often receives negative feedback. This time we also received many complaints about this toolbar. Users claim that it appeared on their computers out of the blue. For this reason, they entitled it as “PDFConvertTools virus.” We want to point out that it’s not a virus. Cyber security specialists agree that this application can be called as potentially unwanted program[2] due to its controversial distribution technique. Even though it has an official website, it also spreads with freeware and shareware[3] as an optional component. This feature allows getting inside inattentive users’ computers. However, it is possible to prevent unwanted applications from being installed on the PC. Users just have to get used to installing new programs using secure settings. Though, if you made a mistake and let this toolbar inside, you have two options – to let it stay or uninstall it. We recommend the second option because we do not believe that programs should sneak inside computers without directly asking users’ permission. That’s why we recommend PDFConvertTools removal. You can easily uninstall this app manually; however, we suggest scanning you PC with FortectIntego or another reputable anti-malware program because some potentially unwanted applications might be hiding in the system as well.
Furthermore, after PDFConvertTools installation or infiltration, this app might modify browsers’ settings. It may replace current homepage and default search engine to hp.myway.com. If you haven’t installed this app intentionally, you might think that your browser was taken over by the browser hijacker[4]. Fortunately, you can remove PDFConvertTools from the computer and reset browser’s settings. However, there’s another issue why we do not recommend installing or keeping this toolbar on your PC. According to the Privacy Policy, developers may collect both non-personally identifiable and personally identifiable[5] information about the users, such as “your name, address, email address, and telephone number and anonymous Information, such as the number of your page views, link clicks, and login times.” There are many ways how collected data might be used; one of them is sharing it with unknown third-party businesses.
How is it possible that it managed to get inside the computer without my knowledge?
Some computer users claim they haven’t installed this program themselves and have no idea how it ended up on their computers. Even though, PDFConvertTools Toolbar has an official website that offers to direct download; it’s not the only way how this tool might get inside your computer. The developers use shady software marketing technique called “bundling.” This method allows adding extra applications to the software packages. Furthermore, when a user installs this software package using Basic/Quick settings, he or she can expect PDFConvertTools hijack. It might happen because this installation setup does not inform about additional applications and install them by default. For this reason, you should not rely on this setup and always opt for Custom/Advanced mode. It reveals all extra apps and allows rejecting their installation.
How to remove PDFConvertTools from the PC?
You can remove PDFConvertTools Toolbar from the computer just like any other regular program straight from the Control Panel. However, you should not forget to uninstall browser extension from your browsers as well. If you haven’t installed this toolbar yourself, you should carefully investigate all recently installed programs because there might be other potentially unwanted applications as well. Additionally, you can leave PDFConvertTools removal for the reputable anti-malware program. Automatic elimination method is quick and simple even for inexperienced computer users. This technique requires scanning the computer with your chosen security software.
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 PDFConvertTools Toolbar. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Go to Programs in Control Panel and uninstall PDFConvertTools Toolbar. Then, remove browser extension from all web browsers and reset their settings.
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
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
These steps will help you to fix your browser.
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)
Uninstall PDFConvertTools Toolbar from the Mozilla Firefox and look for other suspicious extensions as well. Then, reset Mozilla Firefox and set your preferred homepage and search engine.
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
Delete PDFConvertTools from the Google Chrome along with other extensions that might have been installed on your browser as well. Then, reset browser’s settings by following these instructions.
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 PDFConvertTools Toolbar 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 system tools
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.
- ^ Mindspark Interactive Network. Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia.
- ^ PUPs Explained: What is a “Potentially Unwanted Program”?. How-To Geek. For Geeks by Geeks.
- ^ Freeware vs. Shareware. Diffen. The largest collection of unbiased comparisons in the world.
- ^ Nadia Kovac. What Are Browser Hijackers?. Norton Community. Norton Protection blog.
- ^ Nate Lord. What Is Personally Identifiable Information?. Digital Guardian. Data Loss Prevention.