SafeWeb adware (Removal Instructions) - updated Apr 2017
SafeWeb adware Removal Guide
What is SafeWeb adware?
Reasons why SafeWeb is not actually safe
SafeWeb virus might seem to be a useful application, but only if you tend to rely on software descriptions provided in their developers’ websites. Although this adware [1] presents itself as a useful tool that can easen your shopping routine, it is considered to be a potentially unwanted program (PUP), as well as ad-supported application that causes various problems to occur. Besides, sometimes this app manages to hijack user’s computer without his/hers knowledge. If this has happened to you, you should remove SafeWeb without a hesitation with FortectIntego or a similar anti-spyware software.
The most obvious sign of SafeWeb hijack is appearance of annoying pop-up ads [2] that are displayed as soon as the victim starts browsing the Internet. However, you may also notice such things as browser’s redirects to unknown websites, slow downs, changes of the start page and the default search engine and similar activities on your computer. If SafeWeb manages to enter the system, the first thing it does is change the web browser settings. Beware that this app may hijack Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and other web browsers without any permission asked.
SafeWeb adware initially looks like a reputable application. Only after installing it on the computer the problems, such as extensive advertising begin to emerge.
After doing so, this app may start manipulating your browsing experience and may cause additional pop-ups and other banner-type visual advertisements. Please, do NOT click them, because this may lead you to SafeWeb redirect [3] to some unknown website. Typically, people are redirected to harmless websites, but there is no guarantee that you won’t be rerouted to a malicious and insecure sites that are used for spreading other PUPs or initiating privacy-related issues. Finally, you should also remember that this potentially unwanted program may track and record your personally non-identifiable information, such as visited sites, search queries, data that was added by you when visiting these sites, etc. [4]
If you thought that this application useful and that it is capable of helping you to save the money, remember that such adware-type programs are created entirely for advertising purposes. They can easily cause redirects to various sponsored websites, the appearance of continuous pop-up ads and similar activities that can help generating money for their publishers. If user notices that he/she is getting large amount of pop-ups and banners (Brought to you by Safe Web, Ads by Safe-Web.tk and etc.) and unexpected redirects to various sites, there is a possibility that his/hers system was infected by SafeWeb virus. In this case, you should run a full system scan with FortectIntego or Malwarebytes.
How did this program hijack my PC?
Typically, SafeWeb hijacks system without user’s knowledge and permission. When it comes to distribution, similar ad-supported programs rely on questionable freeware and shareware [5]. In lots of cases, similar type of adware infiltrates systems in a bundle with free downloads. That’s why security experts often recommend taking precautions when downloading and installing free programs and selecting “Advanced” or a similar installation method. By doing so, users can easily follow each installation step and unmark all accessories that may come in a bundle with the free software. If your system is infected by SafeWeb adware, we recommend you to follow the guide below for a quick and safe removal of this plug-in:
Instructions on how to remove SafeWeb ads:
According to many people, SafeWeb ads look really tempting because they notify about discounts, coupons and other deals. However, we don’t recommend trusting them because they seek only to redirect people to specific websites and increase the number of their visitors. In order to remove SafeWeb virus from the system, computer owners should take care of proper anti-malware tools that would help complete the elimination. If automatic elimination is not a possible option in your case, you can alternatively use manual SafeWeb removal guidelines presented just below the article.
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 SafeWeb adware. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
If you want to get rid of SafeWeb from your computer manually, you will have to concentrate and carefully look through the list of recently installed programs in search of this or related applications. Aslo, make sure you locate and remove the virus executable YourApp.exe. This way, you will ensure that the malware will not bounce back to your browser.
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
SafeWeb is unlikely to show up on Mac OS X browsers, but in case it does, you should know how to get rid of it properly. The instructions below will explain how to accomplish the elimination
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
Microsoft Edge is one of the SafeWeb targets and it does not take a lot for this malware to infect it. Thus, you should be prepared and know how the malware can be removed from the computer safely. You will find comprehensive elimination guidelines below but before you start going through these steps, please make sure you delete all undesirable browser components, add-ons and extensions.
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)
If you have been infected with SafeWeb as a result of unfair software bundling, it might be that the program did not arrive alone and was accompanied by other components, such as toolbars, add-ons, etc. Thus, you should keep that in mind when resetting your browser and eliminating malware from your computer.
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
Google Chrome can be freed from SafeWeb by resetting the browser to its default settings and eliminating browser extensions, add-ons or toolbars it may have installed on the computer to fortify its place on your browser.
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
While Safari is unlikely to be infected with SafeWeb. If it does, make sure you go through the steps indicated below. These will help remove the malware from your browser and roll back default browser settings.
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 SafeWeb 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
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
- ^ Adware. TrendMicro. Cyber security solutions.
- ^ Jay McGregor. The man who invented Pop-Up ads says 'I'm Sorry'. Forbes. Global media company, focusing on business, investing, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, and lifestyle.
- ^ Sarah Perez. Mobile web surfers again facing unexpected redirects to App Store, native apps. TechCrunch. The latest technology news and information on startups .
- ^ What advertisers know about you: online privacy and personally identifiable information. Retargeter. Retargeting Ads | Remarketing | Display Advertising.
- ^ Elizabeth Wasserman. Why free software downloads aren't always safe. Norton. Your Security Resource.