Remove Thebrighttag (Removal Guide) - 2021 update
Thebrighttag – an adware program which displays sponsored content on Netflix and other sites
Thebrighttag is an adware which has a purpose to gain income from advertising. Developers use the cost-per-click marketing technique to receive revenue from their ads. Such advertisements come in forms of annoying pop-ups and pop-unders that appear on Netflix, WordPress-based sites, Youtube, and similar domains. While s.thebrighttag.com malware is not technically a virus, security experts have started calling it malicious due to its ability to infiltrate the computer system without any notice and modify the web browsers (Safari, Chrome, Firefox, IE) without asking for permission. Note that it is better to ignore ads caused by this adware and eliminate their main cause – adware-type virus, from Mac and other operating systems.
Name | Thebrighttag |
---|---|
Type | Adware |
developer | Signal Inc. |
Main symptoms | Causes continuous pop-up ads and redirects to sponsored sites |
redirects to | s.thebrighttag.com |
the main browsers affected | Safari, Firefox, Chrome |
the main OS affected | Mac OS |
Distribution | Adware-related programs can distribute via bundled freeware or shareware |
Prevention | Use the Custom/Advanced installation mode to control all incoming downloads |
Elimination | Get rid of adware and use ReimageIntego to detect unwanted components |
If Thebrighttag virus has infiltrated your computer system, there is a big possibility that you will spot symptoms such as:
- Frequent advertising which appears each time you enter the infected browser;
- Dubious redirects[1] are taking you to questionable websites;
- Browser's homepage and new tab bar have been changed without your permission;
- Your web browser has been struggling to perform simple actions lately.
Note that these before mentioned symptoms signify about an adware infection in your computer. If you figure out that Thebrighttag is responsible for this activity, you should strongly consider removing the potentially unwanted program as it is not a necessary component for your computer system and might even indirectly do some damage to it.
An important reason to remove s.thebrighttag.com malware from the system is its ability to redirect to questionable sites. As we have mentioned before, adware programs are likely to take users to dubious-looking websites. Some pages can turn out to be malicious and include malware[2]. You can easily infect your computer system by clicking on an infected link.
Moreover, performing the Thebrighttag removal is recommended as this ad-supported program has the ability to gather data which relates to the user's browsing habits. These potentially unwanted applications gather information that is related to users' most commonly visited websites, saved bookmarks, performed search requests, etc.
This data is collected by using Thebrighttag cookie which can be detected by your anti-virus as The Bright Tag. If you happen to receive a notification from your anti-virus about this component, you should get rid of it without any doubt. You can use ReimageIntego or any other similar tool to detect all suspicious components on the computer system. If you want to remove Thebrighttag from Mac manually, follow the manual tutorial in the end of this post.
Thebrighttag - a potentially unwanted program that keeps redirecting to s.thebrighttag.com to generate pay-per-click revenue.
Avoid adware programs by following simple rules
According to cybersecurity experts' team from Virusai.lt[3], potentially unwanted applications, including adware-related ones, can be easily spread via the bundling technique. Such a thing happens very often when computer users download software form free Internet sources and do not pay attention to installation steps. Gladly, you can take some actions to avoid this type of activity.
All you have to do is activate the “Custom” or “Advanced” installation mode over the “Quick” or “Recommended” one. If you do follow this advice, you will be able to control all incoming downloads, opt-out the unwanted wants and leaves those which are necessary. Furthermore, IT specialists recommend downloading and installing a reputable antivirus program which will allow you to perform regular system scans and keep your computer protected.
Terminate The brighttag certificate and other components
If this adware has appeared in your computer system and web browsers with its ads, you need to remove Thebrighttag virus as soon as possible. There is no need for keeping this potentially unwanted program[4] on your computer as it will bring only unpleasant consequences. You can perform the elimination process by using reliable anti-malware tools which will assure you that your PC is fully cleaned and free of s.thebrighttag.com malware.
Moreover, you can follow our below-given instructions to carry out the Thebrighttag removal. This method is suited for more-experienced users but you are welcome to try it on your own if you are likely to. Be careful while performing each step as you will have to get rid of all browser extensions, add-ons, and adware-added plug-ins from infected web browsers such as Safari, Chrome, Firefox, etc.
You may remove virus damage with a help of ReimageIntego. 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.
To remove Thebrighttag, follow these steps:
Eliminate Thebrighttag from Mac OS X system
To delete adware from the Mac, try finding these entries: The Bright Tag, s.thebrighttag.com, etc. For that, follow these instructions:
If your macOS is displaying some infection symptoms, proceed with the following guide:
Remove Thebrighttag from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for Thebrighttag-related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove Thebrighttag, 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 related to Thebrighttag and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the Thebrighttag-related entries.
Get rid of Thebrighttag from Windows systems
To remove Thebrighttag from Windows 10/8 machines, please follow these steps:
- 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 entries related to Thebrighttag (or any other recently installed 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.
Get rid of Thebrighttag from Safari
To uninstall s.thebrighttag.com malware from Safari, clean it by using this guide:
Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension related to Thebrighttag 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.
Uninstall Thebrighttag from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
To fix Firefox, use 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 plugins that are related to Thebrighttag and click Remove.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Options.
- 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.
In case Thebrighttag did not get removed after following the instructions above, 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 – this should complete Thebrighttag removal.
Remove Thebrighttag from Internet Explorer (IE)
Clean your Internet Explorer web browser and eliminate all PUP-related content such as unwanted browser extensions, add-ons, and plug-ins:
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for Thebrighttag and other suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.
Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.
Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete…
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.
Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset again to complete Thebrighttag removal.
Erase Thebrighttag from Microsoft Edge
Get rid of all adware-added components from the Microsoft Edge web browser:
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 Thebrighttag-related 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.
Reset MS Edge if that 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 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.
Delete Thebrighttag from Google Chrome
Refresh the Google Chrome web browser with the help of this guide:
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 Thebrighttag 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.
If the above-methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the Thebrighttag-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 to complete Thebrighttag removal.
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 Thebrighttag 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: ReimageIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
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.
- ^ URL Redirect. Techopedia. IT encyclopedia and tech definitions.
- ^ Malware. Wikipedia. The free encyclopedia.
- ^ Virusai.lt. Virusai. Malware removal and prevention tips.
- ^ Vangie Beal. PUP - potentially unwanted program. Webopedia. All about computers.
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