Web companion (Free Guide) - 2021 update
Web companion Removal Guide
What is Web companion?
Web Companion is a program considered to be possibly unwanted due to intrusive behavior and silent infiltration methods
Web companion is a potentially unwanted program which is claims to add an extra layer to your PC's security.
Web Companion is a legitimate application created by Lavasoft. According to developers, the program can add an extra layer of protection by blocking increasing the security of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or another web browser by blocking malicious websites.
Due to implemented protection, it can also prevent the infiltration of potentially unwanted programs installed as browser extensions via various websites. However, the app itself can be considered a potentially unwanted program, as it usually gets installed via shareware and freeware bundles deceptively. Besides, it sometimes comes along with other PUPs that are generally considered questionable at best and malicious at worst.
However, its distribution techniques are not the only questionable feature. The PUP actively pushes its paid version as the only way to evade issues that it detected. However, security experts, the Reddit community, and other respectable parties do not believe that it is worth spending your money on such a questionable tool.
Type | System tools |
---|---|
Distribution | This program spreads with the help of the bundling technique |
Issues |
|
Related service | WCAssistantService |
Removal | You can uninstall the program manually by following our instructions below; some security programs might recognize and delete the PUP for you |
Recovery & optimization | You can ensure your system is in the best condition FortectIntego |
The main problem related to the software is the methods used in its distribution. The developers have already admitted that their product is distributed via a popular marketing method called bundling[1]. They clearly identify in their FAQ section that the application might appear on the user's computer without direct permission and start operating on the system:
Web Companion is most commonly distributed within another software product that you or someone who uses your PC has elected to install. This is known as “bundled software distribution” and is a practice widely used by software makers worldwide to make money while delivering free software to their end-users.
While some users might question what is Adaware Web Companion, others refer to this program as a virus. Security researchers indicate that this is not the right term to describe this software. It should be attributed to the potentially unwanted program category because of its stealthy techniques used to enter the system and also sell its licensed version.
The app that claims to protect users from unwanted software and dangerous websites is considered to be a potentially unwanted program itself
Even if the application is installed willingly from its official website, its installer also offers a bunch of programs that can be considered browser hijackers. When users do not pay close attention to the installation of such software, they might not even notice that the permission to change web browser settings is being asked for with the help of pre-ticked boxes, fine print text, and other tricks.
Therefore, Adaware Web Companion is installed, users might notice that their web browsers are suddenly redirecting search results to Yandex, Bing, Yahoo, or Privado and filling them with sponsored links and ads. These providers might also be set as default browser homepage and new tab.
Besides, users might also spot new extensions or new programs installed on your web browsers or Windows/Mac systems – these might secretly track your online activities and deliver this information to third-party sources for financial benefits.
Program is defaulting into search engines and homepage of different providers
The questionable activity of Web Companion
We should also add that program's activity can also be quite annoying and cause trouble when trying to uninstall this so-called system protection tool. Once installed program claims to protect against the following threats:
- Rogue websites;
- Invasive ads;
- Data tracking;
- Phishing scams[2].
However, users start receiving notifications about detected threats from the app right after the first scan is finished. Unfortunately, these alerts do not have an expiry date, so you can be flooded with never-ending messages each time you start using your computer. It has been significantly deteriorating users' browsing experience because it keeps popping up relatively often.
Unfortunately, virus scan results and additional ads that come from the app are not necessarily trustworthy. Developers aim to generate revenue and try to trick people into believing that their computers are infected to continue using less than reliable services. In some cases, users might even be prompted to purchase the premium version or install additional security tools.
Program is detected by various security vendors
Possibly the biggest red flag is that, if you are already using a reliable security tool such as Malwarebytes, it would immediately flag the app. There are quite a few other security tools that detect it under the following names:[3]
- Program.Unwanted.3914
- PUA:Win32/Puasson.A!ml
- A Variant Of MSIL/WebCompanion.C Potentially
- Generic PUA CJ (PUA)
- PUF.WebCompanion!8.9E98 (TFE:C:9RseB869T6O)
- Riskware/WebCompanion
Therefore, we recommend you to get a trustworthy tool to maintain your computer's security. In addition, if you have been questioning yourself if you should remove it from the system, our answer is “yes, you should.” You can uninstall the app from Windows 7, Windows 10, or other Windows operating systems with the help of the step-by-step guide given below.
The option best for this kind of threat is an automatic system scan that provides insights into the state of security. When you run antivirus tools like SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes your machine gets fully checked and results appear with the list of threats or potentially malicious pieces that need to be terminated. You cannot be sure that the only intruder controlling your device is this adware. Quick system check helps determine all potential threats.
Manual removal doesn't take much time. However, run our recommended tools to make sure that there are no leftover files on the system. Keep in mind that such apps tend to modify the computer's registry and initiate additional modifications to start working with every system's startup. To revert these changes, we suggest using FortectIntego.
Avoid unwanted program infiltration easily
The answer to the question of how did program got installed on my computer is more than simple — this security tool spreads in a bundle with third-party applications. In other terms, you install the software during the installation of free programs.
Even though this distribution technique is legitimate, users can fail to identify and reject programs they don't want to install. As a result, victims have started numerous discussions about the unexpected appearance of this tool on Reddit, Quora, Microsoft, and similar tech forums.[4][5]
Although, here are some tips on how to avoid the installation of additional components:
- Never agree to install programs with Quick or Recommended settings of the installer;
- Pick Custom or Advanced ones instead and follow the steps attentively;
- Search for pre-marked checkmarks that grant the permission to install PUPs;
- De-select them and run a full system scan with a professional antivirus.
Once the process is complete and the new tab opens on your default browser, simply close it down.
How to uninstall Web companion from Windows
If you have already tried this security tool and found it useless, we recommend you to remove Lavasoft Web companion right away. You have two options — manual and automatic elimination for the removal of this app. However, as we have already pointed out, the app is not malicious and you should have no issues while trying to get rid of it manually.
Nevertheless, as BedyNet.ru[6] researchers and other experts declare, the best way to protect the computer against potentially unwanted programs in the future is to have a reliable antivirus installed on the system. It will also uninstall all unnecessary applications that might have come to your system via software-bundles.
In this case, perform removal from Windows 10 and other versions by using the guidelines presented below. We highly recommend uninstalling all suspicious entries from the system to prevent other issues on your computer in the future. To prevent software bundles, don't forget to monitor the installation of every software you download. For that, you just need to opt for Custom/Advanced installation mode.
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 Web companion. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
To uninstall Adware from Windows, follow these steps:
- Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC to open Task Manager
- Locate Web Companion running, click on it and select End task in the bottom-right corner
- Quit Task Manager
- Click on Start button and type in Apps & Features
- Locate the app and click Uninstall
- Confirm your choices by clicking Uninstall and Yes, I'll take the chance
- Press Close and a new tab will pop-up on your browser – close it.
If you are using an older Windows version, go thru 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.
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 Web companion 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 system tools
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 Private Internet Access 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, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
- ^ Product Bundling. Wikipedia. The Free Encycloepdia.
- ^ David Bisson. 6 Common Phishing Attacks and How to Protect Against Them. Tripwire. Cyber Security Solutions With Foundational Controls.
- ^ b32a741e96ce1515f1898ae142a7c12c97e0cdee2e10295c9076d1077101d942. Virus Total. File and URL analysis.
- ^ What is this? This started happening about 2 weeks ago but nothing has changed or messed up. Reddit stream forum.
- ^ What is web companion software, and why do I have it installed on my computer?. Quora community.
- ^ BedyNet. BedyNet. Security and Spyware News.