How to remove Scroll to Top browser extension

Scroll to Top is secretly a hijacker that can inject advertisements into your browser

Scroll to Top browser extension was classified as a hijacker because it can inject advertisements into websites users visit and redirect their search queries. Hijackers may also change the browser's main settings, like the homepage, new tab address, and search engine.

The application is disguised as a useful tool that can help users quickly get back to the top or bottom of the page. Unfortunately, as with many other browser hijackers, this function is not operational. The extension is completely useless and should be removed from the machine immediately.

Browser hijackers in detail

Browser hijackers usually come in the form of a browser extension. The application can gain access to the browser's settings and change them. People are then forced to use only selected channels for browsing. This raises many user privacy and security concerns. 

Crooks often use rogue advertising networks^[1] so people may start seeing suspicious advertisements that contain links leading to dangerous websites. Users can end up on pages that try to trick them into providing personal information or downloading PUPs (potentially unwanted programs),^[2] and even malware.

Most often, fraudsters use bogus “Downloader” pages to spread them. People think that they are installing a legitimate extension, when in fact, they are not. People can also infect their machines by clicking on suspicious “Download” buttons. If you want to improve your browser with an extension, it is best to use official web stores.

However, you should still not forget to do your research – read the reviews, look at the ratings, and the number of users. We recommend choosing add-ons that have plenty of positive feedback and thousands of users. You should also read the description – look for any grammar or spelling mistakes. If there are any, that should raise your suspicion.

Clear cookies and cache

All browser extensions including Scroll to Top can use cookies^[3] to track users browsing behavior. These are small text files that can store information like your IP address, geolocation, the websites you visit, links you click on, and things you purchase online. This data can later be sold to advertising networks or other third parties for profit.

That is why security experts recommend clearing browsers regularly. You should use a maintenance tool FortectIntego, which is multi-purpose software. It will fully clear your browsers from cookies and cache, which will result in better performance of your machine. Besides that, it can fix various complicated system errors that are caused by corrupted files, and registry issues, which is especially helpful after a virus infection.

Start the removal

The first thing you should do is go to your browser settings and check if you see any extensions with a similar name or suspicious-looking add-ons in general. You can follow our guide if you need help:

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.

PUP distribution methods

Crooks often disguise PUPs as “handy” tools that you would not even suspect. It could look like an antivirus, system optimizer, media player, or else. It is done so it would be more difficult for everyday users to get rid of them. They are most commonly spread through freeware distribution platforms.

To minimize the risk of infection, always choose the “Custom” or “Advanced” installation methods, read the Privacy Policy, and Terms of Use. The most important step is to check the file list and untick the boxes next to any unrelated files to prevent them from installing.

If you want to keep your system safe, you should stay away from freeware installations, peer-to-peer file-sharing platforms, and torrent websites as they are breeding grounds for malicious programs. Even though it might get costly to purchase all software, you may save in the long run by keeping your system running smoothly.

Perform a scan to remove adware

The hijacking could have also been caused by a program. This most commonly happens when people do not pay attention during installation and browse through shady sites. If the previous removal method did not get rid of the intruder, you most likely have a potentially unwanted program performing tasks in the background.

In this case, simply removing the plugin from the browser will not help, and the application will keep messing up the settings until you completely eliminate it from your system. However, identifying the program responsible for hijacking your browser might be difficult if you have never done this before.

SpyHunterCombo Cleaner and MalwarebytesMalwarebytes can scan your machine, identify suspicious processes running in your machine, eliminate them, and prevent such infections in the future by giving you a warning before a malicious program can make any changes. If manual removal is what you still prefer, we have instructions for Windows and Mac machines:

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.