QkSee (Removal Guide) - Jul 2018 update
QkSee Removal Guide
What is QkSee?
QkSee is an advertising platform that uses spam to collect views
QkSee is a freeware application that was developed by Qksee Pvt Ltd for Windows operating systems. It is promoted as a tool capable of adjusting the size of images, as well as viewing them. Unsurprisingly, many users find this functionality quite useful, as they do not need to download additional software. Nevertheless, security experts[1] categorize this questionable application as adware,[2] because it has an array of rather negative features that most people would typically avoid. Yes, we are talking about unending ads, covering your whole screen, popping out of nowhere, and concealing the website content you want to view.
| Summary | |
| Name | QkSee |
| Type | Adware, potentially unwanted program |
| Developer | Qksee Pvt Ltd |
| Main dangers | Malware installation, anonymous and personal data leakage and exposure, etc. |
| Symptoms | Intrusive advertisements, redirects that bring to questionable sites, installation of additional components without permission, etc. |
| Distribution | Software bundling |
| Elimination | Automatic – download and install anti-malware tool. Otherwise use our manual instructions below |
| Repair | It is possible to clear the machine with security tools, but the machine also requires additional help from FortectIntego or a different tool that can restore altered or corrupted files on the system |
Unfortunately, as well as it is unpleasant to deal with pop-ups, deals, offers, banners, in-text links, auto-play videos and similar advertisement which is embedded directly into your Google Chrome or another browser, QkSee adware posses another, much more dangerous feature – redirecting.
Although redirects are a common practice used by marketing companies nowadays, it can pose unexpected dangers online. You could end up on a porn site, which exposes inappropriate content for minors. What is more, these domains are found to be more prone to hacking attacks, which significantly increases the chances of malware Infections. Thus, if you found yourself on a dubious website, close down your browser, don't click on anything, and remove QkSee from your computer.
The ulterior motive of the program is clear – to gain revenue while displaying sponsored content to users. Developers' goal is to direct potential clients to affiliated sites or those that are less-known. This allows adware authors to boost traffic and sales of relatively unknown sponsored websites artificially. Sadly, the functionality of the adware is hardly justifiable, considering that the end-user becomes a money-making machine instead of a respected consumer.
QkSee virus also compiles data about every individual who has the program installed on the machine. It collects the following:
- IP address;
- cookies;
- search queries;
- clicks on links and ads;
- time spent on certain sites;
- system information;
- installed software data, etc.
This information helps to understand user’s needs and interests. After processing the data, the developers of the adware start generating various QkSee ads that match your preferences – it almost ensures that the purchase will be made on sponsored websites instead of prominent ones.
Typically, intrusive adverts present numerous shopping deals, discount codes, price comparisons, but they can also advertise rogue security software or show you some questionable promotional content, which can be related to vague web pages you might want to avoid visiting.
For example, you can be redirected to a page that suggests installing apps like games or weather forecast apps, which tend to be ad-supported. This way, you will end up with more bloatware[3] installed, and your daily web browsing sessions will become a real nightmare.
All in all, this application seems untrustworthy, and we believe that you should think twice before using it. Therefore, it would be wise to proceed to QkSee removal. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes can speed up the process.
Adware infiltrates computers without users noticing
Adware developers usually add unwanted programs to software packages, so computer users frequently install them without even realizing it. If you have never heard of software bundling, remember that it is a particular technique used to distribute computer programs. Software bundles usually suggest installing several additional apps alongside the main program, but computer users often fail to notice these suggestions, as the process is rarely adequately explained.
In fact, it is easy to avoid installing potentially unwanted programs. To detect them, you need to access Advanced/Custom settings during the installation of freeware or shareware and deselect all unwanted components. We recommend you to stay clear of Standard/Basic/Default settings as they usually do not allow the user to reject bundled software.
Easy QkSee removal guide
If the question “should I remove QkSee from my computer” appears in your mind, then you should ask yourself if you find its ads pleasant to deal with and if you value your privacy online. We are sure that the answer is “Yes.”
To proceed with the infection removal, you should check the step-by-step removal guide we have provided. Make sure you complete all steps correctly and remove all components of this adware program.
Some users reported that they are having trouble with QkSee virus elimination. If that is the case, you should download and install reputable security software which can take care of everything automatically. This way, even unintentionally installed apps will be deleted in just a few minutes.
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 QkSee. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
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
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
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 QkSee 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.
If this free guide helped you and you are satisfied with our service, please consider making a donation to keep this service alive. Even a smallest amount will be appreciated.
- ^ BedyNet. BedyNet. CYbersecurity news and articles.
- ^ Adware. Trend Micro. Security experts.
- ^ Preston Gralla. Bloatware: What it is and how to get rid of it. Computerworld. Everything about PCs.