Remove Unalytics (Virus Removal Instructions)

Unalytics – a potentially unwanted program that negatively affects browsing activities

Unalytics alert example

Unalytics is a cyber threat that is identified as a browser hijacker. This browser redirect virus spread as a browser extension called Better History which was sold to third-party. Current owners decided to modified the app and included potentially dangerous details in the code. As a result, user’s browsing sessions were diminished.

Summary
Name	Unalytics
Type	Browser hijacker
Danger level	Medium. Might redirect to questionable and infected websites
Distribution method	Better History browser extension, software bundling
Symptoms	Browser redirects to Unalytics.com and other possibly dangerous sites, the appearance of browser security alerts, modified browser shortcuts, installation of browser extensions
To uninstall Unalytics, install Fortect Intego and run a full system scan

Unalytics virus causes the majority of problems for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox users. According to the recent reports on Reddit,^[1] users have to deal with the following problems:

frequent redirects to unalytics.com or receiving Chrome security alerts^[2] about detected attempts to enter this site;
redirects to websites that inform about installed malware;^[2]
browser tabs opening randomly and showing questionable sites;
strange security notifications are popping up not the screen.

Unalytics redirect issue is definitely annoying and seems unstoppable. However, in some cases, it might be dangerous too. The malicious extension might redirect to malicious websites. Some of the sites might be used for spreading malware in the form of security tools or scanners. Others might be used for obtaining sensitive data from the user, such as credit card information or login credentials.

Unalytics.com virus might also be used for tracking information about users too. There’s a chance that it might not only be interested in non-personally identifiable information but personal details too. Hence, this cyber threat might pose a danger to your privacy.

Just like other cyber parasites, this one should not stay on your PC too. Unalytics removal requires uninstalling suspicious browser extensions from Chrome, Firefox or another browser you use. Browser reset is also needed to make sure that any tracking tools were not left.

Once you remove Unalytics, you should also scan your computer with Fortect Intego or another anti-malware. This step ensures that any other malware or spyware were left on the system.

Unalytics virus image

Potentially unwanted programs can infiltrate sneakily

Typically browser hijackers are spread bundled with freeware or shareware. It means that along with the primary program you want to install, you are offered to download additional third-party apps.

Of course, you can opt them out. However, in order to do so, you have to use Advanced/Custom installation settings. But researchers from LosVirus.es^[3] tell that such activity is rare among computer users. The majority of them rely on Standard/Recommended settings which do not have this feature and lets installing the whole package.

In some cases, developers of PUPs create legit-looking apps and can quite easily trick you into installing it voluntarily. However, Unalytics hijack is quite unusual because authors sold their add-on, and there are two main problems. First, users were not informed. Second, new owners have malicious purposes. For this reason, it’s important to check the list of installed extensions and make sure that they are working properly.

Uninstall Unalytics from the browser

Unalytics removal requires uninstalling suspicious browser extensions. You can find detailed guidelines on how to get rid of them from Chrome, Firefox, and other web browsers. Additionally, we suggest checking the system for other unwanted apps too. The same software bundle may have brought useless security programs or other potentially dangerous components.

To make sure that your computer is virus-free you can use security programs. However, some users report that they were unable to remove Unalytics automatically. But we still recommend checking your device with security software after manual elimination to check if nothing suspicious was left on the system.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

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

Remove the unwanted program:

In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

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

Delete leftover files and folders:

Select Go > Go to Folder.
Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.
Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

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 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.

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 Remove.

Clear cookies and other browser data:

Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
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.

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

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

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.

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.
This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.

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 the unwanted extension and click Remove.

Reset the homepage:

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

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 and Temporary cached files and pages, then click 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 suspicious extensions 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 dangerous extensions:

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

Clear history and website data:

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

Reset Safari:

Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.

How to remove Unalytics

Unalytics – a potentially unwanted program that negatively affects browsing activities

Potentially unwanted programs can infiltrate sneakily