Traffic logger (Removal Instructions) - Free Guide
Traffic logger Removal Guide
What is Traffic logger?
Traffic-logger.com is a suspicious web address that might start popping up on your browser seemingly out of nowhere
Traffic logger is a phenomenon that users noticed when performing normal browsing activities on their Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, MS Edge, or another web browser. Many claimed that they were suddenly interrupted by a browser redirect[1] that lead to https://traffic-logger.com domain, and then returned them to their search provider, for example, Google. While this disruptive behavior might be annoying, it is also quite concerning, as such activities should never occur.
The reason Traffic logger redirect occurs is due to a potentially unwanted program, namely, a browser hijacker. PUPs can take different forms and be attached to the browser or installed on the system. One of the applications responsible for the unwanted behavior is the MP3 Downloader extension, so you should check whether it is present on your browser and uninstall it to stop the ads and redirects.
If the app remains on the system, it will track your non-personally identifiable information and send it to unknown parties. Besides, you might also be subjected to an increased number of ads, redirects, sponsored links in searches, etc.
| Name | Traffic logger |
|---|---|
| Type | Browser hijacker, potentially unwanted program |
| Associated extension | MP3 Downloader |
| IP address | 172.67.134.38 |
| Distribution | Software bundles, deceptive ads, fake update prompts |
| Symptoms | The browser suddenly redirects to Traffic-logger.com and then takes users back to their search provider, such as Google; unknown browser extension is installed without permission; intrusive ads and redirects, sponsored links in search results, etc. |
| Risks | Installation of other potentially unwanted programs, personal information disclosure, financial losses |
| Removal | You can uninstall potentially unwanted programs by following the manual guide below or by scanning the computer with powerful anti-malware |
| Additional steps | Computer infections can cause significant damage to system files or disrupt normal settings. To revert these changes and remediate the OS, perform a full system scan with FortectIntego repair software |
Many users might be surprised that their browsers are suddenly beginning to behave erratically – they redirect to unknown websites, insert ads into their searches, etc. This typically happens because most are unaware that a potentially unwanted program (or several programs) such as browser hijacker is installed on their systems – it can be attributed to a software distribution technique known as bundling.
Another way to install a potentially unwanted app is by getting tricked by deceptive ads, or fake update prompts. Alternatively, users might already have an extension installed that suddenly goes rogue, and the Traffic logger virus is likely to be the case.
Once installed, a browser hijacker immediately begins to change the settings of the used web browser. Some alternations might be visible immediately, for example, your homepage and new tab address might be set to something else, and search results redirected to Yahoo, Bing, Web Crawler, or another provider. It is not uncommon for browser hijackers to insert sponsored links at the top of search results.
Every time users click on ads injected by the hijacker, the developers get a small commission. With thousands of users having the program installed on their systems, creators can accumulate quite a lot of cash over time. Therefore, it is in their best interest to feed users with ads.
Due to deceptive distribution practices, users might be victims of traffic-logger.com redirects and ads. Since the web address is not tied with the program's name that is causing this unwanted behavior, Traffic logger removal can be a difficult task for many.
One of the best tips security experts[2] can give in this type of situation is employing security software such as SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes and ensuring that browser changes are not caused by a much more malicious intruder, such as Trojan or a keylogger.[3] If a security scan found something, ensure the threat is quarantined and deleted immediately. After that, you can also employ FortectIntego to returned potentially compromised system files to the previous state.
To remove Traffic logger virus from your computer, you need to find the associated program. Since it is likely to be an MP3 Downloader extension, you should follow the step-by-step guide below and eliminate it at once. You should also check whether other unwanted add-ons managed to get in without our knowledge.
Protect yourself from PUPs: easy tips
Software developers and distributors often deliberately hide optional components within the installers, which results in users being unaware of the offered software. This is why employing anti-malware with a PUP detection feature is so important, along with being attentive during the installation process of the freeware. However, not all security programs would immediately flag the PUP, as each vendor has different criteria for many of such apps.
Therefore, the best way to stay secure your computer from intrusions is to be very careful when installing software downloaded from third-party websites. Here are a few tips that should help you:
- If possible, always download applications from the official websites;
- Keep in mind that even the most popular websites bundle software, so you should always be attentive;
- Before installing a program, you have never heard of, check the reviews and blog posts online to uncover if any suspicious traits that might only be visible after the installation;
- During the installation of a new app, always opt for Advanced/Custom settings and avoid Recommended/Quick ones at all times – this will allow you to stay in control of the process from start to finish;
- Remove all the ticks for checkboxes, watch out for misleading button placements, and decline all the offers on the way.
Traffic logger virus removal options
Traffic logger removal should not be too difficult, considering that its culprit is an extension attached to Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, MS Edge, or another web browser. If you have never dealt with this process before, you can check below for step-by-step instructions. Thus, access the settings section of your browser and look for “MP3 Downloader” or another suspicious extension installed and terminate it immediately.
After you remove Traffic logger virus from your browser, you should also check the installed applications as per the instructions below. Look for anything suspicious – PDF converters, media players, system optimizers, etc. If those apps appeared on your system without your knowledge, you should immediately uninstall them. If you are having problems with this process, you can always rely on a robust anti-malware tool to do the job for you.
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 Traffic logger. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
You can uninstall programs via Control Panel on Windows systems:
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
To get rid of potentially unwanted applications on a Mac, please follow these steps:
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)
After you eliminate the PUP, you should clean Firefox to secure it:
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
Uninstall MP3 Downloader and other suspicious extensions to prevent the browser-hijacking activities on 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 Traffic logger 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 browser hijacker
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online. One of the basic means to add a layer of security – choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features. However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN – it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable. Family photos, work documents, school projects – these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur: power cuts, Blue Screen of Death errors, hardware failures, crypto-malware attack, or even accidental deletion.
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, Data Recovery Pro can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
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- ^ URL redirection. Wikipedia. The free encyclopedia.
- ^ Novirus. Novirus. Cybersecurity advice and malware insights.
- ^ Dan Swinhoe. What is a keylogger? How attackers can monitor everything you type. CSO Online. A tech site from IDG.