Television Fanatic Toolbar: what it is and how to remove it

From first sight, the Television Fanatic toolbar may look to you like a very useful application that can easily improve your browsing experience. Officially, it should help you reach your favorite websites with just one click.

Facts checked October 7, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.

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Television Fanatic Toolbar: screenshot
Television Fanatic Toolbar as our 2021 report showed it.

Television Fanatic Toolbar: summary

Detection namesNo Microsoft detection name is known
DistributionNot recorded in the old report
DamageNot recorded in the old report
NameTelevision Fanatic Toolbar
TypeSystem optimizer
SymptomsAn unknown program in Installed apps
Removal

Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged.

Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free.
Show 4 more facts
EvidenceOne write-up by a security site; details still limited
ProgramTelevision Fanatic Toolbar
First seen12 January 2021
Facts checked7 October 2026

Is Television Fanatic Toolbar safe? Why it is flagged

From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since

Television Fanatic toolbar - an app you might not expect to see installed on your computer

From first sight, the Television Fanatic toolbar may look to you like a very useful application that can easily improve your browsing experience.

Officially, it should help you reach your favorite websites with just one click.

However, it seems that this application is not as peaceful as it may look from first sight. It has been labeled as 'adware' and 'potentially unwanted program' because it is capable of initiating various system's modifications on each of web browsers, including:

Also, it may start initiating continuous redirects to unknown websites, annoying pop-up ads, slowdowns, and other problems. If you want to avoid redirects to questionable websites, annoying pop-up ads, and slowdowns that may be noticed on each of your web browsers, you should try to avoid Television Fanatic toolbar. Security researchers explain:

That's because it is spread using a questionable distribution method, which is known as 'bundling.' If you want to prevent the unexpected appearance of suspicious programs, you should remove Television Fanatic toolbar from the system.

The best method for the elimination of potentially unwanted applications is by scanning the machine with anti-malware software. After Television Fanatic removal, you can employ to check the system for issues that could have been caused by other unwanted or malicious software on your system.

  • Google Chrome
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • MS Edge
  • Internet Explorer, etc.
Television Fanatic Toolbar: screenshot
Television Fanatic Toolbar in our 2021 report.

From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since

Suspicious programs might infiltrate your PC without your knowledge

As we have already mentioned, Television Fanatic toolbar may show up on your computer out of nowhere because it is actively spread using 'bundling'.

This distribution technique is closely related to freeware and shareware, so you should either stop using it or start monitoring its installation process.

Therefore, when dealing with installing a new program, you should always pick the Custom or Advanced method that would allow you to see what components are spread in a bundle. Likewise, avoid the following settings:

If you happen to see a checkmark that says that you agree with the installation of the Television Fanatic toolbar, you should uncheck it. Otherwise, this program may start initiating various system changes. It may easily alter your start page or default search engine to Ask.com, Ask-tb.com, and other search engines without your permission asked, start showing you commercial pop-up notifications and initiate other unwanted activities.

Please, do not ignore them because these activities may lead you to the infiltration of other adware and similar suspicious applications. To help you remove Television Fanatic toolbar and other potentially unwanted programs, we have prepared special steps that can be found below. Of course, if you want to be sure that all PUPs were eliminated, you should opt for the automatic removal option.

  • Express
  • Recommended
  • Quick.

From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since

More from our earlier report on Television Fanatic Toolbar

  • Of course, we don't recommend this.
  • It should also be added that this program may appear on your computer without downloading it.

How to uninstall Television Fanatic Toolbar

How to remove Television Fanatic Toolbar

Uninstall it, then remove what keeps it starting with Windows.

Nothing it flagged needs fixing.

  1. Step 1: Uninstall Television Fanatic Toolbar

    Television Fanatic Toolbar is removed like any other program, from the list of installed apps. In Windows 11 that is Settings > Apps > Installed apps, in Windows 10 Settings > Apps > Apps & features, and in both you can also use Control Panel > Programs and Features.

    Select Television Fanatic Toolbar, click Uninstall and follow the uninstaller to the end. Then look at the entries just above and below it when the list is sorted by date: bundled programs install at the same minute.

    Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix

  2. Step 2: Remove it from startup

    Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and select Startup apps (Windows 11) or the Startup tab (Windows 10). Disable entries you do not recognise, especially ones with no publisher or with a name that copies a Windows component.

    Right-click an entry and choose Open file location to see where it runs from: programs in %AppData% or %Temp% deserve a closer look. Some entries are not listed there but in the registry Run keys, which the procedure below shows how to check.

    Full procedure with screenshots: Stop apps from opening at startup On uGetFix

  3. Step 3: Delete the folders left behind

    Uninstalling often leaves the program's folders, and some threats reinstall themselves from them.

    Press Windows + R, type %LocalAppData% and press Enter, then do the same for %AppData% and %ProgramData%, and look for folders named after Television Fanatic Toolbar, its publisher or created on the day the problem started.

    Delete those folders, and check C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files (x86) too.

    If Windows says a file is in use, end it in Task Manager or delete the folder after a restart in Safe Mode. The folders are the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10.

    Full procedure with screenshots: Remove what malware leaves behind in Windows

  4. Step 4: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan

    A scan finds the parts of Television Fanatic Toolbar that the manual steps cannot see. In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, start a Full scan and quarantine what it reports.

    Follow it with Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) > Scan now, which restarts the PC and checks the disk while Windows and the malware are not running.

    It takes about 15 minutes and works the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10. If either scan finds something, run the full scan again after removal until it comes back clean.

    Windows Security Scan options with Microsoft Defender Antivirus offline scan selected
    Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options.

    Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan

Instructions for each browser and system

The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows
Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. 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:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2
Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from 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 Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. 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.Reset MS Edge
Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2
Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari
Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  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.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.Reset Internet Explorer

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 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, can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.

From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since

Television Fanatic toolbar elimination process described

If you have installed this program voluntarily, then you should think about whether it's worth keeping it on the system or not.

If you decide to remove Television Fanatic toolbar, you can follow the detailed instructions we provide below. Don't forget to access your web browser's settings, delete all the unwanted extensions, and clean browsing data. You can also rely on anti-malware software that could perform a full Television Fanatic removal automatically for you.

Note: Recently, the developer of this program contacted us, asking us to remove this post from the 2-spyware.com website. We strongly believe that our readers have a right to choose whether to keep applications on their machines or not. This is why we provide adequate instructions that would help them to remove Television Fanatic from their systems.

Questions about Television Fanatic Toolbar

Is Television Fanatic Toolbar a virus?

Most programs that appear the way Television Fanatic Toolbar did are not viruses in the strict sense. They are potentially unwanted programs:

  • real software that arrives bundled with other downloads and then shows offers
  • changes browser settings
  • starts with Windows

Some are harmless, some are annoying and a few carry adware. What makes it worth removing is that you did not choose it.

Uninstall it from Installed apps and check the startup list and the browsers for anything added the same day. If it refuses to uninstall or returns after a restart, treat it as more serious and run a Microsoft Defender offline scan.

How do I stop programs like Television Fanatic Toolbar from being installed again?

Most unwanted programs arrive through installers, so the fix is in how you install software. Download programs from their official sites or the Microsoft Store, not from download portals or ads above search results. During setup, choose Custom or Advanced installation and untick every extra offer, including browsers, toolbars and optimizers.

Decline update prompts that appear inside other programs unless you know them. In Windows Security, turn on reputation-based protection and potentially unwanted app blocking. These steps would most likely have stopped Television Fanatic Toolbar before it reached the app list.

How do I stop programs like Television Fanatic Toolbar from installing?

Turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking in Windows Security > App & browser control > Reputation-based protection settings, with both Block apps and Block downloads checked. Download programs from the developer's own site or the Microsoft Store, choose Custom in installers and untick extra offers, and treat large download buttons on file sites as ads.

Apps from the Microsoft Store are checked by Microsoft and uninstall cleanly. Keep real-time protection on, so that bundled offers flagged as unwanted are stopped before they install.

Is Television Fanatic Toolbar harmful?

It is unwelcome rather than destructive, based on what has been reported: television Fanatic Toolbar in the list of installed apps. Unwanted programs like this slow Windows down, use your connection, show offers or change settings, and they make money for their publisher at your expense. The bigger concern is what arrived with them.

Bundled installers often add two or three programs at once, and some of those change the browser or install updaters that fetch more software later. Remove Television Fanatic Toolbar, then sort Installed apps by date and remove anything else from the same day. A full scan in Windows Security afterwards confirms that nothing more serious came along.

Television Fanatic Toolbar will not uninstall. What can I do?

Close it first: in Task Manager, select every process with its name and click End task, and exit its tray icon. Then uninstall it from Settings > Apps > Installed apps. If the uninstaller fails, shows an error or just reopens offers, restart Windows in Safe Mode, where third-party programs do not start, and uninstall from there.

Afterwards, delete its folders in C:\Program Files and %AppData%, remove its scheduled tasks and run a full scan in Windows Security. As a last step, System Restore to a date before the install can help.

Does Television Fanatic Toolbar use a lot of resources?

It depends on the program, and no measurements have been published for Television Fanatic Toolbar. The sign reported is television Fanatic Toolbar in the list of installed apps. Check for yourself: open Task Manager, find its process and watch the CPU, memory and network columns for a minute while the PC is otherwise idle.

Steady use with nothing open is a strong reason to remove it. Even if it seems light, it may run more processes under other names, so sort Installed apps by date and remove anything else from the same day. Then restart and compare.

Is my privacy at risk because of Television Fanatic Toolbar?

A little, not dramatically. Unwanted programs tend to report what you install, which sites you visit or how you use the program back to their publisher. That data is sold or used for ads.

The sign people noticed, television Fanatic Toolbar in the list of installed apps, is consistent with such a program, and nothing reported suggests access to your files, camera or passwords.

Remove it, delete its leftovers and clear the browser data if it touched the browser. From then on, keep Potentially unwanted app blocking switched on in Windows Security, which stops many of these programs before they install.

Why does Television Fanatic Toolbar reinstall itself?

Programs like Television Fanatic Toolbar are often installed with an updater or a companion app whose job is to keep them present. When you uninstall the main program, the helper downloads it again at the next scheduled run or restart.

Find the helper by sorting Installed apps by date and by checking Task Scheduler and Services for entries with the same name or publisher. Remove them all, then delete leftover folders. Turning on Potentially unwanted app blocking in Windows Security also stops many reinstall attempts.

Can Windows Security remove Television Fanatic Toolbar?

Often yes, if Potentially unwanted app blocking is on. Microsoft Defender detects many bundled and unwanted programs as PUA, but by default it only blocks them during download in some cases. For a program already installed, uninstall it yourself from Installed apps first, then run a full scan in Windows Security to catch leftovers.

If television Fanatic Toolbar in the list of installed apps returns after that, run the Microsoft Defender offline scan, which works before Windows starts. Switching on the PUA setting afterwards helps keep similar programs out.

Will Fortect remove Television Fanatic Toolbar?

Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.

For Television Fanatic Toolbar, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.

Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.

Sources

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Questions and experiences: Television Fanatic Toolbar

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