QuickConverterz browser hijacker (fake) - Free Guide

What is QuickConverterz browser hijacker?

QuickConverterz can cause browsers to completely change without the users' realization

QuickConverterz takes control over the browsing experience

QuickConverterz is a browser add-on that performs unwanted tasks by users. Such applications are known as browser hijackers because they take over the browsing experience by changing the main settings and not providing any substantial benefits for the users. What these apps do instead is monetize users' activities with the help of pay-per-click advertising.^[1]

If you have this plugin, you are probably experiencing an increased amount of commercial content like pop-ups, and promotional links in the search results. You might also get randomly redirected to suspicious websites. The developers of the plugin do not care about user privacy or security because they do not filter the ads that can show up through their channels.

Over the past years, PUPs (potentially unwanted programs)^[2] have become an increasing problem. Some people even lose their jobs over these apps as they can redirect users to x-rated sites. The reason is that web stores do not really know what is an unwanted program. One app could be liked by one person, and by the other one could be considered a virus. That is why people can get their browsers hijacked even by using official sources.

This plugin belongs to a family of hijackers. They all have the same basic functions – a PDF file converter, calculator, currency converter, and the ability to add your favorite pages. The truth is that these functions are accessible with a click of a button almost on every browser so it is not worth having it in your system.

When QuickConverterz gets added to a browser, it changes the homepage to portal.quickconverterz.com and redirects search queries through feed.quickconverterz.com to one of these search engines – Bing, Yahoo, Searchlee, or Nearbyme. While Bing and Yahoo are well-known and trusted engines, the other two are not. They do not provide special algorithms or anything else useful.

Another worrying thing about browser extensions is that they can collect various data about users' browsing activities. The developers can receive your IP address, the links you click on, the pages you visit, and things you purchase. That is why it is important to always read the terms of use and privacy policy sections of the products and services you use.

Distribution of browser hijackers

As you can get your browser hijacked anywhere these days, it is important to follow some guidelines to keep your system safe from intruders. The first thing is, if you are searching for a plugin on official web stores, make sure to read the reviews, look at the rating, how many users it has, and look for information on external sources. There is rarely any information about specific hijackers besides the web store, so better choose the one that you can find plenty of blog posts and news about.

Another important thing to know is that freeware distribution sites are not trustworthy. Often they use software bundling to monetize their activity and they do not disclose that on the site in the hopes that most people will not notice. Unfortunately, that is what happens most of the time as people find the installation process boring and skip through the steps.

QuickConverterz might collect data about users' browsing activities

We should mention that visiting shady sites on the internet can also cause issues. For example, illegal streaming platforms are rarely regulated, so they are full of deceptive ads and sneaky redirects. Such extensions often have separate promotional websites that are placed as advertisements across the Internet. Do not believe random pages that brag about an amazing new tool, always look for information on external sources.

Disable the extension causing unwanted changes

The first thing you should do is check if the extension is added to your browser. After that, we will tell you about how you can delete the data that might have been collected. We provided guides for Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer:

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.

MS Edge:

1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
3. Click on Uninstall at the bottom.

MS Edge (Chromium)

• Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
• Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

Mozilla Firefox

• 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.

Safari

• Click Safari > Preferences…
• In the new window, pick Extensions.
• Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.

Internet Explorer:

1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.

We suggest using FortectIntego maintenance tool to clear your browsers and to completely get rid of any remaining damage. It is capable of getting rid of cookies^[3] and cache that are used to follow you around on the Internet. It can also optimize your device and improve performance by deleting all junk you do not need. But this is not a single-use program. It can fix much more complicated problems like system errors, corrupted files, registry issues, and BSoDs.

PUP removal from the system

The first removal method may not work for you if you have a PUP hiding in your system. In that case, simply changing the settings will not help much because the program will just keep messing with your settings until you completely eliminate them. If you have it, you probably installed it by accident from unofficial sources that distribute freeware which we talked about previously.

Identifying the program responsible for hijacking your browser might be difficult if you have never done this before. It could be disguised as an antivirus, image editing software, or anything else. If you are not sure what to do and you do not want to risk eliminating the wrong files, we suggest using SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes security tools that will scan your machine, eliminate it, and prevent such infections in the future by giving you a warning before a malicious program can make any changes.

There are also steps that you can take yourself, to minimize the risk of infection. When installing new programs, especially from peer-to-peer file-sharing platforms, do not rush through the installation process. Always choose the “Custom” or “Advanced” installation method and inspect the file list. If you see something suspicious, just untick the boxes next to the files.

Windows 10/8:

1. Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
3. From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
4. Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
5. If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
6. Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.

Windows 7/XP:

1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
3. Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
4. At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
5. In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
6. Click OK once the removal process is finished.

Mac:

1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
2. In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
3. 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:

1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
2. Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
3. In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
4. Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.