SmartWeb virus (Improved Instructions) - 2017 update
SmartWeb virus Removal Guide
What is SmartWeb virus?
SmartWeb wanders as a potentially unwanted application
SmartWeb virus operates as the program created by SoftBrain Technologies Ltd. It targets online shoppers as it delivers them coupons and hot deals. Such statement seems promising, however, security applications detect its SmartWeb Installer as PUP.Optional.SmartWeb.A.
Furthermore, the program does not present key documents mandatory for all legitimate websites:
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Use
Though initially, the website had its own web site, now you may encounter difficulties finding the website. What is more, there are multiple questionable browser extensions[1] under the same name available on Chrome Web Store.
Gullible users, who are convinced of the usefulness of the program, may enable the plug-in only to find out about the installed malevolent elements. Let us discuss key characteristics of the program. If you are already want to remove SmartWeb, make use of FortectIntego or Malwarebytes.
Annoying behavior of the PUP
In addition, SmartWeb ads may start distracting you via browsing sessions. They can be displayed on your favorite sites and search engines. You should be careful with them because they may trick you into visiting questionable websites.
This program tracks users' browsing on the web. Such information is usually collected by SmartWeb adware: search terms, mostly, visited websites, data that is entered when visiting each of sites, PC's IP address, location, etc.
Later on, such data may be traded with business partners which results in bombarding users with even more ads. Due to such advertising technique and questionable behavior of the application, you are likely to be directed to insecure web pages as well.
That is why you should not ignore SmartWeb redirect issue. The recent case of Facebook message virus[2] perfectly illustrates the case. Therefore, there are more than enough reasons to perform SmartWeb removal. SmartWeb ads may mislead you to poorly secured domains
Key aspects of the distribution peculiarities
Firstly, it is not difficult to download SmartWeb to the system manually because there are lots of download sites that promote it. Besides, this potentially unwanted program has its own website.
Secondly, various freeware and shareware may also be involved to its distribution. This browser add-on may is likely travel as an additional attachment of free programs, such as download managers, PDF creators, video streaming software, etc.
For that reason, we strongly recommend being more attentive when installing unfamiliar free programs on your computer. In order to do so, you should always read end user's license agreement (EULA), privacy policy and other information before installing an unfamiliar program on your computer.
On top of that, it is also recommended selecting Custom or Advanced installation method that will help you to reveal what 'optional' components are hiding inside. After doing so, you should uncheck all pre-marked check marks that facilitate “SmartWeb hijack.”
Get rid of SmartWeb from Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Safari
For eliminating this adware you need to check your computer with a reputable anti-spyware or use a guide below. We believe that people should always opt for automatic removal option because this method guarantees the successful removal of questionable and even malicious software.
Besides, having a full version of reputable anti-spyware will help you to prevent other PUPs, malware, spyware and similar unwanted programs. Of course, you can also opt for manual removal of SmartWeb that was created by our team.
Overall, it's highly recommended removing this program from the system, especially if you can't stand redirects, pop-up ads, and other extremely annoying activities on your computer. Though its activity has ceased, all, especially US and UK[3], users should be wary of the PUP.
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 SmartWeb virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
After you scan your system with malware elimination utility, reset the settings of Chrome, Safari, Firefox or another browser you use. This function will delete SmartWeb web scripts.
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 SmartWeb 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
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices. Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using Private Internet Access VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact – you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process.
- ^ Conner Forrest. Warning: These 8 Google Chrome extensions have been hijacked by a hacker. TechRepublic. News, Tips, and Advice for Technology Professionals.
- ^ Rene Millman. New malware and adware spreading through Facebook Messenger. SCMedia. The cyber security source.
- ^ Eliminate malware. Novirus. Spyware and security news.