Speed Reader virus (Removal Guide) - Free Guide
Speed Reader virus Removal Guide
What is Speed Reader virus?
Speed Reader extension poses a serious threat to your privacy
Speed Reader virus is a questionable browser add-on that is being pushed through suspicious Internet websites that suggest users to “Add Extension to Leave[1]” as soon as they attempt to close or exit the site. These infectious websites are running a Javascript code that triggers a popup with a line saying, “This site says…” and then suggests adding an extension to the browser, without actually providing the mysterious extension’s name or functionality of it. If you accidentally agreed to install such addition and you found SpeedReader extension added to your Chrome or Firefox browser afterward, you need to take actions immediately and remove Speed Reader spyware right away. This extension is considered to be dangerous and besides ads and redirections it causes it can also silently collect personally identifiable and personally non-identifiable information about you. The fastest way to eliminate this intruder is to run system diagnostics using anti-spyware or anti-malware tools like FortectIntego or SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner; however, you can try to uninstall it manually using tips that our security experts revealed below the post.
Sadly, many computer users do not notice these vague extensions like Speed Reader, but they definitely encounter dozens of pop-up ads that they generate, banners on websites they usually visit, links inserted into random text spots and generally ads provided in all possible formats. What is even worse, this potentially unwanted program (PUP) might replace your homepage address with some suspicious search engine providing a page that introduces itself as the best search provider in the world. Do not try to use such tools because they will only provide you with altered search results filled with purposely selected ads. Clicking on sponsored search results will take you to external third-party pages that might have some surprises for you. We bet that you do not want to come across a website that is filled with fake download buttons granting installation of spyware/malware and that you do not want to visit a phishing site accidentally. For such reason, we recommend you to start taking actions to complete Speed Reader removal as soon as possible. Not to even mention that this program might quickly install additional spyware/malware onto your computer.
However, if we had to name one feature of this questionable extension that bothers us the most, we would say redirection to tech support scam sites[2]. If you ever find yourself on a website that displays pop-ups and urges you to call “certified Microsoft technicians” due to error, they found on your computer, or because some kind of hacker has accessed your PC, quit such page immediately and run a scan with anti-malware program. If you carelessly follow obeys by such scammers, they will swindle money from you!
Distribution of suspicious browser extensions
Recently, scammers started creating dozens of infectious websites that suggest installing shady browser extensions before leaving the site. We would like to remind you that you should not believe everything you read on the Internet and question everything. Why would you have to add some suspicious extension while trying to quit some suspicious site? How did you enter it in the first place? Not every website pushes you to install extensions, so why would you have to agree now? These are the questions you should start asking yourself. Sadly, such aggressive pop-ups force many computer users into installing bogus add-ons that can initiate various arbitrary activities on the compromised PC. The developers of the extension might even have access to your private information, and you won’t be informed about it. For this reason, we suggest you never add suspicious add-ons from the websites that urge you to do it. What is more, we suggest you to choose Custom or Advanced settings whenever you decide to install a new program on your PC. If it suggests adding a couple of extra programs, deselect such suggestions ASAP.
Remove Speed Reader malware from your computer
Currently, it is unknown what is SpeedReader capable of doing; however, we know for sure that keeping this shady program on the system can cause serious issues to your PC’s security and your privacy. Before you remove Speed Reader virus, read instructions given below this post. You will need to check several PC’s directories in order to delete the infection entirely. After completing Speed Reader removal, run a system scan using proper anti-malware tools.
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 Speed Reader virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
The described virus could have added some highly dangerous programs to your computer. To find and remove them, follow these steps:
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)
Do not let suspicious extensions take control of your Firefox browser and use it to track you; delete Speed Reader redirect virus using these instructions.
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
Chrolme browser is infected with an extension that should be called Speed Reader, however, it might be able to change its name. For this reason, we simply suggest you to delete all shady extensions from Chrome using the guide provided down below.
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 Speed Reader 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 stealing programs
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.
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- ^ Pieter Arntz. Forced into installing a Chrome extension. Malwarebytes Labs. Official Malwarebytes Blog.
- ^ Avoiding technical support scams. Microsoft Safety & Security Center.