WhiteCoupon ads (virus) - Improved Instructions
WhiteCoupon ads Removal Guide
What is WhiteCoupon ads?
WhiteCoupon ads deliver notifications and can redirect you to questionable sites
WhiteCoupon virus is one of the adware[1] programs that are based on JustPlugIt engine. This potentially unwanted program (PUP) is capable of possessing all the most popular web browsers (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari), so it instantly starts implementing marketing campaigns using each of them. Once installed, it starts pushing tons of annoying pop-up and banner advertisements and such activity clearly slows down[2] the computer.
| Name | WhiteCoupon ads |
|---|---|
| Type | Adware, potentially unwanted program |
| Features | Advertisements, pop-ups, redirects appear out of nowhere |
| Distribution | Freeware installations, deceptive pages, insecure applications and platforms |
| Removal | The guide below shows tips for the PUP termination |
| Repair | Your device can get affected more significantly, so rely on ReimageIntego and fix the damage |
This suspicious program came to our notice not only because of its suspicious activity on the computer system that it gets installed on but also because of suspicious techniques that are used for its distribution. WhiteCoupon adware typically arrives in a form of a browser's plug-in alongside freeware and shareware programs. Despite the fact that software bundling[3] is considered to be legitimate, security experts are striving to ban it and claim that it's a dodgy way to promote programs.
Using this technique, the adware may infiltrate computers without being noticed and won't even require the user's authorization to use the computer's resources, track one's activities, display sponsored advertisements, and so on. Due to its suspicious activities, some security researchers started calling this program as WhiteCoupon malware.
If you wonder why it is risky to keep adware such as this app on computers, then you have to keep in mind that they are sponsored by third parties and seek to make people visit their websites. This adware will send you dozens of sponsored ads ('Ads by WhiteCoupon', 'WhiteCoupon Ads', 'Powered by WhiteCoupon', etc.) that are filled with hyperlinks.
Unfortunately, no one checks the content of promoted websites, which means that the chances to end up on a malicious website[4] are equal to land on a safe domain. Keeping in mind the risk of WhiteCoupon redirects and useless services that the program deceptively offers, you should not even consider keeping it on your computer. As soon as you notice it on your PC, perform a full system check with Malwarebytes or SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner software.
If you are not yet convinced to remove this suspicious program from your computer, you should realize that it employs tracking cookies to monitor your activities online. The described PUP might use tracking technologies to find out your interests and spy on your browsing and search activities. Based on such data, it designs catchy-looking ads that might be used as bait to lure you into pre-determined websites.
You can prevent installing spyware by paying attention
Most of the users cannot explain how and when the infiltration happened and usually they claim that they have certainly NOT downloaded this PUP manually. This can easily be explained. Security experts have found out that this adware usually spreads via software packages as a component of popular free software, for instance, download managers or media players.
This suggests that despite the reputation of the website and the reliability of the application that you are going to install, it's very important to pay a considerable amount of attention to its installation process anyway. Reading EULA and Privacy Policy is always recommended.
On top of that, it is strongly recommended to select the Advanced or Custom installation option and deselect all add-ons, plug-ins, toolbars, or extensions that are bundled with your download. Typically, users end up installing these additions if they decide to rely on pre-selected installation options, for instance, Default or Standard one. Do not choose these settings!
WhiteCoupon removal guidelines
If you can see WhiteCoupon ads in Chrome and other web browsers, it is a clear sign that your web browser has been compromised by the redirect virus. You shouldn't let this ad-supported software stay in your computer system any longer, so organize your time and dedicate some of it to the proper removal.
Besides, bear in mind that the described adware may have attacked your machine together with other adware, for instance, BlackLister, Freemium, Surf Canyon, or others. That's why in order to clean your computer completely, we recommend using reputable anti-malware software[5]. In case you give a preference to the manual removal option, you should follow these instructions:
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.
Getting rid of WhiteCoupon ads. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
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
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 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)
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 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.
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 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 WhiteCoupon 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.
How to prevent from getting adware
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.
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- ^ What is Adware? - Definition. Kaspersky Internet Security Center. Internet Security Center | Cyber Security Resource for Tips, Topics & Trends.
- ^ 10 Signs of a Malware Infection. Kaspersky Blog. Information to Help Protect You Against Viruses, Spyware, Hackers, Spam & Other Forms of Malware.
- ^ Here’s What Happens When You Install the Top 10 Download.com Apps. How-To Geek. For Geeks, By Geeks.
- ^ What Are Malicious Websites and Drive by Downloads?. Norton Internet Security Center. Tips, Education & Answers.
- ^ Olivia Morelli. The best anti-malware programs of 2017. NoVirus. Virus Removal Guides.